Clones and Clones: Facts and Fantasies about Human Cloning

This is a terrific basic explanation of the science, ethics, politics and sociology of human cloning. It is a collection of essays, most of which have been published elsewhere, but pulled together in a coherent and thorough form.The volume is easy to understand with little or no biological or medical background required. Unlike most volumes on the subject, it includes some excellent examples of fiction on cloning which in many ways clarify many concepts better than the factual sections. There are some wonderful quirky concepts covered by the different essays ranging from an analysis of cloning from the point of gays and lesbians and an imaginative Supreme Court Opinion rendered on a hypotehical case of an individual's right to clone. In a Rashoman-like manner two separate opinions are given, one where the Supreme Court protects the individuals right to clone and a second where it upholds society's right to restrict cloning.The essays are written by a range of the famous such as Stephan J. Gould to unknowns. But the quality of the material is generally very high and always understandable for the layman.If anyone wants to start thinking and learning about cloning, this would be my recommendation as a starting point.

This book is a must for all those who want to inform themselves about this problem, which will mark the history of our near future. It is not highly scientific because at the moment we can only speculate what kind of impact cloning of humans may have on us - once it is allowed. If it is not allowed, it will be done - because what someone thinks will be carried out. It has been like that throughout our scientific history. (Otto Hahn dropped the idea of the atomic bomb - and someone else built it.) We will have to face human clones in the very near future. And we want to know how we will face this new situation. And this is what this book is about. It gives you a variety of impulses and, of course, it has to be highly speculative. We simply cannot analyze a situation that we do not have in reality. The stories at the end of the book are not very good, but they are a good try to interest readers that have difficulties with facts only. Science fiction literature would have provided far better stories. I am glad this book was written, and I'm glad I'm not a clone.