Note: I received a free unpublished proof of this book, for a limited time, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
*Beyond Right and Wrong* is an easy-to-read, approachable guide to ethics in the medical field. Dr. Francis and Prof. Ruberto introduce readers to the concept of ethics and particular examples of where it comes up in medicine and science. The authors do not talk at length about any particular ethical issue, but instead emphasize the importance of developing one’s own ethical code and applying it to different situations.
This isn’t to say the book doesn’t have a viewpoint, because every book written by a human inherently does. That said, the authors stick to the viewpoint likely shared by most readers that it is medical professionals’ responsibility to do what is best for patients and respect patients’ legal rights. Which might seem kind of obvious, but there are some books that dig really deep into the question of what a medical system should even be or do in the first place, or suggest that we get rid of modern medicine and replace it with essential oils, and this book is neither a complex philosophical work nor a conspiracy theorist manifesto. In short, it takes positions that readers can understand and will likely agree with.
There really isn’t that much more to say about this book. It’s a short, easily-digested book on medical ethics that covers its topic well and doesn’t claim to be anything else. *Beyond Right and Wrong* is exactly what it says on the tin, which is quite refreshing in the world of science books written for a broad professional audience. The book is directed at employees working directly with patients in the medical field, such as doctors, nurses, assistants, technicians, and management, but as a medicinal chemistry graduate I think it is general enough to be of interest to students in medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, and similar fields that involve working with patients at some point or creating products for the medical field. While I realize there is limited time in university curricula for any and every relevant topic, I really think that our medicinal chemistry curriculum would have benefitted from some of the information in this book, just to get students to think about a topic that will come up in the industry and be widely-discussed by anyone with any connection to medicine. I think it is important to understand what medical staff do and what sorts of problems they think about with regards to the products you are producing, even if you have little control or involvement over that stage in the process.
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone involved in medicine or related sciences, and even others who are just curious about the topic.