BOOKS
Mainstream Views of Biotechnology Reviewed by Rudy M. Baum
The collection of essays that make up "Biotechnology in Society" presents what might best be labeled the "establishment" view of biotechnology: Its potential is virtually limitless. Most of the problems biotechnology presents are tractable and can be handled without much trouble by existing institutions. The field is essentially healthy and developing nicely, thank you, with the one proviso that basic research at universities really does deserve a higher level of government support. Which is about what one would expect from a distinguished group of mainstream scientists, educators, businessmen, lawyers, and government officials. If a reader is seeking a good, generally well-written introduction to the social policy issues surrounding biotechnology, this book is not a bad place to start. "Biotechnology in Society" grew out of a series of articles that appeared between 1982 and 1984 in the journal Technology in Society. The guest editor for that series was Joseph G. Perpich, who is also the editor of the current volume. Perpich is a psychiatrist and attorney who has had extensive experience in the biotechnology field. From 1976 to 1981, he served as associate director for program planning and evaluation at the National Institutes of Health, where he directed the staff effort on developing NIH's recombinant DNA research guidelines. He went from NIH to Genex Corp., where he was vice president for corporate planning and government affairs until 1984. Since then he has been vice president for planning and development at Meloy Laboratories, a subsidiary of Revlon. Thus, Perpich has been an important, mainstream player in the development of biotechnology. Obviously, he drew on his extensive contacts throughout the field for the original series of essays.
A collection of essays presents an optimistic view of biotechnology and society's ability to regulate it "Biotechnology in Society: Private Initiatives and Public Oversight" edited by Joseph G. Perpich, Pergamon Press, Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, N.Y. 10523, 1986, 223 pages, $38.50 Rudy M. Baum is C&EN's West Coast bureau head
In addition to the essays from the original series, "Biotechnology in Society" opens with an overview of biotechnology's development that was prepared for this volume by Ronald E. Cape, chairman of Cetus. The concluding five essays, dealing with biotechnology export controls, also did not appear in the original series. They grew out of a 1984 symposium on biotechnology and international trade organized by Perpich for the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In other words, these are not rockthe-boat sorts of essays. If one wants to hear voices from the other side of the debate, from the Jeremy Rifkins of the world, one won't find them here. In fact, the reader will not find Rifkin's name in the text of the book at all (although it appears in a couple of footnotes). That is a problem for a book entitled "Biotechnology in Society." Like it or not, Rifkin and other critics of biotechnology have played, and continue to play, an important role in biotechnology, and to ignore them is rather ostrichlike. At the re-
cent ACS national meeting in Anaheim, Calif., one biotechnology analyst pointed out that, since 1984, Rifkin has filed eight suits challenging aspects of biotechnology. He has won three of those suits, lost one, and four are still pending. Which raises another problem with the volume: It is a bit dated. A lot has happened since 1984. That might explain the absence of Rifkin, who rattled some cages in the 1970s, but whose stock was down by the early 1980s. Not many observers thought it had much chance at rebounding. Since 1984, much attention has focused on the question of deliberate release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment, a topic Rifkin seized to good advantage. It is a question "Biotechnology in Society" barely touches on. The volume also unquestioningly touts biotechnology's potential to do this and that without looking at whether this and that need to be done. For example, Richard M. Krause, dean of Emory University's school of medicine addresses biotechnology's potential for tackling what he calls the "trinity of despair," one member of which is hunger. He writes that, applied to agriculture, biotechnology will greatly increase crop yields. That's nice, but crop yields do not have that much to do with hunger in today's world, which is awash with grain. Getting that grain to hungry people is the problem. J. Leslie Glick, chairman and chief executive officer of Genex, touts bovine growth hormone for its ability to increase milk production. The U.S. needs more milk like it needs longer Presidential election campaigns. Nevertheless, despite these important complaints, "Biotechnology in Society" contains much that is worthwhile. Glick's essay is overall a good economic analysis of biotechnology's potential role in industrial production. In separate essays, Donald KenneDecember 22, 1986 C&EN
