Medical futility is a controversial issue not only in its definition but also in its application. There are few books on the subject, and those in existence mos

"The book is a fine addition to the world of academic medical ethics... Readers... will come away with some of the tools for further debate." -- Publishers Week

A wide-ranging and authoritative survey of the complex issue of futile medical treatments.

Too often, patients in American hospitals are subjected to painful, expensive, and futile treatments because of a physician’s notion of medical duty or a fami