Hippocrates Now!: Is Your Doctor Ethical?

William Glassman is a professor of psychology at Ryerson Polytechnical
University.

Patricia and Arthur Parsons, co-authors of several books in addition to
this one, combine strong backgrounds for exploring medical ethics. She
has a nursing degree and is a professor of public relations; he is a
family doctor who for 10 years was chair of the Canadian Medical
Association’s Ethics Committee.

Hippocrates Now! is a clearly written, straightforward guide to the
ethical dilemmas faced by both health-care providers and those they
serve. The book contains 18 short chapters, each with a specific focus,
ranging from privacy rights to dealing with dying. In each chapter,
vivid (yet plausible) case scenarios, together with explicit analysis
and recommendations for guidelines, are used to clarify the issues.

Ethical issues in our society do not find ready consensus, yet the book
does not hesitate to explore the difficulties associated with procedures
like organ transplants. The book is usually balanced in its treatment of
these issues, but when there are lapses, it is for practical rather than
moral reasons (such as when the Parsonses suggest that a health-care
consumer should ask a specialist to discuss ethical views as a first
consultation!). For general readers interested in medical ethics,
Hippocrates Now! is a sound starting point.