The Stem Cell Divide: The Facts, the Fiction, and the Fear Driving the Greatest Scientific, Political, and Religious Debate of Our Time

The review below can be found at the ScienceReport-dot-net website. Human stem cell research is a major hot button topic that divides the conservative and scientific communities. Religious conservatives see it as tampering with nature and even playing God. Scientists, on the other hand, see the potential to treat many of the life threatening diseases of our times - from heart disease and diabetes to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. There's no question that there's been a lot of hype surrounding both sides, so it's refreshing that in The Stem Cell Divide provides a non-biased look at the science and politics surrounding this controversial topic. The book is divided into 3 parts: Discovery of the Stem Cell's Unique Abilities, The Race to Harness the Power of Life, and Stem Cell Cures and Curses. There are two appendices: one describing how human cells are cultured and the other describing California's legislation concerning the funding of stem cell research. The book also has a fairly extensive glossary. The first part of the book is concerned with stem cell basics. This section is designed to get novices up to speed with the history and process of stem cell research. Bellomo clearly explains why embryonic stem cells have advantages over adult stem cells, the scientific research up to this point, and our main sources for embryonic stem cells - namely stem cell cultures maintained by Dr. James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin and potentially, the thousands of unused embryos that are discarded at in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. The second part of the book discusses the opposition President Bush has faced from his own party by his decision to veto any bill that allowed federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Bellomo makes it extremely clear that the issue at hand is not whether embryonic stem cell research should be legal - it already is allowed, remains unrestricted, and is perfectly legal - but whether it should be federally funded. On August 9, 2001, Bush announced that federal funding would only be allowed for researchers who experimented on the 60 or so existing embryonic stem cell lines. Determined to keep biotechs within the state, California responded with Proposition 71, legislature that essentially made conducting stem cell research a state constitutional right and allowed $3 billion in funds to be given over 10 years to stem cell research facilities, and specifically, embryonic stem cell research. That sparked a number of other states to also propose legislation to fund embryonic stem cell research. At the federal level, President Bush has faced opposition in Congress. In May 2005, the Republican-controlled House passed a bill allowing federal funds to be used for embryonic stem cell research. Even staunch supporter, Dr. Bill Frist, broke from the Bush camp to support the legislation, saying: "We should federally fund research only on embryonic stem cells derived from blastocysts left over from fertility therapy,

THE STEM CELL DIVIDE: THE FACTS, THE FICITON AND THE FEAR DRIVING THE GREATEST SCIENTIFIC, POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS DEBATE OF OUR TIME is even more relevant given President Bush's recent veto on the research than when it first appeared, before the fact. It offers a pro/con look at stem cell research, considering both sides as evenly as is possible and considering religious, ethical, and health implications of stem cell potentials. It's a 'must' for any who would survey the research's potential and the roots of the controversy surrounding it. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

The Stem Cell Divide is what I have grown to expect from this author. I find all of the books that I have read written or co-authored with him to be informative, well researched and easy for a non-scientist or student to read. He makes science exciting for the non-scientist. I like the way that the book does not take sides but delivers the facts and lets the reader come to their own conclusions. The book helps to sort out the media hype, fact from fiction. I would urge others to read this if they are having trouble understanding what is really going on in the stem cell world.

It is amazing to find out that we know so much and at the same time so little about stem cells and how they can turn into replacement organs (good) or tumors (definitely bad). This book explains the miracles, both of nature and science, that we're finally unravelling and made me hopeful that we're on the edge of some great things. What really grabbed me was the chapter on how we might be able to solve the issue of aging and organ replacement in one sweep, thereby attaining clinical immortality. After that, the sky's the limit.

Concise, engaging, and surprising free from bias (except a general pro-research slant). The Stem Cell Divide gives a sort of whirlwind tour of the issues, the politics, and the early history of cellular science. To take just 1 example, while I don't yet have any children, I'm convinced after reading this book (and seeing many websites) that banking the cord blood of your children is like taking out extra insurance against possible future disease.