After Dolly: A Review

Ian Wilmut's After Dolly: The Uses and Misuses of Human Cloning is a wealth of information presented as wittily and with as much enthusiasm as possible. Wilmut argues for advancement in cellular biology, cloning, and embryonic studies (among countless others), while trying to calm the misinformed masses who fear their replacement, or worse, their superior "self" is just around the scientific corner.
That being said, After Dolly is a book on stem cell research and Ian Wilmut's involvement with and thoughts on the subject. Parts of the book are clever and even entertaining (such as the section on dolly's fame) and others thought provoking and intriguing (such as the early section on exact human clone  justifications or the later chapter on genetic diagnostics and therapy). On the other hand, parts of the book are simply dull.
For an introduction to the issue and the science behind it, the book was a good choice. I would recommend it to anyone who must research stem cells or cloning or development of embryonic studies. I would also recommend it to anyone with a genuine fascination with the topic as Wilmut makes it easily digestible and amusing along the way. That being said, if you do not particularly hold an interest in the issues of cloning, stem cell research, etc. After Dolly could be a long and grueling read, as it was for me. While I enjoyed reading about the controversies, media, and issues surrounding scientific advancement, the actual stories of this that and the other scientist, cell or mammal were less than enthralling. The resounding message, however, is one that I believe Americans ought to take to heart. Close to the end of the book, Wilmut phrases his argument the most eloquently. He states that "it is critical that we do not allow our fear of misuse of new knowledge to curb our exuberant creativity" (274). In other words, we ought not let the potential for things to go wrong from discouraging innovation and progress. This is a lesson not confined to the realm of scientific research and controversy, but it certainly applies.
While the pursuit of knowledge in this field is bound to lead (and already has lead to) serious ethical concerns, it is possible that the benefits to future generations will outweigh our growing sense of paranoia.