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Henry T. Greely

The End of Sex and the Future of Human Reproduction 1st Edition

by Henry T. Greely (Author)

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Within twenty, maybe forty, years most people in developed countries will stop having sex for the purpose of reproduction. Instead, prospective parents will be told as much as they wish to know about the genetic makeup of dozens of embryos, and they will pick one or two for implantation, gestation, and birth. And it will be safe, lawful, and free. In this work of prophetic scholarship, Henry T. Greely explains the revolutionary biological technologies that make this future a seeming inevitability and sets out the deep ethical and legal challenges humanity faces as a result.

Developments in genetics and stem cell research are giving rise to new techniques that will vastly improve preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), making sexless reproduction not just possible but cheap and easy―what Greely coins “easy PGD.” The first child born using PGD is now 25 years old, and thousands more are born each year. Advanced by economic, social, legal, and political forces, the emerging science has made the concerns that were once the stuff of science fiction into real problems that our children and grandchildren will face routinely.

Deeply informed by Greely’s command of both science and law, The End of Sex and the Future of Human Reproduction is a book for parents, citizens, and all those, born and unborn, who will face the consequences of a new era of human reproduction.

ISBN-10

0674728963
ISBN-13

978-0674728967
Edition

1st
Publisher

Harvard University Press
Publication date

May 30, 2016
Language

English
Dimensions

6.5 x 1.5 x 9.75 inches
Print length

400 pages
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Donna Freitas
36
Hardcover
33 offers from $1.89

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Greely] employs lucid prose to explain the science behind reproduction, genetics, and stem cells, and explores the scientific, legal, and political pathway toward easy [preimplantation genetic diagnosis]. (Tanya Lewis The Scientist)

Will the future confront us with human GMOs? Greely provocatively declares yes, and, while clearly explaining the science, spells out the ethical, political, and practical ramifications. (Paul Berg, Nobel Laureate and recipient of the National Medal of Science)

This book could not be more timely. Greely imagines the future of human reproduction with the insight, wit, and panache readers of his work have come to expect. (Glenn Cohen, Harvard Law School, author of Patients with Passports)

Greely has written an exceptional book. Anyone interested in the technology of human reproduction and what it holds for humanity’s future will thoroughly enjoy the read. (Judith Daar, Whittier Law School)

We owe it to ourselves, to the society we live in, to our children and our children’s children to think long and hard about the arguments Greely presents before we make choices about the future of human reproduction. One of the most exciting and thought-provoking books I have read in a long time. (Jennifer Merchant, Université de Paris II)

[Greely] provides an extraordinarily sophisticated analysis of the practical, political, legal, and ethical implications of the new world of human reproduction. His book is a model of highly informed, rigorous, thought-provoking speculation about an immensely important topic. (Glenn C. Altschuler Psychology Today)

The End of Sex is eye-opening about the prospects created by biomedical technology…Greely’s book offers a balanced, informed and calm analysis of the legal, ethical and social frameworks within which we must resolve these dilemmas [of sex-free conception]. (Philip Ball New Statesman)

Greely’s background in law and bioethics [brings] a fresh perspective. The book is a timely assessment of the way things are, and the direction they are heading: it is also a rallying call for debate about regulation, and about the sort of society we want to live in. (Linda Geddes New Scientist)

Readers looking for a more in-depth analysis of human genome modifications and reproductive technologies and their legal and ethical implications should strongly consider picking up Greely’s The End of Sex and the Future of Human Reproduction…Greely’s breezy first-person narrative belies the extraordinary depth and impressive quality of information provided, both scientific and legal…[It has] the potential to empower readers to make informed decisions about the implementation of advancements in genetics technologies. (Dov Greenbaum Science)

The End of Sex will open your mind to a future you might not have anticipated. (Dan Samorodnitsky Massive)

About the Author

Henry T. Greely is Deane F. and Kate Edelman Johnson Professor of Law and Professor, by courtesy, of Genetics at Stanford University.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harvard University Press; 1st edition (May 30, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0674728963
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0674728967
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.5 x 9.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,567,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #712 in Biotechnology (Books)
- #875 in Obstetrics & Gynecology (Books)
- #1,447 in Genetics (Books)

Customer Reviews:
28 ratings

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4.6 out of 5

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Larry Hinman

Illuminating and thoughtful view of a possible future.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 29, 2016

