Who Says You're Dead?

Medical & Ethical Dilemmas for the Curious & Concerned

By: Jacob M. Appel MD

Narrated by: Jonathan Yen

Drawing upon the author's two decades teaching medical ethics, as well as his work as a practicing psychiatrist, this profound and addictive little book offers up challenging ethical dilemmas and asks listeners, What would you do?

• A daughter gets tested to see if she's a match to donate a kidney to her father. The test reveals that she is not the man's biological daughter. Should the doctor tell the father? Or the daughter?
• A deaf couple prefers a deaf baby. Should they be allowed to use medical technology to ensure they have a child who can't hear?
• Who should get custody of an embryo created through IVF when a couple divorces?
• Or, when you or a loved one is on life support, Who says you're dead?

In short, engaging scenarios, Dr. Appel takes on hot-button issues that many of us will confront: genetic screening, sexuality, privacy, doctor-patient confidentiality. He unpacks each hypothetical with a brief reflection drawing from science, philosophy, and history, explaining how others have approached these controversies in real-world cases. Who Says You're Dead? is designed to defy easy answers and to stimulate thought and even debate among professionals and armchair ethicists alike.

©2019 Jacob M. Appel (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Succinct and bipartisan

This book covers about 80 different medical dilemmas within its runtime. It always starts with an explanation of the proposed scenario, usually based on a real scenario, and then an explanation of current laws, standards, and precedent for exceptions. It usually sides with examples from American healthcare, but it will sometimes include examples of what other nations have chosen within similar circumstances.

But what I most appreciate is how quickly it gets through each scenario. It doesn’t hem and haw, it doesn’t preach, it just gives you the facts and then moves right onto the next scenario without telling you or steering you towards a “correct “solution to the proposed problem.

Easy recommendation for anyone with an interest in American healthcare or ethics. Or even to anyone interested in learning more about themselves; I learned things about my values and standards that I didn’t know before listening.

An interesting series of ethical concerns

Provides a series of ethical concerns in the healthcare setting. Some are pretty common concerns that might be familiar, and some were pretty obscure. Nevertheless, it was an interesting book and was performed very well.

Better than I expected

I bought this as the blurb caught my attention and my curiosity.

This book is told by giving you an ethical dilemma and a made up story about this issue, then an explanation of why this should or shouldn't be done and a real story with that ethical issue happening. I know this sounds dry and boring but it really wasn't. My only complaint was that I wish more details would have been added to the true life story parts, as it seemed that the writer really wanted to add as many items as possible before the book ended.

There were some issues I would have had a hard time following the "correct" way of resolving them and I disagree with the writers opinion that not everyone deserves health care. Every human deserves to be able to be treated, rich or not. Also, I wonder if the pandemic changed his opinion on how and why all the governments handled it. It really sounded as if he thought that they couldn't and wouldn't close everything down for the greater good.

The narration was top notch and I really enjoyed this one.

Happens everyday

These issues happen everyday In Healthcare. More than anyone wants to believe. These are excellent t examples and rationales. The author is well versed and very cleaver in the presentation.

So much food for thought!

One of the most fascinating books I’ve ever listened to; I was so disappointed when it ended!
Great topics, great narration; this is a winner!