Virtually Normal

An unprecedented work from the brilliant young editor of The New Republic--who is celebrated also as an incisive defender of the equality of homosexuals--Virtually Normal is an impassioned, reasoned, subtle, and uncompromising political and moral treatise that will set the terms of the homosexuality debate for the foreseeable future.

As ethnic, racial, religious, and gender-based groups demand rights to pursue radically diverse lifestyles or maintain their cultural traditions, conflict seems inevitable, even in a free society. Government may offer remedies to social dilemmas—such as affirmative action, curbs on immigration, or protection of gay rights—but these may only fan the flames of resentment. Yet any society that tolerates and protects diversity is more likely to preserve the freedom to live one's life without interference. Emily Gill reexamines the liberal tradition to reconcile its core commitments to autonomy and diversity-values that in theory are complementary but in practice are often at odds-and to show that the interaction of these values determines how we as individuals become free. In Becoming Free, she argues that true freedom is enhanced through the promotion of diversity and the encouragement of rational reflection on the options it allows-and that limited choice or ignorance diminishes such freedom. Yet an incomplete freedom is what many individuals, groups, and states advocate when they commit to particular cultural traditions or religious beliefs, despite the autonomy they themselves enjoy. Gill traces the implications of these conflicting views by drawing on recent scholarship and legal decisions in six areas: national citizenship, cultural membership, ethnicity and gender, religious belief, sexuality, and civic education. By exploring the tensions between autonomy and diversity in such instances as Boy Scouts membership restrictions, gay rights legislation, and education among the Amish, she not only offers an insightful commentary on current issues but also explores the moral foundations of liberal thought. Unlike those who criticize liberalism for its shallow philosophical grounding, Gill shows it to have a substantive moral content grounded in the individual's capacity to make rational decisions based on critical reflection. In her tightly woven arguments, she explores real-world problems in a meaningful way for students and for anyone concerned with the future of liberalism, showing that becoming free is an ongoing process of human and social development.

The most frequently asked questions that confront the fetal medicine trainee/expert on a daily basis are “Is the finding real or merely an artifact?” and “Is the diagnosis correct?”. However, to be able to find the description of an abnormal ultrasound finding in a textbook, one generally has to search by the definite diagnosis, which has not been done as yet. This uneasy feeling was the first factor that directed the layout of Ultrasound of Congenital Fetal Anomalies: Differential Diagnosis and Prognostic Indicators, Second Edition. Copiously illustrated, the book displays fetal anomalies by scanning view and descriptions of all major ultrasound planes, detailing what can be considered a normal view and what cannot. See What’s New in the Second Edition: Early detection of fetal anomalies (1214 weeks) Ultrasound in fetal infections and in twins The nuchal translucency issue, the newest intracranial translucency as well as the range of congenital anomalies detectable at this gestational age Expanded coverage of heart anomalies, including arrhythmias and early fetal echocardiography The author’s mission continues to be to provide guidance on how to quickly recognize and diagnose congenital fetal anomalies, beginning at the beginning with ultrasound sigh all the way through to final diagnosis.