Me Medicine vs. We Medicine

Reclaiming Biotechnology for the Common Good

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Medical, Medical Science, Biotechnology, Reference, Ethics
Cover of the book Me Medicine vs. We Medicine by Donna Dickenson, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Donna Dickenson ISBN: 9780231534413
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: June 18, 2013
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Donna Dickenson
ISBN: 9780231534413
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: June 18, 2013
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

Personalized healthcare—or what the award-winning author Donna Dickenson calls "Me Medicine"—is radically transforming our longstanding "one-size-fits-all" model. Technologies such as direct-to-consumer genetic testing, pharmacogenetically developed therapies in cancer care, private umbilical cord blood banking, and neurocognitive enhancement claim to cater to an individual's specific biological character, and, in some cases, these technologies have shown powerful potential. Yet in others they have produced negligible or even negative results. Whatever is behind the rise of Me Medicine, it isn't just science. So why is Me Medicine rapidly edging out We Medicine, and how has our commitment to our collective health suffered as a result?

In her cogent, provocative analysis, Dickenson examines the economic and political factors fueling the Me Medicine phenomenon and explores how, over time, this paradigm shift in how we approach our health might damage our individual and collective well-being. Historically, the measures of "We Medicine," such as vaccination and investment in public-health infrastructure, have radically extended our life spans, and Dickenson argues we've lost sight of that truth in our enthusiasm for "Me Medicine."

Dickenson explores how personalized medicine illustrates capitalism's protean capacity for creating new products and markets where none existed before—and how this, rather than scientific plausibility, goes a long way toward explaining private umbilical cord blood banks and retail genetics. Drawing on the latest findings from leading scientists, social scientists, and political analysts, she critically examines four possible hypotheses driving our Me Medicine moment: a growing sense of threat; a wave of patient narcissism; corporate interests driving new niche markets; and the dominance of personal choice as a cultural value. She concludes with insights from political theory that emphasize a conception of the commons and the steps we can take to restore its value to modern biotechnology.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Personalized healthcare—or what the award-winning author Donna Dickenson calls "Me Medicine"—is radically transforming our longstanding "one-size-fits-all" model. Technologies such as direct-to-consumer genetic testing, pharmacogenetically developed therapies in cancer care, private umbilical cord blood banking, and neurocognitive enhancement claim to cater to an individual's specific biological character, and, in some cases, these technologies have shown powerful potential. Yet in others they have produced negligible or even negative results. Whatever is behind the rise of Me Medicine, it isn't just science. So why is Me Medicine rapidly edging out We Medicine, and how has our commitment to our collective health suffered as a result?

In her cogent, provocative analysis, Dickenson examines the economic and political factors fueling the Me Medicine phenomenon and explores how, over time, this paradigm shift in how we approach our health might damage our individual and collective well-being. Historically, the measures of "We Medicine," such as vaccination and investment in public-health infrastructure, have radically extended our life spans, and Dickenson argues we've lost sight of that truth in our enthusiasm for "Me Medicine."

Dickenson explores how personalized medicine illustrates capitalism's protean capacity for creating new products and markets where none existed before—and how this, rather than scientific plausibility, goes a long way toward explaining private umbilical cord blood banks and retail genetics. Drawing on the latest findings from leading scientists, social scientists, and political analysts, she critically examines four possible hypotheses driving our Me Medicine moment: a growing sense of threat; a wave of patient narcissism; corporate interests driving new niche markets; and the dominance of personal choice as a cultural value. She concludes with insights from political theory that emphasize a conception of the commons and the steps we can take to restore its value to modern biotechnology.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book The Plebeian Experience by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book Endnotes by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book The Mystique of Transmission by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book Environmental Success Stories by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book The Art of Making Magazines by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book How They Got Away With It by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book The Way the Wind Blows by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book The President and His Inner Circle by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book The Politics of Passion by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book Audience Evolution by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book The Demon at Agi Bridge and Other Japanese Tales by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book When Principles Pay by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book Mad Mothers, Bad Mothers, and What a "Good" Mother Would Do by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book The Children's Film by Donna Dickenson
Cover of the book Agents of Bioterrorism by Donna Dickenson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy