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Life's Work: A Moral Argument for Choice by [Parker, Dr. Willie]

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Life's Work: A Moral Argument for Choice Kindle Edition

by Dr. Willie Parker (Author)

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In Life’s Work, an outspoken, Christian reproductive justice advocate and abortion provider (one of the few doctors to provide such services to women in Mississippi and Alabama) pulls from his personal and professional journeys as well as the scientific training he received as a doctor to reveal how he came to believe, unequivocally, that helping women in need, without judgment, is precisely the Christian thing to do.

Dr. Willie Parker grew up in the Deep South, lived in a Christian household, and converted to an even more fundamentalist form of Christianity as a young man. But upon reading an interpretation of the Good Samaritan in a sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he realized that in order to be a true Christian, he must show compassion for all women regardless of their needs. In 2009, he stopped practicing obstetrics to focus entirely on providing safe abortions for the women who need help the most—often women in poverty and women of color—and in the hot bed of the pro-choice debate: the South. He soon thereafter traded in his private practice and his penthouse apartment in Hawaii for the life of an itinerant abortion provider, focusing most recently on women in the Deep South.

In Life’s Work, Dr. Willie Parker tells a deeply personal and thought-provoking narrative that illuminates the complex societal, political, religious, and personal realities of abortion in the United States from the unique perspective of someone who performs them and defends the right to do so every day. He also looks at how a new wave of anti-abortion activism, aimed at making incremental changes in laws and regulations state by state, are slowly chipping away at the rights of women to control their own lives. In revealing his daily battle against mandatory waiting periods and bogus rules governing the width of hallways, Dr. Parker uncovers the growing number of strings attached to the right to choose and makes a powerful Christian case for championing reproductive rights.

Length: 225 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
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Product details

File Size: 2829 KB
Print Length: 225 pages
Publisher: Atria / 37 INK (April 4, 2017)
Publication Date: April 4, 2017
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B01LYPZTHR
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

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Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,044 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #15 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Women's Studies > Abortion & Birth Control
- #122 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Medical
- #235 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Religious

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bernie kopfer

That is what makes it a good book for the lifers to read

June 4, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Tough Read for Pro Lifers
If you are a pro choice this will simply reinforce your beliefs. If pro life then it might seem seem oxymoronic that a physician could claim to be a Christian from a fundamentalist background and also be a abortion provider. That is what makes it a good book for the lifers to read. The book is short on science, short on philosophical argument, and short on Biblical quotes. (Which by the way for the lifers out there the Bible despite all the rhetoric is amazingly quiet about a subject that seems to define the Evangelical mvnt.)
What Dr Parker does is approach the subject from the viewpoint of the woman seeking an abortion. Her, needs, her fears, her aspirations, her wishes, her health, etc. These are sorely neglected in the pro life rhetoric that I keep hearing. It so seems that the label pro birth rather than pro life would be much more appropriate. The woman that is pregnant appears to be merely the carrier of the "life" they want to protect. Her needs and values need to be brought into the discussion and this book does a good job of doing so.

0Comment 33 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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M. Rose

A nonjudgmental Christian

June 3, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Dr. Parker shares his life story in a way that I as a non Christian, white, over 80 woman can relate to in many ways. We both are human struggling to live loving, just lives. Sharing his road honestly helps me on my path to its unknown end. Thank you, Doctor.

0Comment 9 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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Adrienne Lynch-Krlich

Fantastic, informative and honest book, very well written by a very intelligent man!!

September 8, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I loved reading an intelligent book that talks from a perspective I wouldn't have as I am not a religious person but for someone to talk so candid about not only there struggle to get to their career but also their moral struggle for their fight for women's equality, being a black man from the south, who grew up with nothing and has achieved so much. Dr. Willie Parker is an outstanding man and everyone, men and women should read this book. He also speaks very candidly about how an abortion is carried out and women's anatomy and the many reasons why women from all backgrounds deserve autonomy without judgement over what happens in their life and to their bodies. Loved this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone!!!

0Comment 5 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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audrey garrett

Brilliant

June 17, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Willie Parker articulately relates the reality of pregnancy related conundrums and lays out a cogent and moral argument for the right to choose. He does not mince words. I particularly liked the incorporation of the Good Samaritan.

0Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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Mir

Fantastic book!

