Deadly Monopolies
The Shocking Corporate Takeover of Life Itself--And the Consequences for Your Health and Our Medical Future
By Harriet A. Washington | Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
About the book
From the award-winning author of Medical Apartheid, an exposé of the rush to own and exploit the raw materials of life—including yours.
Think your body is your own to control and dispose of as you wish? Think again. The United States Patent Office has granted at least 40,000 patents on genes controlling the most basic processes of human life, and more are pending. If you undergo surgery in many hospitals you must sign away ownership rights to your excised tissues, even if they turn out to have medical and fiscal value. Life itself is rapidly becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the medical-industrial complex.
Deadly Monopolies is a powerful, disturbing, and deeply researched book that illuminates this “life patent” gold rush and its harmful, and even lethal, consequences for public health. Like the bestselling The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, it reveals in shocking detail just how far the profit motive has encroached in colonizing human life and compromising medical ethics.
Editions of Deadly Monopolies
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780385528924
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780767931236
- EBook
- ISBN 9780385534055
Read an Excerpt
From the award-winning author of Medical Apartheid, an exposé of the rush to own and exploit the raw materials of life—including yours.
Think your body is your own to control and dispose of as you wish? Think again. The United States Patent Office has granted at least 40,000 patents on genes controlling the most basic processes of human life, and more are pending. If you undergo surgery in many hospitals you must sign away ownership rights to your excised tissues, even if they turn out to have medical and fiscal value. Life itself is rapidly becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the medical-industrial complex.
Deadly Monopolies is a powerful, disturbing, and deeply researched book that illuminates this “life patent” gold rush and its harmful, and even lethal, consequences for public health. Like the bestselling The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, it reveals in shocking detail just how far the profit motive has encroached in colonizing human life and compromising medical ethics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Deadly Monopolies about?
From the award-winning author of Medical Apartheid, an exposé of the rush to own and exploit the raw materials of life—including yours.
Think your body is your own to control and dispose of as you wish? Think again. The United States Patent Office has granted at least 40,000 patents on genes controlling the most basic processes of human life, and more are pending. If you undergo surgery in many hospitals you must sign away ownership rights to your excised tissues, even if they turn out to have medical and fiscal value. Life itself is rapidly becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the medical-industrial complex.
Deadly Monopolies is a powerful, disturbing, and deeply researched book that illuminates this “life patent” gold rush and its harmful, and even lethal, consequences for public health. Like the bestselling The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, it reveals in shocking detail just how far the profit motive has encroached in colonizing human life and compromising medical ethics.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Deadly Monopolies?
Economics, Finance, Business and Management > Industry and industrial studies > Manufacturing industries > Chemical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
Where can I read a sample of Deadly Monopolies?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780385528924
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Deadly Monopolies?
Harriet A. Washington
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Deadly Monopolies is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780385528924) and paperback(ISBN 9780767931236) and ebook(ISBN 9780385534055)
Where can I buy Deadly Monopolies online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Deadly Monopolies from below
Where can I buy Deadly Monopolies?