The editors state, "There are multiple economic, social, cultural, political, and other societal forces influencing our health care delivery system(s)." A new series of books will address questions and problems related to these diverse issues and will serve as a vehicle for cross fertilization of health professions. In this volume the majority of the contributors are prominent nurse educators with doctorates in a wide range of professional fields, eg, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
Most of the authors discuss the ethical implications of their respective topics. The first contribution provides a philosophical index of health care delivery. This is a refreshing approach. Historically, health literature has tended to focus on a scientific approach and ignore the broader issues of humanism and patients' rights. The section addressing abortion, however, more closely approximates the past contributions, omitting the philosophical and ethical issues that would broaden this factual presentation. Actually, the discussion on abortion