June 19, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Thank you for being such an amazing physician/activist/advocate/educator/writer/speaker/human, Dr. Parker! I read this just before starting my Ob/Gyn residency and am so inspired and excited!

0Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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Amazon Customer

Read this book if you want a personal examination of your own views and biases on abortion.

December 13, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

As background, I am a fourth-year medical student going into the field of Ob/Gyn, who like Parker, acutely feels the weighty dissonance of the pro-life movement with my own, firmly held relationship with Christ. Dr. Parker's book was most valuable to me in opening my eyes to just how much my upbringing and position in society as a white female undercuts many of the emotional arguments that I have had against providing abortion services. I admire and respect Dr. Parker, and firmly believe that he has wrestled with these issues in light of his faith. The most useful chapter was the second to last in which he outlined the ethical framework in which he is willing to perform abortion services.

That being said I was left wanting more. More ethical arguments and perhaps more compassion and non-judgemental tone to those who wrestle with this question and come to a different decision. I long to hear his thoughts on compassionate Ob/Gyn doctors that do not practice abortion but support a political environment where it is freely and safely available. I found throughout the book that he touted a non-judgemental stance while pouring judgement on those on the "anti" side. That being said I have no way of imagining the righteous anger and frustration Dr. Parker goes through, and the unique viewpoint he has on the issue given an upbringing that could not be more different than mine. I cannot fault him for not writing a book perfectly catered the questions I am currently asking. This is a book for the secular and person of faith alike - and is strong because of that. But as a Christian, I craved more attention to the ethical and faith arguments surrounding the agency and/or importance of sexual responsibility.

I finished the book with many new questions to ask myself and those around me. I finished the book with the understanding that my current belief could be wrong. All good things.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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KRS

The kindest male voice on abortion I've ever heard

January 18, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

That was really what stood out the most to me when reading this book--the compassion towards women and lack of judgement in Dr. Parker's book. Some days it is a challenge not to paint all men with the same misogynistic brush. It is really reassuring when I am reminded that there are male allies out there.

Dr. Parker offers a lot of good information about abortion and the barriers that are being put into place to limit access to safe abortion care for women. His book is very accessible and he makes the medical and legal information in his book easy to understand.

It was really inspiring to learn that Dr. Parker was originally pro-life on the basis of his faith. Reading that he was able to reexamine his beliefs and come to see that being pro-choice is not unchristian has given me hope that some people in my life can also change their minds.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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Bperry

Thank you

January 2, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book gave me amazing insight. I have always felt ambivalent about abortion - I’m inherently progressive, but sensitive to the judgement associated with it. I hope everyone gets a chance to read this book or hear others talk about it. Hopefully it will make other readers feel a weight has been lifted from their conscience, as it surely did for me.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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Most recent customer reviews

Elizabeth Hampshire

Wonderful

Thank you for this. I am so grateful so hear a voice of reason and of compassion during this constant attack on women’s reproductive rights. What an incredible man.Read more

Published 18 days ago

Bobby Bill

A serious book about the ethics of abortion

This is an important book for any individual who wishes to read a serious book about why abortion can be justified.Read more

Published 23 days ago

Colleen P Judge

Parker beautifully outlines the ways in which his Christian faith

Dr. Parker beautifully outlines the ways in which his Christian faith, rather than standing in opposition to his views on abortion, actually compels him to do this work.Read more

Published 25 days ago

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Put this book at the top of your ‘must-read’ lists.

Published 28 days ago

P. Ramey

Five Stars

Well-written, incredible description of a life journey. What a brave, compassionate man.

Published 1 month ago

John Bowen

Exposing Hypocrisy

During slavery people in the south had the same argument it was their right to own other people they were just property to do with what they want.Read more

Published 1 month ago

The Barr family

A very important work for our times

He makes an excellent argument from WITHIN the Christian moral framework, which can be a helpful place to start a conversation with family or friends, or for self enlightenment.

Published 1 month ago

Hyo J Kim, MD

Excellent book, everyone should read it.

Dr. Parker is extremely articulate and deeply insightful. His description of his approach to patient care is detailed.Read more

Published 1 month ago

Tunxis Library

Great seller.

Thanks. Great seller.

Published 3 months ago

doug korty

Personal story more than an argument

This is a personal story more than an argument. I don't think it will convince many pro-life types. It is sincere and impressive but the abortion debate is going to go on until we...Read more

Published 3 months ago

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