Strangers at the Bedside

Strangers at the Bedside: A History of How Law and Bioethics Transformed Medical Decision-Making Hardcover – May 25, 1991

Author: Visit Amazon's David J. Rothman Page | Language: English | ISBN: 0465082092 | Format: PDF, EPUB

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Strangers at the Bedside: A History of How Law and Bioethics Transformed Medical Decision-Making – May 25, 1991
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From Library Journal

Rothman, a bioethicist at Columbia University, traces the dramatic and profound changes that have taken medical decision-making out of the hands of physicians in the past half-century. His historical analysis, which covers medical research and human experimentation in the United States with a focus on the post-World War II era, is interesting, well written, and highly informative. Also fascinating is his recounting of the early moves toward government and bureaucratic control of medical research. This is not a case-by-case study as many bioethics books are, but rather an informed interpretation of why there are so many ethics cases in contemporary medicine to consider. Solidly researched and well documented, this book is excellent for collections in the social and life sciences, and valuable for general collections with lit erate, informed patrons.
- Mark L. Shel ton, Athens, Ohio
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"For anyone wishing to become acquainted with this field, I would recommend reading [Strangers at the Bedside] for a situated, historical account."

—Kathryn Ehrich, Medical Sociology News

--This text refers to the

Paperback
edition.

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Books with free ebook downloads available Strangers at the Bedside: A History of How Law and Bioethics Transformed Medical Decision-Making Hardcover – May 25, 1991

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Basic Books (May 25, 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0465082092
ISBN-13: 978-0465082094
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #589,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

What do you do with a book that in spite of disagree with the vantage point of the author, you have to admit that the points he raises and the stand he takes has some validity? That an author can cause the reader to stop and think about firmly held belief systems, is indicative of a good writer in my opinion.
The author of this bioethical treatise is not a physician. He is a sociologist, and he is giving the historical background to the immense changes in how the American public views its medical establishment. In the process of becoming involved in ethics in the medical world, Rothman had to come in close contact with those he was writing about...physicians. I get the feeling that he was and to a point still in awe of the great men and the great minds he has been exposed to. Occasionally, the book seemed to be biased in favor of the physicians. A book such as this cannot be written without showing the author's own biases; author's can only admit that they harbor particular biases towards those they are writing about.
In many issues Rothman comes down solidly on behalf of the physicians, whether or not they brought about the changes in the public's attitudes towards those who work in medicine. Rothman bemoans the fact that the public has involved lawyers, bioethicists, and politicians in what used to be the private domain of physicians. Yet he writes and explains the history behind this lowering of pedestals for doctors and medical researchers...all the while trying to explain why physicians felt their patients should rely 'on those who know and understand' (read that to mean physicians think most patients and families are too stupid to understand basic concepts).