GENETICALLY
MODIFIED ATHLETES: BIOMEDICAL ETHICS, GENE DOPING AND SPORT
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Editors:
Andy Miah
Bibliographic Data: ISBN: 0-415-29880-6 (pbk)/ 0-415-29879-2 (hbk),
Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Lt, 2004 (July), 232
pages, £23.99/ £65.00, paperback/hardcover
Subjects: Bioethics, genetic modification, sports science.
Reviewed by: Fadil Ozyener, MD, PhD, Uludag University Medical School,
Bursa, Turkey.
©
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2004) 3, 197
| DESCRIPTION |
The
author discusses the extremely important issue of modifying athletes
genetically in order to develop elite sportsmen. He sheds light on
various aspects of bioethics and their implications for the practices
and management of sport in general.
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| PURPOSE |
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The
aim of this book, as described by the author, is to examine the
concept of 'good sport' and definitions of cheating; privacy rights
and how to use genetic data for sport; the correct using of the
terms 'doping' and 'anti-doping' and notions of autonomy, dignity
and personhood.
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| AUDIENCE |
This
book by Andy Miah targets the sport community at large. It will be
of interest to a wide range of sport scholars and practitioners such
as the athlete, the coach, any management personnel and even the average
fan. The author is a lecturer and tutor in the fields of media, bioethics
and cyberculture at the University of Paisley and University of Glasgow.
He has also published numerous scientific papers on the subject of
sports and genetic technology.
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| FEATURES |
The
book composed of 4 sections and 11 chapters in 232 pages. In the introduction
section anti-doping and performance enhancement issues are discussed
starting with the important question: "Why genetics now?".
Section 2 is about conceptualising genetics in sport by arguing the
imminent applications for the genetically modified athlete in chapter
3 and interests, politics, and ways of reasoning in Chapter 4. Subsequently,
the ethical status of genetical modification in sport is brought forward
in the third section by dealing with issues like humanness, dignity,
autonomy, personhood, identity, the ethics of authenticity, disease,
illness, health, well-being and enhancement as well as unfair advantages
and other harms in chapters 5 to 8. Finally, in the last section various
other issues regarding genetically modified athletes are discussed.
For instance, the topic in the ninth chapter is whether genetical
modification is enhancing, altering, or manipulating people? In the
tenth chapter the argument is about the need of genetic modification
in sport, and in the eleventh chapter the author presents challenging
conclusions & implications regarding biomedical ethics, gene doping
and sport.
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| ASSESMENT |
| This
extremely interesting book is a must for everyone who takes the ethics
in sports seriously. In other words, it is compulsory reading for
anyone interested in the future of the athletes and the sports in
the forthcoming 'era' of genetically engineered sports person. |
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