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ENEMIES OF PATIENTS

Name: ENEMIES OF PATIENTS
Author: Ruth Macklin
ISBN: 0-19-507200-6

by Ruth Macklin ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1993

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How and why your rights as a patient are eroding as the professional autonomy of physicians has declined and the power of bureaucratic overseers has grown. The ``enemies'' of the title may be an overstatement, but Macklin (Bioethics/Albert Einstein University; Mortal Choices, 1987) has chosen the term not for precision but to emphasize the adversarial roles that may be played by, among others, hospital administrators, risk managers, insurance companies, government regulators, attorneys, judges, and even physicians. She points out that, theoretically at least, physicians are guided by two principles: beneficence, which directs them to do good; and respect for autonomy, which recognizes the right of patients to take part in treatment decisions. But although these principles may coincide, they also may conflict; furthermore, physicians' personal values may conflict with those of patients, and pressures from various hospital and governmental bureaucracies may interfere with physicians' roles as their patients' advocates, putting the doctors into the position of ``enemies.'' Macklin presents specific cases that serve as models of representative situations. Among them are cases that examine do- not-resuscitate policies; the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses to refuse life-saving blood transfusions; the conflicts between the rights of pregnant women and those of fetuses; the refusal of doctors to treat certain patients; the rights of patients competing for scarce resources; and the right to die. Many of the cases are familiar, but what is unique is the author's marvelously clear ethical analysis following each one, as she presents conflicting positions fairly and tells where she stands and why. Highly recommended for anyone concerned about the care of patients and the protection of their rights. (For a fuller discussion of physicians' obligations toward patients, see Marc A. Rodwin's Medicine, Money, and Morals, reviewed below.)

Pub Date: May 1, 1993

ISBN: 0-19-507200-6

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Oxford Univ.

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1993

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.