Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature accompanies a traveling exhibit of the same name. This lavishly illustrated volume begins by highlighting Shelley's novel and the context in which she conceived it. It next focuses on the redefinition of the Frankenstein myth in popular culture. Here, the fate of the monster becomes a moral lesson illustrating the punishment for ambitious scientists who seek to usurp the place of God by creating life. The final section examines the continuing power of the Frankenstein story to articulate present-day concerns raised by new developments in biomedicine such as cloning and xenografting (the use of animal organs in human bodies), and the role scientists and citizens play in determining acceptable limits of scientific and medical advances.
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Book Description
As science penetrates the secrets of nature, with each discovery generating new questions, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will sound its note of warning. Many scientific developments have provoked references to Frankenstein, a story that, for nearly two centuries, has gripped our imaginations and haunted our nightmares. How can society balance the benefits of medical discoveries against the ethical or spiritual questions posed?
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature,
By A Customer
This review is from: Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature (Hardcover)
This book serves as an excellent introduction to the traveling exhibit by the same name organized by the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine. It provides the reader with a look at Mary Shelley, the times in which she was raised, and the influences that contributed to her writing the original Frankenstein book. There are both color and black and white illustrations which afford the reader a better understanding of this period of time and the context in which the book was written and published. The second section of the book looks at the Frankenstein myth in popular culture and his transformation from an articulate, self-educated being to a grunting brute capable of cruelty without remorse. The 1931 film version starring Boris Karloff is a typical example of this as well as the toys, games, breakfast cereal, coloring books, etc. which came later. The final section of the book addresses the present day concerns which have evolved from this book such as cloning and xenografting (the use of animal parts for tranplantation). The book is a masterful summary of the Frankenstein story nearly 200 years in the making.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MONSTER OF A BOOK!!,
By
This review is from: Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature (Hardcover)
Mary Shelley's creature, fashioned from sundry body parts and zapped back to life by the good ol' Dr. F, has been fascinating and frightening us more than 200 years after Shelley wrote the book. Here, Susan E. Lederer, an associate professor of the history of medicine at Yale University, disinters that Frankenstein legend and legacy. Yes, this is an exploration of the cultural and sociological relevance of myth and monster; what sounds like it could be deadly dull is actually powerful prose, a riveting look at the monster and myth's impact on pop culture, science, advertising and politics. There are also handfuls of incredible color and black-and-white photos of the Monster in films, consumer products, cartoons, books and other myriad media. A book to --- dare we? --- die for.
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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illustration appearing, model kits, animal organs Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein, Percy Shelley, The Modern Prometheus, Courtesy The Granger Collection, Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin, Erasmus Darwin, Universal Studios Licensing, Boris Karloff, Giovanni Aldini, National Library of Medicine, Robert Walton, Cornelius Agrippa, Courtesy Library of Congress, Surgeon General, The Bride of Frankenstein, Jack Pierce, James Blundell, London Society, National Bioethics Advisory Commission, Professor Waldman, Alessandro Volta, Jeff Getty, President Bill Clinton New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
illustration appearing, model kits, animal organs Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein, Percy Shelley, The Modern Prometheus, Courtesy The Granger Collection, Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin, Erasmus Darwin, Universal Studios Licensing, Boris Karloff, Giovanni Aldini, National Library of Medicine, Robert Walton, Cornelius Agrippa, Courtesy Library of Congress, Surgeon General, The Bride of Frankenstein, Jack Pierce, James Blundell, London Society, National Bioethics Advisory Commission, Professor Waldman, Alessandro Volta, Jeff Getty, President Bill Clinton New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 41
books:
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5
books
cite this book:
- Alice in Wonderland (Random House Pictureback) by Lori Haskins on page 34, and page 35
- Prometheus Unbound by Percy Bysshe Shelley on page 65, and Back Matter
- The Rights of Woman (Phoenix Sixties) by Mary Wollstonecraft on page 4, and page 5
- Paradise Lost (Penguin Classics) by John Milton on page 8, and page 25
- Alice In Wonderland (updated Version) (Scholastic Junior Classics) by Lewis Carroll on page 34, and page 35
See all 41 books this book cites
- Real-Life Marketing And Promotion Strategies in College Libraries: Connecting With Campus And Community by Barbara Whitney Petruzzelli on page 102, and page 117
- Frankenstein (Cliffs Complete) by Mary Shelley on page 223
- Bioethics and Medical Issues in Literature (Exploring Social Issues through Literature) by Mahala Y. Stripling in Back Matter
- A Death Retold: Jesica Santillan, the Bungled Transplant, and Paradoxes of Medical Citizenship (Studies in Social Medicine) in Back Matter
- The Web Library: Building a World Class Personal Library with Free Web Resources by Nicholas Tomaiuolo on page 308
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