October eBook of the Month explains what everyone needs to know about stem cell research
Stem Cell Divideavailable online through more than 14,000 libraries

DUBLIN, Ohio, USA, 25 September, 2006— In the October eBook of the Month, author Michael Bellomo brings context and clarity to the wide-ranging issues swirling around the Stem Cell debate.

Based on extensive research including in-depth interviews with trailblazing researchers, visionary business executives, and committed policy activists on both sides THE STEM CELL DIVIDE: The Facts, the Fiction, and the Fear Driving the Greatest Scientific, Political, and Religious Debate of Our Time (AMACOM; August 8, 2006) gives readers the backstory, the perspective, and the scientific truth to make their own informed arguments.

Keeping the subject accessible and compelling, THE STEM CELL DIVIDE sheds light on what we know about stem cell's and what is really happening in research labs, biotech firms, and policymaking enclaves today. It begins by demystifying the stem cells unique qualities and the trait that makes the embryonic variety exceptionally valuable: their ability to develop into virtually any type of cell in the human body. It culminates with a view of what could happen in this century, from the potential of quick-and-easy organ replacement to the danger of extreme performance enhancement to dramatic changes in the power of countries and cultures. In between, chapters delve into pivotal events, including:

• The forces and players behind California's passage of Proposition 71, which essentially makes conducting stem cell research a state constitutional right with a staggering price tag of $6 billion attached.
• The rise of Woo Suk Hwang from obscure veterinarian to South Korea's cloning king and how stem cells wound up destroying his career and reputation.
• Insights into the recent case of the paraplegic woman who was cured by stem cells to walk again for three weeks, before her therapy failed.
• The details on President Bush's compromise to allow federal funds for embryonic stem cell research restricted to the 60 or so existing cell lines and the political ramifications of his public crack-up with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

"Regardless of who sits in the White House handing down legislation, the genie of stem cell research has been let out of its plastic T-flask," Bellomo observes. "Whether we agree with the result or shun it as a product of science that has spun out of control, it will happen. The only question is when?" For everyone eager to prepare for the coming revolution, THE STEM CELL DIVIDE is required reading.

http://library.netlibrary.com/eBookOfTheMonth.aspx

About Author

Michael Bellomo (Los Angeles, CA) works in biopharmaceuticals for Baxter Bioscience, a 4,000-person company dedicated to the creation of new medical and cellular-based technologies. He is the coauthor of Microbe: Are We Ready for the Next Plague?

About AMACOM Books

AMACOM Books (http://www.amacombooks.org), the book publishing division of American Management Association, publishes books on business, management, career growth, current events, science and technology, personal finance, real estate and self-help. AMACOM Books help readers enhance their personal and professional growth and reach into the future to understand emerging trends and cutting-edge thinking.

About NetLibrary

Based in Boulder, Colorado, NetLibrary (www.netlibrary.org) is a division of Online Computer Library Center, Inc., a worldwide library cooperative. NetLibrary provides eContent and technical delivery solutions to institutional libraries, corporations and government agencies that facilitate the purchase, management and distribution of research, reference, digital learning, and general interest content via Web-based technologies. NetLibrary's eContent solution is the most broadly adopted in the market, making the content of more than 400 publishers and eContent providers available through more than 14,000 libraries worldwide.