In Review

04 December 2008 04:46 BST

A Child Against All Odds by Robert Winston

Published by Bantam Press, out November 6th, hardback, 352 pages, £18.99.

In a nutshell…

Fertility, sex, birth, babies and morality

What's it all about?

Robert Winston unveils the baffling biology of reproduction, assessing the morality of fertility treatments and genetic engineering.

Answering a host of questions many of us would be too embarrassed to ask, the author provides a privileged insight into the contentious world of reproductive manipulation. And questioning the need for ubiquitous access to treatments that reverse the menopausal process, he lambastes the authorities that regulate this emotive field.

Humans are extraordinarily infertile creatures, Winston reveals, and with modern science we possess enormous power that should be wielded prudently.

Hard-hitting, comprehensive and often humorous, this is a definitive and personal account of the past and present of fertility techniques from the viewpoint of a leading practitioner.

Who's it by?

A pioneer of in-vitro fertilisation, Robert Winston is one of Britain's best-known scientists.

Having presented several TV series, including Child of Our Time, The Human Body, Superhuman and The Secret Life of Twins, the consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist is also a professor of fertility studies at Imperial College and director of NHS research at Hammersmith hospital.

Made a life peer in 1995, Baron Winston is a Labour whip, board member of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology and an outspoken voice in the genetic engineering debate.

As an example…

On the dangers of cloning:

"It is an interesting thought to consider that an Adolf Hitler clone born a few decades after this death, breast-fed lovingly, cared for with great affection, given self-esteem and educated at a decent school, might end up as a quite pleasant, if strict, supermarket manager, or an affable and somewhat disorganised stationmaster in Vienna's main railway terminus."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

Stranger though truth may be than fiction, Winston's treatise is no screenplay, although the BBC are currently running a TV series of the same name.

So is it any good?

Fascinating, informative and relevant, A Child Against All Odds is well-written, well-structured and well-balanced.

Arguing that prospective parents have every right to influence the sex of their children, but critical of the attitudes of some of his peers, Winston expounds the issues governing his field in relatable terms, without patronising the reader.

Bristling with examples, anecdotes and extracts, you can dip it in any point and find a fascinating fact, reasoned opinion or witty account. And though accessible and interesting, the exhaustive nature of this hardback makes it feel more like a reference book than a light bedtime read.

A perfect Christmas present for a couple struggling to conceive and a must-buy for Winston fans, this definitive and perfectly conceived book may lack mass appeal but is engrossing nonetheless.

9/10

James Bevan