Stem Cell Now: A Brief Introduction to the Coming of Medical Revolution

Misunderstandings about the nature of stem cells have unfortunately held back U.S. progress in this area. The subject is quite complex and this book does a great job of making clarifications for those opposed to stem cell research and creating supporting arguments for those who are already in favor of it.

Scott's book explains stem cell research for laypeople, with enough personal anecdotes and wisecracks to keep the science-shy awake. He doesn't exaggerate potential applications or limitations, and he explains that stem cells could be good for much more than stem-cell therapy. The thorough ethics section concisely and precisely covers everyone's views. Here's the first two sentence from a review of the book in the magazine Nature on May 10. "Christopher Scott's little book Stem Cell Now is fundamentally a primer on stem-cell research, suitable for lay readers and freshmen. It offers accessible descriptions of stem-cell science and analysis of associated ethical and political issues."

As a resident of the state of California, I participated in a recent election where we voted on whether or not to publicly fund stem cell research. A friend gave me a paper that explained her church's view on the matter and why they opposed it. Being a religious person myself (of a different faith which has not voiced an opinion on the issue) I could relate to some of the same concerns. Then recently I heard a radio interview with the author of this book where he contradicted some of the "facts" I had read, so I decided to learn more for myself. Mr. Scott said in the interview that he tried to present both sides of the argument as fairly as possible. Although there's no doubt which side he's on I felt he respectfully presented the views of those who oppose the research - and without trying to refute or explain them away either. He explains very clearly what stem cells are and why there is so much attention to their research; why adult stem cells are not as potent as embroyonic stem cells (although still valuable); and clears up much of the confusion that is caused by media reports over terminology such as "cloning" and "embryonic." He is also very careful to stress that much of the over-hyped potential of stem cells may be a very long time coming, if it ever shows results at all, but is still worthy of research. He also explains why government funding is important to keep the exchange of information open and in the public domain. Overall, this is a very rational explanation (unlike one "angry" review here) of the issue and the politics involved. His arguments are mostly sound, and delivered in an easy to comprehend manner that works well even for those who haven't had a biology class since high school. An easy to read book that I can recommend for anyone who wants to better understand this very important issue.

"Although biology is global in nature, ethical opinions are not; and inevitably Scott's account of the social and political aspects of this subject are dominated by events in America. There is, however, a brief description of regulation in other countries, and a full range of ethical opinions is presented. This excellent book touches on many critical aspects of research towards cell therapy, including the niche, characteristics of stem cells, methods of cell culture, trans-differentiation and nuclear transfer. In a book of this scope, there are inevitably a few mistakes, but it is generally thorough and accurate. Research with stem cells offers one of the most important opportunities to understand and develop new treatments for human disease. Stem Cell Now provides a good introduction to the subject." --Ian Wilmut, director, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Edinburgh University

"Stem Cell Now" is a rare primer that deftly provides a layman with a highly readable grounding in the science, moral controversy and political dimensions of stem cells. Christopher Scott has an unusual perspective to bring to the subject as someone trained as a molecular biologist, but who also served as a business consultant and journalist. Scott was not only an assistant vice chancellor of research at the University of California at San Francisco, but also a founder of the short-lived and highly-acclaimed "Acumen Journal of Science." As such, he plays comfortably in the intersection of science, business and society. Scott waits until the end of the book to offer his own positions on the issues of stem cell research, but his point in writing the book is that any discussion about the broader social issues should be grounded in the science. To that end, this is a welcome contribution to informing the discussion and a surprisingly breezy read for anyone who wants to understand the promise, the limitations and the controversy surrounding stem cells. Daniel S. Levine Biotechnology Reporter San Francisco Business Times