Book excerpt: This fifth edition of Where Medicine Fails, like previous editions, argues for a broader definition of society's responsibilities to the ill than is commonly perceived to be the case. The authors examine the moral and economic implications of medical technology, especially in regard to fetal tissue transplant, cancer survival, childbirth, and dying, and provide a thoughtful assessment of the issues and challenges facing American hospitals. Seventeen chapters are new to this edition. The aim of this volume is to encourage serious examination of the current structure of health services and of the complicated facets of health care reform.