Description: When Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell of the Roslin Institute announced in February 1997 that they had cloned Dolly from the cell of an adult sheep, fears were expressed that it would only be a matter of time before human cloning became feasible. "This is an outcome I hope never comes to pass, " writes Wilmut. "But the ability to make clones from cultured cells derived from easily obtained tissue should bring numerous practical benefits in animal husbandry and medical science, as well as answer critical biological questions." In this definitive book, the authors explain the possibilities -- good and bad -- that have been opened up by their revolutionary new techniques. Genetically modified animal organs might be used for transplantation into humans. Animals engineered for specific genetic defects "that mimic human illnesses" could greatly add to our understanding of many diseases; they could also be utilized "more directly in cell-based therapies for important illnesses, including Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and muscular dystrophy." But what are the ethical issues raised by this pioneering research, and how can we better understand its implications? Written with the award-winning science writer Colin Tudge, The Second Creation is a landmark work detailing arguably the most exciting -- and challenging -- scientific discovery of the twentieth century.

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