Consumer’s Guide to a Brave New World (Brave New World) is the most recent book written by Wesley J. Smith, who is a senior fellow with the Discovery Institute and the legal counsel to the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Smith should be well known to pro-life leaders in Canada since he has been a speaker at national, provincial, regional and local pro-life conferences and dinners throughout Canada.

Smith is also the author of the award winning book Culture of Death, (named the best medical book in 2003 by the independant publishers of America) the influential book on euthanasia: Forced Exit, (updated in 2004) and the excellent book on pain and symptom management: Power over Pain.
Brave New World focuses on the issues of stem cells, cloning, genetic manipulation and the bio-ethics movement and their new threats to human life.

The book begins with an examination of the scientific information by defining all the terms and explaining them in understandable language.

Smith then focuses on the history of the scientific discoveries related to Embryonic Stem Cells and the political juggernaut that sprung up demanding permission to experiment on human embryo’s and kill them for their stem cells

Smith gets to the crux of the issues and uncovers the political battle in the United States and world-wide over the morality of killing human embryo's for scientific research.

Smith follows the political battle by examining the issue of cloning and in relation to the attempt to gain acceptance for embryonic stem cell research. Smith clearly separates the truth and fiction related to cloning. Cloning represents an attack on the human person and Brave New World confirms this knowledge for the readers.

Brave New World then examines how biotech drug companies pressure politicians to support their agenda. This is an important chapter because it helps people understand the pressure politics related to scientific research.

Finally, Smith examines the new movement of bio-ethicists who refer to themselves as Transhumanists. This maybe the most important chapter of the book. Smith effectively uncovers the roots and goals of the little known Transhumanist movement.

Transhumanists believe that evolution has moved too slowly and that science needs to be used to evolve the human person. Transhumanists want to create a caste of persons who are genetically modified. People who are smarter, stronger and better looking. These genetic "enhancements" include human/animal "hybrids".

Smith explains how transhumanism is a form of eugenics. People who are not of a certain intellect or capability are considered less human. In fact
Transhumanists believe that those who will refuse to be genetically manipulated will be less human.

Wesley Smith asks the question:

Will Humans Remain Human ? If Transhumanists get their way the human person will be radically changed. We need to view the Transhumanist as a serious threat.

Smith concludes Brave New World by comparing what the goals of the bioethicists to the goals of people who believe in the sanctity of human life. Smith differentiates between things that are ethically wrong and areas that show great scientific promise and are ethically sound and he warns pro-life people of the future directions of bioethicists.

I found Brave New World to be an important book for understanding the current and future scientific debate in relation to Stem Cells, cloning and genetic manipulation. The explanations and concerns in relation to the Transhumanist movement is well done by Smith. He opens up another area of concern for pro-life people.
Consumer’s Guide to a Brave New World should be read by everyone who is concerned about the direction of modern science and bioethics.

Copies of Consumer’s Guide to a Brave New World can be obtained for $35.00 by contacting the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition toll free at: 1-877-439-3348.