Verified Purchase

A pleasure to read. Greely's style is clear, specific, and engaging. Part One is devoted to the biological foundations of the growing revolution in human reproduction, and for me it was both illuminating and enjoyable to read. Greely packs a lot of information into a relatively short space, synthesizing an impressive amount of information into a coherent whole centered around his concept of "Easy PGD.". He then turns to explore the path for the coming decades that he think will transform the way in which human beings in industrialized (i.e., affluent) societies will reproduce. I think things will move more slowly than Greely does, simply because things always seem to move more slowly than we think in the moment. (I remember watching the first U.S. moon landing in 1969 in a little village in Germany in the middle of the night, and it would have been hard to imagine that we wouldn't have colonies on the moon in twenty years. Similarly, after a decade of Concorde supersonic commercial flight, we are back to subsonic-only flight. Or the early promise of gene therapy, maturing decades after we expected.) Greely, nonetheless, plots a careful pathway into this (probably inevitable) future. Part Three deals with the ethical, legal, and policy implications of Easy PGD, and here Greely is at his best, illuminating without being pedantic, carefully showing why certain extremes are either impossible or highly undesirable, and then laying out the issues that we will face in dealing with the available possibilities. Greely doesn't get ahead of his data and does not try to solve all these issues, but he does present very careful examinations of the arguments that will leave the reader more informed and with a much more nuanced understanding of the contours of these issues.

9 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Hank Greely has hit a home run

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 31, 2016

Verified Purchase

I love this book. I have had the great good fortune of meeting and listening to the author, Hank Greely, in several varied settings of medical, legal, and mixed audiences. He is highly engaging, enlightening, and entertaining. This 315 page book is even better. ‘The End of Sex’ is divided into three roughly equal segments, all of which are needed to explain this subject. The first involves the biological sciences of human reproduction and genetics. This is a dense and complicated field which the author turns into a wonderful read as he explains his core prediction of “Easy PGD”. His self-deprecating style is refreshing and it is impossible to believe that Hank never studied biology beyond the tenth grade. Segment two explores the likely path that this science will take in the coming years. Twenty to forty years is the author’s time frame and if you read the daily scientific headlines, it is clear that this technology is developing quickly. As difficult as it is to predict how our judicial and legislative branches will handle these developments, imagine how the rest of the world will deal with this coming technology. The third section deals with the likely policy issues to be confronted, ethical and legal. The author seems completely comfortable discussing these exceedingly complex and nuanced issues.
It is a pleasure to read Hank Greely’s vision of how all this may unfold but certainly an eye opener. Buy the book, read it, discuss it with your friends, put it down and re-read it several months later having considered the implications of this scientific direction.

5 people found this helpful

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Christoph Weber

As good as science writing gets

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 16, 2016

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I've read my share of science books, and this is among the best. Greely writes clearly and explains complex concepts in a way that most laypeople can follow. As a bonus, he'll make you laugh from time to time.

Greely has thoroughly thought through (say that five times fast) the implications of "artificial" gamete production and cheap whole genome sequencing. If this future of "Easy PGD" plays out, it will be a fascinating one. Barring regulation, we will be able to eliminate genetic diseases (yes!); gay and lesbian couples will be able to have their own biological children (thumbs up!); so will geriatric women (that seems okay?); so will deceased individuals (hmm); close relatives will be able to have healthy children together (still weird, Jaime Lannister); and a single person will be able to have offspring as a "uniparent" (WTF). This is just a sampling of the intriguing possibilities Greely suggests lie in our near future. As a science fiction writer, this book is a gold mine.

I don't know how the future will play out, but I'll probably invest in genomics technologies, and I'll certainly recommend this book.

9 people found this helpful

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wbw

Wonderful combination of enjoyable and informative.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 15, 2017

Verified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It speaks to the very basic building block of humanity, a topic I was surprised to realize how little I knew about. I'm glad I now know more. The author definitely delves deep into the issues and doesn't dumb anything down (ie. patronize the reader), but if you're a novice on the issue (like me), it won't scare you away. I walk away feeling much more comfortable with every part of the discussion and grateful to have picked up the book.

The book breaks into two parts. First, it's a basic discussion on the science behind human reproduction. Second, it breaks down the likely future of reproduction based on scientific and societal developments. The author does an excellent job of breaking down concept ideas into very simple and understandable terms, while also maintaining a conversational and interesting voice.

3 people found this helpful

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