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The Stem Cell Hope: How Stem Cell Medicine Can Change Our Lives
A landmark book by the senior science writer at Time magazine introduces us to a medical breakthrough that can save our lives.
Few people know much about stem cell research beyond the ethical questions raised by using embryos. But in the last decade, stem cell research has made huge advances toward eliminating some of our most intractable diseases. Now this sweeping and accessible book introduces us to this cutting-edge science that will revolutionize medicine and change the way we think about and treat disease.
Alice Park takes us from stem cell's controversial beginnings to the recent electrifying promise of being able to create the versatile cells without using embryos at all. She shows us how stem cells give researchers an unprecedented ability to study disease while giving patients the promise of replacing diseased cells with healthy new ones. And she profiles the scientists and leaders-many with their own compelling stories-who have fueled the quest and will continue to shape the field in years to come.
Few people know much about stem cell research beyond the ethical questions raised by using embryos. But in the last decade, stem cell research has made huge advances toward eliminating some of our most intractable diseases. Now this sweeping and accessible book introduces us to this cutting-edge science that will revolutionize medicine and change the way we think about and treat disease.
Alice Park takes us from stem cell's controversial beginnings to the recent electrifying promise of being able to create the versatile cells without using embryos at all. She shows us how stem cells give researchers an unprecedented ability to study disease while giving patients the promise of replacing diseased cells with healthy new ones. And she profiles the scientists and leaders-many with their own compelling stories-who have fueled the quest and will continue to shape the field in years to come.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published June 9, 2011
31 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 25, 2012
In this book, Alice park portrayed a scientific investigator who tries to look at every single detail about stem cells. She dived deeply in the politician, scientists, and religious oceans.
Park successfully uncovered all the battles that have been going on in the last two decades because of embryonic stem cells. Moreover, she was able to describe difficult concepts in 2-3 sentences.
What I liked more about the book is that even though Park is an advocate for the field, she gave the opponents an equal right to defend their position.
In this book you will figure out a lot about the relation between politics and science. And if you think that science is always for good things, you may have a second thought!
Alice park was able to (show off) her ability of story telling, strong analysis, and scientific understanding.
If you are interested in stem cells, research ethics, or religious and political impacts on science, you will definitely need this book to be on "to read list."
Park successfully uncovered all the battles that have been going on in the last two decades because of embryonic stem cells. Moreover, she was able to describe difficult concepts in 2-3 sentences.
What I liked more about the book is that even though Park is an advocate for the field, she gave the opponents an equal right to defend their position.
In this book you will figure out a lot about the relation between politics and science. And if you think that science is always for good things, you may have a second thought!
Alice park was able to (show off) her ability of story telling, strong analysis, and scientific understanding.
If you are interested in stem cells, research ethics, or religious and political impacts on science, you will definitely need this book to be on "to read list."
October 30, 2025
I enjoyed the book. At times, it was a bit sluggish, but it is a nonfiction which I don’t frequently read. I am very interested in the topic but I read the book to slow and lost interest about half way through. Once I picked it back up though I became interested again. I’ll definitely reread it in the future.
April 27, 2019
good book, good information.
December 27, 2023
The book was good for its time but a lot of things it talked about aged like milk and it's quite outdated in 2023. Some parts also feel greatly oversimplified which works for a general audience but was a big turn-off for me. My biggest issue was that it seemed overly optimistic without adequately considering the drawbacks of some of the things it proposed - something which would provide a more earnest presentation for readers, no matter the depth of explanation
September 29, 2011
This book explains the long path scientists and politicians and pro-embryonic lifers took together in the climb up the mountain of stem cell research.
The book begins with true stories of how a child's diagnoses of type 1 diabetes changed their fathers' lives. They then began to focus much of their time and energy and resources on research to find a cure for this devistating disease. Embryonic stem-cell research seemed to provide a hope of answers. But was it legal to use embryos not wanted for IVF anymore to develop these stem cell lines? Arguements between scientists, specialized pro-rights groups and US government organizations evolved into a ban on using embryos in a US government funded lab. So now the path veered off into the private sector and also towards foreign developments.
The language is very scientific; sometimes i was unsure of what was happening in someone's lab so i had to take the author's word for the results. But then i'm not a scientist nor did i do much biology in high school.
I also think there were sections that could have been eliminated or reduced from a chapter to a few pages. She describes the rise and fall of a specific scientist in great detail, when, since he added not much to the overall story, it could have been condensed.
I also found the book a little disappointing after the title: "how stem cell medicine can change our lives" as the research at the time of publication hasn't shown much practical application yet. There are a lot of break-thrus, but nothing concrete to apply to humans for increased health and wellness. I think that waiting another few years to publish this book would have given much more practical results to talk about in the epilogue. That's what i was hoping for- not only a historical view but the success of it all.
The book begins with true stories of how a child's diagnoses of type 1 diabetes changed their fathers' lives. They then began to focus much of their time and energy and resources on research to find a cure for this devistating disease. Embryonic stem-cell research seemed to provide a hope of answers. But was it legal to use embryos not wanted for IVF anymore to develop these stem cell lines? Arguements between scientists, specialized pro-rights groups and US government organizations evolved into a ban on using embryos in a US government funded lab. So now the path veered off into the private sector and also towards foreign developments.
