The Memoir Spot
A snapshot review of a book related to the Non-fiction Feature
Also in this Monthly Bulletin:
The Non-fiction Feature: The Great Starvation Experiment by Todd Tucker
The Product Spot: Office for Human Research Protections
The Pithy Take
Dr. Robert White engaged in bold and, for many, disturbing and controversial medical experiments on animals. He developed remarkable lifesaving neurosurgical techniques that are still used in hospitals today–Brandy Schillace’s retelling of his career in Mr. Humble and Dr. Butcher reveals his journey through the animal rights movement, transplanting monkey heads, and complicated debates among faith, law, and medicine.
Medical experimentation on living creatures has been happening for ages, and this book examines questions that have cropped up the last few decades, especially in light of PETA: How far can we go to save ourselves? What do we owe animals? What is a life worth?
The raid took place a few weeks later, resulting in the removal of Taub’s primates. The sting marked the beginning of a long legal battle, every bit as important as the one fought over brain death and heart transplant. It unfolded in the public spotlight, and PETA made sure to be front and center.
Mr. Humble and Dr. Butcher: A Monkey’s Head, the Pope’s Neuroscientist, and the Quest to Transplant the Soul
Author: Brandy Schillace
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
320 pages | 2022
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