A Fascinating and Disturbing Science and Technology History
5 stars
This book is an eye-opening, deeply researched, painful dive into a simultaneously unique and representative case of technological innovation - in this case, the development, diffusion, and subsequent fading of the ovariotomy surgical technique. Frampton examines this from a variety of perspectives, looking at the genesis of the technique, its ethically fraught refinement, and the intellectual property and business aspects of the surgery. As an instantiation of the lifecycle of innovation it's instructive in how winding and non-linear the process is, and truly appreciating the efficacy (and harm) of this approach took decades. Highly recommend
This book is an eye-opening, deeply researched, painful dive into a simultaneously unique and representative case of technological innovation - in this case, the development, diffusion, and subsequent fading of the ovariotomy surgical technique. Frampton examines this from a variety of perspectives, looking at the genesis of the technique, its ethically fraught refinement, and the intellectual property and business aspects of the surgery. As an instantiation of the lifecycle of innovation it's instructive in how winding and non-linear the process is, and truly appreciating the efficacy (and harm) of this approach took decades. Highly recommend