Blood Money: The Story of Life, Death, and Profit Inside America's Blood Industry

by Kathleen McLaughlin

Bad Blood meets Dreamland in this kaleidoscopic investigation into the shadowy and vampiric blood business and the dangerous limits of demand for the crucial resource that runs through our very veins. Every year, about twenty million Americans sell blood plasma for cash in a barely regulated market dominated by private industry and off-the-grid trafficking. These commercial efforts prey on an insatiable market for medical and scientific innovation fed from the veins of some of the country's most marginalized communities, such as undocumented immigrants and residents of poverty-stricken Flint, Michigan. We are often told that "blood donations" are used to save lives, but blood plasma , a component of whole blood, has become a precious commercial good. Blood plasma is collected and marketed by private industry, with the United States one of just five nations on the planet that have not yet banned the practice of pay-for-plasma giving. This precious resource is used for everything from expensive and unproven age-reversing treatments to costly and experimental cures for novel diseases like COVID-19. Based on a cross-country investigation into the plasma-giving capitals of the country, in-depth research into the blood industry, and her personal experience as a beneficiary of plasma-derived treatment for a rare condition, Kathleen McLaughlin's Blood Money reveals the underhanded machinations and unbalanced power structures of the blood industry. Taking us from China's blood black market to Silicon Valley's shadowy tech startups, this is an unforgettable inside look at an industry many of us had no idea even existed. Blood Money is an electrifying exposé that demonstrates the shadowy overlap between big medicine and big business and paints a searing portrait of the extent to which American industry feeds on the country's most vulnerable.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medicine, Audiobook, Science, Business, Economics, Adult

1 pages, Audio CD

First published February 28, 2023

Reviews

[Shana Yates · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are interesting parts of this book, but the author needed a better editor. The organization isn't great, the author is repetitive (same observations about similar situations, said in almost identical ways, repeatedly throughout the book), and a strange blend of semi-memoir and investigative journalism-lite. I have no doubt the plasma industry deserves scrutiny, but this book came across as half-baked and somewhat shallow.

[Susan Tunis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure this expose would have been harder-hitting had I not sold my plasma decades ago. Ms. McLaughlin focuses on the economic realities that motivate donation, following the trail upriver to the broader inequities that plague our society.

What she never even came close to capturing is the true griminess of this world. Things feel so sanitized in her interviews. In very few instances did I feel the desperation of these people conveyed. Of course, she visited a lot of communities (Utah? Idaho?) with little in common with my urban existence.

Not to be glib, but what Ms. McLaughlin does have going for her is a disease that requires treatment with human blood products. She's got some skin in the game. And her place in this economic chain certainly lend her inquiries into the ethics of this business legitimacy. She looks at the plasma market from a variety of perspectives, and gives a reasonable overview of a highly problematic industry supplying a desperately needed product.

If you don't know anything about this world, you may well find this shocking and fascinating. For the rest of us... Been there, done that.

[Alan Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Blood Money, Kathleen McLaughlin takes us on a fascinating journey into the harsh reality of what it means to live under capitalism and be the recipient of drugs made from or harvested materials from other people. I don't think it is surprising, but I find Kathleen's writing to be page turning. What may catch some reader's off guard is the sheer magnitude if the industry built on the life saving intervention of plasma donation. Kathleen puts it all into perspective.

Kathleen has a deep understanding of the issue. She, being someone who is the recipient of these life saving interventions, is well placed to give a holistic look into the pros and cons of the industry, She goes deep into the lives of the people the industry in built on, giving voice to an often under represented population of the working poor. Almost thankfully stigma prevents Plasma collection companies from preying on the most vulnerable population of the homeless, but Kathleen makes a great case for why the industry desperately needs a different financial structure. The people often takes from people who donate as financial crutch and Kathleen goes into great detail about what that means for our society.

The best part of the book is the depth of her research. Kathleen goes through her own research in a way the puts the reader right beside her in investigation. Her perspective as someone who receives drugs made from plasma donation is a great window into discussing the moral implications of the industry. An industry that thrives inside the capitalistic economy of the United States where there is an abundance of working poor due to the low minimum wage. Kathleen tells stories that may surprise some readers in just the sheer magnitude of the amount of communities touched by this industry and the disparity between what the people are and what she as a recipient is paying for the drugs built on their bodies.

This was a fascinating read, that was impossible for me to put down. A great read for anyone interested in the structure of the American medical system. It isn't graphic. There are discussions of blood, but nothing too intense that would trigger anyone in my opinion. I think for someone who is blood squeamish like Kathleen herself this book is written to not be too off putting. Will maybe end up on of my favorite reads of the year.