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Books dy, president of Stanford University, and Peter Barton Hutt, a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm Covington & Burling, address the status of academic researchers in molecular biology and their relationships with government funding agencies and corporate sponsors. Kennedy argues that the "social sponsorship of discovery is being rearranged in a very fundamental way" as a result of a "revolutionary compression" in the time scale of the innovation process. Kennedy examines how these changes are redefining roles and customs in the university and what needs to be done to preserve academic integrity. By contrast, Hutt addresses joint ventures between universities and corporations and writes: "There is nothing inherent in biotechnology that alters traditional issues that have been raised by these joint ventures for decades, nor is there anything inherent in the nature of a university /corporate agreement that differs fundamentally from a contract between two commercial enterprises." Hutt maintains that the tension that exists between theoretical research and a market economy is permanent and beneficial. He is refreshingly blunt. For instance, he writes: "It is inevitably the academic humanist, rather than the academic scientist, who most distrusts all university /corporate agreements. Perhaps this is a function of the fact that scientists are far more likely to be approached to enter into such agreements." Other noteworthy contributions include an excellent discussion of the role of the judiciary in regulating biotechnology by David L. Bazelon, retired Senior Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals. Bazelon worries that too much of the burden of regulating biotechnology is being placed in the hands of the judiciary. "Judicial regulation cannot provide the consistency, rationality, or political responsiveness offered by a consciously designed and clearly articulated legislative solution," he writes. A thoughtful examination of the complex social, moral, and legal issues surrounding various aspects of human genetic engineering is provided by Alexander M. Capron, 26
December 22, 1986 C&EN
Topping Professor of Law, Medicine, and Public Policy at the University of Southern California. Capron argues that "if genetic engineering ever moves beyond the treatment of generally recognized diseases and comes into use to alter more complex characteristics, it will pose the very old problem of distributive justice in a very novel, perhaps unanswerable way." It also will, he writes, call into question just what is meant by "the concept of being human." Capron's essay ventures further into such questions than any other in the book.
David W. Plant, a partner in the New York City patent law firm Fish & Neave, contributes what amounts to a primer on biotechnology patent issues complete with references to the relevant sections of patent law. The writing is pretty dry, but the issues he addresses are important. In short, the book is a worthwhile addition to the literature on the subject. It is a shame, however, that Perpich did not invite one or two responsible critics of current trends in biotechnology—they do exist—to participate in the effort to lend the book some balance. •
Re-evaluating plant safety "The Chemical Industry after Bhopal," IBC Technical Services Ltd., Bath House, 56 Holborn Viaduct, London EClA 2EX, England, 1986, 318 pages, £53 Reviewed by Howard Fawcett, chemical safety and health consultant in Wheaton, Md.
The release of toxic methyl isocyanate gas from Union Carbide's Bhopal, India, plant into a highly populated area on Dec. 3,1984, triggered a worldwide re-evaluation of health and safety procedures for control of hazardous materials. "The Chemical Industry after Bhopal" publishes the papers presented at a symposium held in London in November 1985 that explored various aspects of chemical health and safety from an interna-
The Chemical Engineering Guide to Heat Transfer. Vol. 1: Plant Principles. Kenneth J. McNaughton, Staff of Chemical Engineering, editors, v + 362 pages. Hemisphere Publishing Corp., 79 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1986. $49.95. The Chemical Engineering Guide to Heat Transfer. Vol. 2. Kenneth J. McNaughton, Staff of Chemical Engineering, editors, iv + 300 pages. Hemisphere Publishing Corp., 79 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1986. $49.50.
tional viewpoint. The 15 papers represent the thoughts of experts from the U.S., the U.K., and India who explored how the future of the chemical industry and related industries will be influenced by world reaction to Bhopal. The book presents both generalizations and highly specific data. For example, a paper by Ian Smith on pressure relief systems as an integral but often overlooked part of plant design and control is an especially strong starting point for anyone seriously concerned about reassessing plant systems. The book discusses the experiences and safety programs of several major multinational companies, as well as their insurance and regulatory concerns. In short, "The Chemical Industry after Bhopal" is an excellent reference for anyone wanting to re-evaluate health and safety aspects of chemical operations. •
Fire Safety Science: Proceedings of the First International Symposium. Cecile E. Grant, Patrick J. Pagni, editors, xv + 1226 pages. Hemisphere Publishing Corp., 79 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1986. $135. Formaldehyde Release from Wood Products. ACS Symposium Series 316. B. Meyer, B. A. Kottes Andrews, Robert M. Reinhardt, editors, vii + 240 pages. American Chemical Society; 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.1986. $49.95.
