Body Shopping
The Economy Fuelled by Flesh and Blood
Donna DickensonOur tissues, genes, and organs are becoming, in the words of the head of one pharmaceutical company, ‘the currency of the future’. From the trafficking of women for their eggs to ‘beauty junkies’ and designer gene repair kits, Donna Dickenson reveals the myriad and often ingenious ways that body parts are converted into profits.
Despite what the media – or even your doctor – might say, the current biotechnological gold rush is not inevitable and can be resisted. This gripping, powerful book is essential reading for anyone concerned with the ownership and the commercial use (and abuse) of our bodies and those of our loved ones. The fight isn’t over yet. Indeed, it’s hardly begun.
Reviews
"The body as cash cow, an expos
Publishing News
"This is a horrifying book. It isn't news that human tissue and organs are bought and sold, but it is horrifying to learn the extent, the heartlessness and sometimes the ghoulishness of this international trade."
The Sunday Times
"Do we `own' our bodies, and if not, who does? Medical ethicist Dickenson combines lucid explanations of legal arguments and case studies with a thought-provoking polemicism."
The Guardian
"Dickenson’s book is a scandal a page; horror writers in a search of a plot would do well to consult it … It is also a thoughtful, intelligent, highly readable work written by someone with impeccable credentials... Gently, thoroughly and reasonably calmly, she guides us through a new world of horrific possibilities..."
Financial Times
"Body Shopping is ambitious and thoughtful … This book could not be more timely … a chilling account of the trade in human body parts … If there is any doubt over whether the human body is a global commodity, Dickenson ably puts it to rest."
New Scientist