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for review

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Kathleen McLaughlin’s interview with AHP and immediately bought this book. Fascinating topic, timely, told from the perspective of someone intimately tied to the process of plasma donation. However, I ultimately gave up on this book because it was just not well-written and lacks a clear thesis or argument. The author establishes early on that the global blood products industry is preying on poor American folks and then… just kinda says that over and over again? Bummed not to finish but glad I gave this one a try.

[Ingvild · Rating 2 out of 5]

The exploitative nature of paid plasma donations deserves close scrutiny, but this attempt falls somewhat short. It is very repetitive with similar donor stories scattered throughout the book. Editing is needed; It calls IVIg 'cells from thousands of donors' which it clearly isn't (plasma is acellular) and blood donors are called patients more than once.
Though somewhat chaotic and a bit superficial, still an interesting read.

[Hannah]

This was utterly fascinating. I picked it up because I've been a Red Cross blood donor for more than a decade and a half, ever since high school, and every time I make a donation I am struck by how much I hate the anti-gay policies, as well as my knowledge that the Red Cross as an organization is, like, extremely terrible at managing disasters and disaster money, and yet I keep donating because I have a rare blood type, am nonwhite, and am not barred from donating because of my sexuality, and because the impact is objectively good. People need blood. I have some that I can spare every few months.

But also anytime I mention it, people ask if I get paid, and for years I was like "??? of course not; what the fuck do you think the word 'donation' means" until I learned about "plasma donation," a phrase that fucking infuriates me, because if you get paid for something that is by definition NOT a donation. I still hate it, because precision of language matters, but this book also explained the why behind that term and how it has to do with not just a veneer of altruism but also labor and tax classifications! I had a student once who said she sold plasma semi-regularly, and I'm certain that I have known many other people who have done the same and just haven't said so. I didn't really know what plasma was used for before reading this book, nor that there were medications made out of it (so even though it is an extremely exploitative capitalist enterprise, it is truly, literally life-saving because plasma cannot be synthesized).

The best parts of this book were the most Barbara Ehrenreich-esque, tracing the undeniable link between for-profit plasma centers and the targeting of economically depressed regions of the United States. The worst parts of this book were the parts that suggested that the editor took a vacation instead of doing their job, as there were little turns of phrase that were a little too quaint and self-satisfied to be used multiple times verbatim and other things that got incredibly repetitive.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An indicting account of the blood plasma industry and all of its inequities. The author has an autoimmune disorder and takes a medication that’s made with human plasma, which ultimately led to her curiosity about America’s blood supply chain. Americans selling their plasma don’t make a fraction of what these companies do, resulting in an unethical exploitative system. This investigative reporting illustrates how the system is designed to take advantage of the poor and needy. While some of the later chapters felt shoehorned in, McLaughlin makes a strong case for why this exploitative industry needs an overhaul. Will anything change as a result of this book? It’s hard to hope given how long these plasma centers have been around but time will tell.


Content notes: author has rare autoimmune disorder (CIDP: chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy), missing children and murder case, medical homophobia (men who have sex with men are barred from donating unless celibate for 3 months), medical malpractice and gaslighting, anxiety, blood donation/extraction, needles, COVID-19, AIDS epidemic, lead poisoning (Flint water crisis), doctor who died in a car accident, death by heart attack (interviewee), aggravated assault, racism, xenophobia, sexism, classism, poverty, ableist language

[Sara Habein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a household who has given plasma in order to afford regular life expenses, I was definitely interested in reading Butte native Kathleen McLaughlin's deep dive into the plasma industry. Since she's one of the people who requires plasma treatments in order to manage an illness, she wanted to know more about the history of the practice, who gives plasma, and how the industry takes advantage of economic precarity in order to profit. It's a very fair, nuanced look that covers different parts of the country, with various reasons for giving plasma in exchange for varying amounts of money.

I can't do it anymore because of my own chronic health reasons (and even when I could, my body was never all that agreeable to it), but even 20ish years later, the inside of my arms have the telltale scar from that monster needle they use. The donation process is much faster now than it used to be, but the check-in process often adds to the time, with more people needing the cash, and fewer staff available to keep the process running smoothly because, guess what, their hourly wage is not all that much either.

And yet, that "token of appreciation" money is still essential to so many people. I can understand McLaughlin's conflicting feelings about being a "living vampire" who does still need these blood products, but she believes that people should be better compensated for, yes, selling a piece of their body to get by in this country. It's a great book. Worth a look.

[Ann Kinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been rejected for plasma donation as a student in the 70s in Detroit, I found it interesting. It was however somewhat repetitive and I thought the lament about going into journalism as a career was unnecessary, we knew that way back then, although my friends all did. Having said that, the insight was good and I am glad I read it, because I did not understand what a big industry it was.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick impressions: I recommend the book for readers interested in health and medical topics, socioeconomics, especially in the United States, and business and corporate topics. I do recommend it for public and academic libraries.

(Full review with reading notes available on my blog.)

[André · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bloody.

[Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5/5

[Olivia Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The US is one of only five countries that allows payment for plasma donation - and that says a lot. The short and well researched book delves into this industry that profits off the poor in struggling American towns

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account of the blood plasma industry. The book begins in China focusing on the AIDS epidemic that occurred in the late 1990s resulting from poor farmers selling their blood plasma to make money. Unclean needles where used for plasma withdrawals, thus the spread of AIDS. In typical Chinese fashion, the Government concealed the spread of the epidemic.

The remainder of the book focuses on the US and the blood plasma industry which is a $24 billion dollar a year industry. The author investigates how the industry gets people to give blood plasma through preying on the poor and on people in need of money. The people are paid more money when they give plasma more frequently. The industry is not regulated and there has been no scientific studies to determine what detrimental effects might occur to people giving their plasma inasmuch as the people are often ill after giving plasma. I learned a lot about an industry I never thought about.

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

i’m not sure why i put myself through the misery of finishing this poorly edited, half-baked “investigation.” the author had a handful of interesting ideas (contamination of the chinese blood supply due to underregulation and willful blindness; the author’s own experience with an autoimmune disease that requires plasma-based treatments to manage; the failures of american capitalism that drive some disadvantaged folks to sell their plasma to make ends meet).

unfortunately, their interconnectedness was superficial and forced, probably not enough to even sustain a regular magazine article. there was no “there” there - any one of those topics might’ve worked on its own, but in combination they are confounding. even more unfortunately, the author persevered to spin out the nothingness to the length of a long book, using tactics that i might’ve appreciated as a shrewd junior high school student trying to reach a minimum word count for some bs essay on a thin premise. when the author’s observations are repeated the first time, i’m alert but not yet annoyed. when they are repeated literally several dozen times, at a micro level within the same goddamn paragraph in sentences that restate each other, in a macro level chapter after chapter, i begin to feel gaslighted and enraged. where in god’s name was an editor to save us all from this strange vanity project?!

[Yashvita · Rating 1 out of 5]

did not finish. reading this book is literally torture. i was so so conflicted bc this is such a fascinating, important subject, and it’s a perfect combination of economics and anthropology. i love reading about ways that capitalism fails us. but this author is IRRITATING ENOUGH TO MAKE ME COMPROMISE MY MORALS. miss girl. i’m happy you got to write a book. IF YOU WANTED TO WRITE A STORY WHERE YOU’RE THE MAIN CHARACTER WRITE A NOVEL AND ENGAGE IN SOME DELUSIONAL THINKING. THIS IS MEANT TO BE AN EXPOSE. STOP MAKING IT ABOUT YOU. ALSO STOP BEING SO CLICHE AND REPETITIVE. if y’all wanna learn about this subject, read an article instead. I DONT EVEN QUIT BOOKS. UGH. HATED THIS.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book because I thought it was going to discuss problems in our medical system but it’s more of a propaganda book from a far left wing former journalist. She even openly bashes some of our best Conservative presidents.
I never stop reading books but this was one that I stopped about 25% into it.
Sometimes I think she lived in a cave or glass bubble.
I wouldn’t waste time.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I now feel more informed about the U.S.‘s exploitative plasma economy and I think it needs to be talked about a lot more. I’m giving three stars because I think the editing could have been better—a lot of the book felt very repetitive and I think its important message could have been delivered more concisely.

[Xander Knecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

McLaughlin was motivated to write this book by understandable guilt over depending on the plasma donations of others to treat a rare autoimmune condition. Although the handwringing can become a little tiresome, I think we can all agree she's done her penance by writing this book and then some. I found this in a bookstore at an airport waiting for a flight to Texas, and for unrelated reasons, I ended up driving to Brownsville after landing and seeing some of these clinics by the freeway, near the border.

Before reading this my only experience and knowledge about blood donation was through nonprofit blood banks that focus on platelet and whole blood donation. Suffice it to say I learned from this book that the real money is in plasma. I don't necessarily think it's wrong if people in need of cash can donate plasma legally so others like McLaughlin can get lifesaving treatment, but she exposes how much corporate profit is generated off of this plasma relative to how much actually makes it into the hands of donors. I don't know if knowing this will change my life personally but given a choice, it's always good to at least be aware of things involving life, death and billions of dollars that the media wants to keep under wraps.

