Principles of Biomedical Ethics

Angela Schneider-O'Connell

This is a much-needed reworking and updating of a fundamental text in biomedical ethics. The authors accomplish this task with great success. "The purpose is to provide a solid grounding for biomedical ethics. This edition goes beyond the previous editions in carrying out this task. It not only describes the field of ethics, its theories and their application to biomedical issues through the principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice, but it also actively engages the debate about the principle-based approach. "This book is an excellent introductory text. It is useful for those entering the field of biomedical ethics from other disciplines, clinical or nonclinical. Established practitioners in the field will welcome it as a valuable contribution to the debate of the principle-based approach. "The appendix of this edition presents 10 cases, some of which have led to landmark decisions. Even though the appendixes of the second and third editions presented 35 and 38 cases, respectively, this is not a drawback because the authors have incorporated additional cases into the text and because the 10 cases cover a wide range of issues in biomedical ethics. "The previous editions of this text have become classics in biomedical ethics. This edition is a serious reworking and will no doubt become a classic in its own right. Some of the shortcomings of the previous editions, such as its pedestrian literary style, gaps in the index, and the lack of a representative bibliography, have not been overcome. These shortcomings fade when compared to the contribution that this book makes to the field of biomedical ethics. I would recommend that anyone studying biomedical ethics, anyoneworking in this field, and certainly any health sciences library acquire this new edition.

Reviewer: Angela Schneider-O'Connell, PhD(Loyola University Medical Center)
Description: This is a much-needed reworking and updating of a fundamental text in biomedical ethics. The authors accomplish this task with great success.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide a solid grounding for biomedical ethics. This edition goes beyond the previous editions in carrying out this task. It not only describes the field of ethics, its theories and their application to biomedical issues through the principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice, but it also actively engages the debate about the principle-based approach.
Audience: This book is an excellent introductory text. It is useful for those entering the field of biomedical ethics from other disciplines, clinical or nonclinical. Established practitioners in the field will welcome it as a valuable contribution to the debate of the principle-based approach.
Features: The appendix of this edition presents 10 cases, some of which have led to landmark decisions. Even though the appendixes of the second and third editions presented 35 and 38 cases, respectively, this is not a drawback because the authors have incorporated additional cases into the text and because the 10 cases cover a wide range of issues in biomedical ethics.
Assessment: The previous editions of this text have become classics in biomedical ethics. This edition is a serious reworking and will no doubt become a classic in its own right. Some of the shortcomings of the previous editions, such as its pedestrian literary style, gaps in the index, and the lack of a representative bibliography, have not been overcome. These shortcomings fade when compared to the contribution that this book makes to the field of biomedical ethics. I would recommend that anyone studying biomedical ethics, anyone working in this field, and certainly any health sciences library acquire this new edition.

4 Stars! from Doody