RJA 7a

Book 1

Authors, Editors, Translators, and/or compilers:  Peter S. Harper, Author and Editor

Title and Subtitle:  Landmarks in Medical Genetics:  Classic papers with commentaries

Edition number or information:  NA

Number(s) of volume used:  NA

Name of series:  NA

Place of publication:  NA

Name of Publisher:  Oxford University Press

Date of publication (copyright):  2004

Authority

Sir Peter Harper, the editor of this book, has served as Professor of Medical Genetics at University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff.  He helped develop the Wales Medical Genetics Services and is a member of the UK Human Genetics Commission and Advisory Committee on Genetic testing.  Sir Peter was member of Nuffield Council on Bioethics from 2004-2010.  He was knighted in 2004 for his contributions to medicine; he was responsible for developing research in neurogenetics, notably on Huntington’s disease and Myotonic

Timeliness

The book in this conversation was published in 2004.  While this was nearly eight years ago, the fact that diseases such as Huntingtons still don’t have a cure, Sir Peter’s research was ground breaking and remains so to this day.  Even though he has retired from his position at Cardiff, he has continued serving on a variety of boards and commissions and has continued writing articles and books on the subject of medical genetics.

Documentation

This book is actually a collection of papers to provide geneticists and researchers a background on medical genetics.  The collection also includes brief, concise commentary from Sir Peter regarding each paper.  As such, each paper in and of itself is its own source.

Purpose & Audience

This collection of papers is primarily intended for geneticists and researchers in order to provide a detailed timeline of the origination and development of medical genetics; the comments, however, are short and to the point, and easy enough to understand for those not in the field.

Review Process

This book has been critically reviewed by many peers, and is generally considered a good resource for young scientists.

Suitability

While some of the papers are a little over my head, I was able to understand the flow and point of the material fairly well.  The book goes into some of the history of genetic disorders, and the most important field discoveries in the 20^th century.  I believe this book will help me develop a great foundation for research on the topic.

Book 2

Authors, Editors, Translators, and/or compilers: Gerard Magill, Ph.D.

Title and Subtitle:  Genetics and ethics:  an interdisciplinary study

Edition number or information:  NA

Number(s) of volume used:  NA

Name of series:  NA

Place of publication:  USA

Name of Publisher:  Saint Louis University Press

Date of publication (copyright):  2004

Authority

The editor of this book, Gereard Magill, Ph.D., is the Executive Director and Department Chair at the Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University.  He received his Ph.D. from Edinburgh University in 1987, and published many scholarly essays and several books.  As an active member of 14 professional associations, with over $6 million in grants awarded, and over 28 years of teaching in graduate education, Dr. Magill is a well renowned expert in the medical genetics field.

Timeliness

This book was also published in 2004, however a lot of the same questions it asks still present themselves; this book is ahead of its time in the sense that since the eight years it was published have passed, some of the questions it posed have transitioned from theoretical to practical.  Some technological breakthroughs discussed in this book are now a reality.

Documentation

Again, this book is a compilation of essays from various experts in the genetics and medical fields regarding the ethics of genetic medicine.  Each essay is summarized by Dr. Magill, where he provides his take and usually the opposing perspective. 

Review Process

This book and the essays in it have been peer reviewed to exhaustion.  This book is recommended for the non-specialist reader, but also designed for teachers, clinicians, scientists, policymakers, and scholars – that shows the versatility of the book and the expansive knowledge base of the authors and editor.

Suitability

As previously mentioned, this book is intended for anyone and everyone; it contains detailed information for specialists, but with layman explanations for the general public.