The Sorcerer's Apprentice

by Robert Darby

"Never mind guns; the real danger to American kids is foreskins" - or so elements of the American medical industry would like us to believe.The Sorcerer's ApprenticeWhat is it about Americans? Is it the force of habit? Is it the Puritan heritage? Is it the power of the health industry? Is it the prestige of scientific journals? Is it because babies can’t say No? Why is it that Americans cling to routine circumcision of male infants when the rest of the developed world is trying to discourage or even prohibit the operation?Are Americans really more afraid of foreskins than of homosexuals? In this provocative survey, medical historian Robert Darby aims to place this American exceptionalism in historical perspective and consider why - despite mounting opposition - circumcision still thrives in the United States long after it has been abandoned by the other anglophone countries that originally took it up. Covering the medical evidence, cultural/social factors, religion and bioethical aspects, as well as an analysis of the latest policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, this short book will appeal to anybody with an interest in sexuality, health, human rights and their own body. It is one that no American parent can afford to miss.

61 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2013