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Are you alive? What makes you so sure? Most people believe this question has a clear answer-that some law defines our status as living (or not) for all purposes. But they are dead wrong. In this pioneering study, Elizabeth Price Foley examines the many, and surprisingly ambiguous, legal definitions of what counts as human life and death.Foley reveals that "not being dead" is not necessarily the same as being alive, in the eyes of the law. People, pre-viable fetuses, and post-viable fetuses have different sets of legal rights, which explains the law's seemingly inconsistent approach to stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, frozen embryos, in utero embryos, contraception, abortion, homicide, and wrongful death.In a detailed analysis that is sure to be controversial, Foley shows how the need for more organ transplants and the need to conserve health care resources are exerting steady pressure to expand the legal definition of death. As a result, death is being declared faster than ever before. The ";right to die,"; Foley worries, may be morphing slowly into an obligation to die.Foley's balanced, accessible chapters explore the most contentious legal issues of our time-including cryogenics, feticide, abortion, physician-assisted suicide, brain death, vegetative and minimally conscious states, informed consent, and advance directives-across constitutional, contract, tort, property, and criminal law. Ultimately, she suggests, the inconsistencies and ambiguities in U.S. laws governing life and death may be culturally, and perhaps even psychologically, necessary for an enormous and diverse country like ours.

LAW --- Science & Technology --- Death --- Life and death, Power over --- Right to life --- Right to die --- Euthanasia --- Records as Topic --- Ethics, Clinical --- Brain Diseases --- Pathologic Processes --- Coma --- Life --- Central Nervous System Diseases --- Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms --- Organization and Administration --- Data Collection --- Ethics, Professional --- Philosophy --- Unconsciousness --- Diseases --- Ethics --- Nervous System Diseases --- Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms --- Consciousness Disorders --- Epidemiologic Methods --- Information Science --- Health Services Administration --- Humanities --- Neurobehavioral Manifestations --- Health Care --- Investigative Techniques --- Quality of Health Care --- Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation --- Public Health --- Neurologic Manifestations --- Environment and Public Health --- Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment --- Brain Death --- Death Certificates --- Value of Life --- Ethics, Medical --- Law - U.S. --- Law, Politics & Government --- Medical & Hospital Legislation - U.S. --- Proof and certification --- Moral and ethical aspects --- Decision making --- Law and legislation --- Moral and ethical aspects. --- Decision making. --- Assisted death (Euthanasia) --- Assisted dying (Euthanasia) --- Death, Assisted (Euthanasia) --- Death, Mercy --- Dying, Assisted (Euthanasia) --- Killing, Mercy --- Mercy death --- Mercy killing --- Respect for life --- Right of life --- Right to life (International law) --- Death, Power over --- Power over life and death --- Dying --- End of life --- Homicide --- Medical ethics --- Assisted suicide --- Human rights --- Free will and determinism --- Liberty --- Punishment --- Terminal care --- Terminally ill --- Thanatology