In 1970 American neurosurgeon Robert White and his team carried out the first full head transplant in living monkeys. However, the resulting chimera was left tetraplegic and died a few days later. Fifty years on, the technology to perform a human cephalosomatic anastomosis is finally available. In this groundbreaking book, the pioneers of this new medical frontier bring together an international team of scientists to reveal for the first time the entire body of animal and human research and experimentation that made this breakthrough possible. Readers -- professionals, journalists, educated laypersons- will get unadulterated access to the published and unpublished body of evidence that has shocked the world since 2013. Only a deep appreciation of this technology can inform the ethical debate that has raged since 2013. Above all, the possibility of extending life raises profound dilemmas. This book brings clarity to the current debate and provides the instruments to make an informed decision on the most sensitive of subjects: overcoming death.