The language is very scientific; sometimes i was unsure of what was happening in someone's lab so i had to take the author's word for the results. But then i'm not a scientist nor did i do much biology in high school.
I also think there were sections that could have been eliminated or reduced from a chapter to a few pages. She describes the rise and fall of a specific scientist in great detail, when, since he added not much to the overall story, it could have been condensed.
I also found the book a little disappointing after the title: "how stem cell medicine can change our lives" as the research at the time of publication hasn't shown much practical application yet. There are a lot of break-thrus, but nothing concrete to apply to humans for increased health and wellness. I think that waiting another few years to publish this book would have given much more practical results to talk about in the epilogue. That's what i was hoping for- not only a historical view but the success of it all.
April 2, 2015
The book The Stem Cell Hope was written by Alice Park, a writer for
Time magazine, is about the scientists who pioneered the field of stem
cell research. The premise of the book was to inform the reader about
embryonic stem cell research and the relevance of the topic. Some of the
scientists children, who were diabetic, were the inspiration because they
were so important to them; the scientists quickly changed from
whatever they were, such as a frog related scientist, into something that
is more beneficial for their children. In retrospect, it contains a lot of the
major history for stem cell research, but also some nonessential
information such as the backstories to them. Even though it provides
some more clarity on the reason they began, it is mostly not needed.
Since these events had to have happened before the book was written,
my only complaint is that although still relevant, it is a bit outdated. The
book was good overall, but lacked a certain flare.
Time magazine, is about the scientists who pioneered the field of stem
cell research. The premise of the book was to inform the reader about
embryonic stem cell research and the relevance of the topic. Some of the
scientists children, who were diabetic, were the inspiration because they
were so important to them; the scientists quickly changed from
whatever they were, such as a frog related scientist, into something that
is more beneficial for their children. In retrospect, it contains a lot of the
major history for stem cell research, but also some nonessential
information such as the backstories to them. Even though it provides
some more clarity on the reason they began, it is mostly not needed.
Since these events had to have happened before the book was written,
my only complaint is that although still relevant, it is a bit outdated. The
book was good overall, but lacked a certain flare.
October 12, 2011
This is an inspiring in-depth look at what is one of the most promising fields of scientific research currently. I felt that the main purpose of the book was to illustrate to the reader the importance of supporting these scientific ventures as the researchers try to get funding in an increasingly competitive resource pool. With embryonic stem cell research too, there is the added social and political debate between scientists trying to develop treatment options that have the potential to save countless lives, and laypeople who don't understand anything about biology, let alone the potential of stem cell research. Certainly, the medical ethics associated with stem cell research is complex, but hopefully with books like this, the laypeople who feel compelled to lend their voice to the debates can be better informed instead of using only their, frankly, inadequate, religious convictions to form an opinion.
September 15, 2012
What do you think when you hear the words stem cell? This is a topic full of hope, anxiety, fear, and misinformation. From the religious to the science-minded, opinions run strong and in opposing directions. Alice Park's presentation gives voice to all sides in a thoughtful and thought-provoking manner. As both a scientist and a spiritual/religious person, I found myself in deep consideration of how I really feel about the subject. After reading the facts, as opposed to media and political propaganda, I was able to reconcile my personal feelings. The field of stem cell research is exciting and promising and I admire all those who have followed their convictions in the furtherance of knowledge despite the many hurdles and roadblocks they have faced.
January 13, 2017
An interesting (mostly political) background of the evolution of stem cell science. Focus is heavily placed on US. It sounds interesting at first but then it goes off on random tangents without any obvious connections between a number of chapters. The views presented are highly American-centric but it is interesting to learn how heavily science can be affected by politics. It's also a usefully enlightening book for anyone starting out in the field to learn how it all began and why the use of embryonic stem cells is so controversial, and why stem cells are such a big deal, etc. I thought it was mostly worth my time to read it...
December 31, 2019
Fascinating, easy to understand. For anyone wanting some hope, it's here. Alice Park presents the facts in a way that anyone can understand. I feel much better knowing that scientists are passionate about finding cures for almost any disease/condition.
May 31, 2012
A pretty good overview of the history of stem cell research. I was hoping for more information about the techniques used.
July 17, 2014
really good overview of stem cell research with a focus on the politics surounding the issues.
June 5, 2013
It had some information that's useful on stem cell research, but wasn't very related to what I need to research about. It wasn't much help and was rather boring to flip through.
April 7, 2017
As a medical professional and a parent who has banked cord blood stem cells for two children, I was frustrated and disappointed by this book. It is 90% the author venting about policies that delayed or did not fund research on embryonic stem cells. She chronicles every obstacle the field has faced complete with emotional narratives from every major stem cell scientist. At the end of the book, she barely mentions that pluripotent cells can now be derived from adult cells. She neglects to mention the utter lack of clinical applications developed from embryonic stem cells. She also fails to even mention cord blood stem cells which are currently being used to treat numerous conditions. Frankly, the book is academically dishonest for political reasons.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews