Right to Recover: Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America

Yvonne Perry
Nightengale Press (2007)
ISBN 9781933449418
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (4/07)

When I started reading “Right to Recover: Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America,” I thought that it would be interesting and that as an Executive Director of a healthcare not-for-profit dealing with this issue, I might glean some new knowledge.  The book delivered far more than I ever expected.  I was completely hooked by it from beginning to end.  The author, Yvonne Perry, does an excellent job in defining stem cell research and in making the case for funding of the different types of stem cell research, especially blastocyst (or embryonic) stem cell research.   

Government funding for stem cell research has been a huge controversy over the past several years, especially during President Bush’s administration.  The author lists the American Heritage’s dictionary definition of embryo as:  an organism in its early developmental stage, before it has distinctive form; a rudimentary stage.”  The blastocsyt cells do not even qualify as an embryo because they have never been implanted in a woman’s uterus to begin the developmental stage.  The cells that are in question to be used for research are the ones that were not used in invitro and are being discarded as medical waste. 

The author makes great points about the use of the blastocysts headed for disposal “No life or death has occurred in the process.  The cells scientists want to use for research are the leftover IV-Bs; no one is suggesting that the IVF be used to create blastocysts specifically for use in research.  Give them funding to use the ones already headed for the biohazard containers.  Let them find a way to help the living, breathing human beings who are suffering.” 

So much fear is surrounding stem cell research and cloning that the amazing potential to prevent and cure diseases, rebuild bodies and so much more gets lost in these heated debates.  I learned so much about the current and potential research going on in this country and around the world in this book.  Perry does a great job in bringing in Biblical text that could potentially support this research.  The only flaw that I found in the book was in expressing her views on the more fundamental religions.  I happen to agree to with her views, but I think that adding them limits the numbers of people with more fundamental views that might read the book and learn the truth about this subject.  

Overall, I found the book to be very well written, eye-opening and informative.  It is written in an easy-to-read manner.  I highly recommend “Right to Recover” to those who are sitting on the fence with this issue. 

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