One thing about this book that did change my life was the unexpected coincidence of the time that I read it. It happened to be the week before Title 42 expired, with unprecedented numbers of migrants trying to cross the border legally and illegally and Washington scrambling to come up with a new immigration policy. Opinions were flying right and left in the media at the time, but one thing that became clear from this trip was that any call to 'close the border' is nothing more than a cynical political slogan. The literal dependence of Americans on Mexican blood is just one more reason why this is true. Beyond the blood economy, Texas cannot and will not allow the economy of border towns like Brownsville to collapse, where there's a constant legal flow of traffic across the border requiring nothing but a passport. McLaughlin's acknowledgement of the life-changing potential of the plasma industry for Mexicans was commendable as well. We all wish donors could be better compensated, but dollars earned can go a long way across the border. Even on the American side of the wall, it was striking how cheap prices were in dollars across town.

Science can't even explain why injecting a pill made of concentrated plasma into her veins provides complete relief to her autoimmune condition, but it does. Her statement that there is no substitute for human blood echoes across time and space. Amidst all discussions of technological change, we must remember that this is still true, at least for the time being. It's what blood banks (truthfully) tell you on the phone if when they bug you to donate for free. It is what Christianity has taught from the very beginning. If I came away with more gratitude, knowledge, and political awareness by reading this book, I count it as a win.

[Katy O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

(free review copy) When I was a sophomore in college, my brother talked me into donating (selling) plasma to make extra money and the experience has stuck with me for the 20+ years since. If you have never had your blood extracted, separated, and then just the red blood cells put back into your body, you can't truly understand the experience ~ but it was unsettling. The feeling of the icy cold blood coming back in, feeling so exhausted afterward that I would be in bed for the entire rest of the day, and finally ~ passing out in my car, ending my time at the plasma center.

I would earn $20 for my first donation in a week and $30 for my second. That $50 was my entire weekly expendable income for a period and that's what Blood Money is about: the major inequality in the United States (one of the few countries that allows payment for plasma) that leads to people being willing to donate way more often than is medically recommended for most. It is about the massive profits being made on the blood from people barely making enough money to live on. I was riveted by this book, not just because of my personal connection, but also because the author herself has a disease that requires her to receive infusions made from the plasma donated at these centers. McLaughlin weaves in her conflicted feelings of being the recipient of such a morally ambiguous industry and this inclusion levels this book up from being a story of the plasma business into a well-rounded and philosophical reporting on an often unrecognized industry. I so appreciate that this isn't a "look at all the poor people" method of reporting, but instead a recognition of the failure of the United States to take care of its people well enough to not require selling bodily fluids to survive.

If you liked Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup and just can't get enough of evil capitalists preying on the vulnerable in the medical world, I can't recommend this highly enough, with one caveat: in the early copy I read, it seemed that there was some repetition of information/thoughts, to the point that it stuck out to me. I don't want this to dissuade anyone from reading, but I feel the need to point it out since I'm raving about it.

Source: Edelweiss digital galley

[Maura Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve often heard—and have myself found this to be true—that living abroad can make someone more aware of what’s going on in their home country. This is exactly how journalist Kathleen McLaughlin came to the story in Blood Money: while reporting in China during the early 2000s, she followed many cases of terrible disease outbreaks caused by tainted blood donation processes. Herself suffering from an autoimmune disease and reliant on medication derived from human blood products, McLaughlin’s knowledge of the Chinese industry’s shortcomings led her to smuggle in that medication from the States. In time, however, she came to realize that the American blood plasma industry is just as exploitative and broken (albeit in different ways) as the one she covered in China.

In over a thousand for-profit clinics around the United States—many of them in small towns and out-of-the-way strip malls—millions of people regularly sell their plasma for cash. McLaughlin reported Blood Money by visiting those clinics, waiting outside to interview people who had traded their plasma for modest amounts that would enable them to pay off some debt, enjoy an evening out, or supplement their regular income. Most of these “donors” didn’t think much about their actions; while giving plasma wasn’t always the most convenient way to earn extra income, it was relatively straightforward, involving a large needle and a few hours resting in a chair. McLaughlin, though, is troubled by the potential long-term effects of repeated donations, as well as by her reflections on the moral implications of relying on the exploitation of others to sustain her own health.

In a short but powerful book, McLaughlin conveys the troubling realities of plasma donation—an industry largely invisible to many Americans, but crucial to our country’s healthcare. Grappling with the reality that her medical treatments depend, in part, on a system that preys on victims of economic inequality and social injustice, McLaughlin blends clear-eyed reporting with a deeply personal story in the pages of Blood Money.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Advanced Review Copy)

The sale of plasma might be one of the most underrated fascinating subjects. I think the author of Blood Money, Kathleen McLaughlin, is correct when she says that those of us that are lucky enough spend close to zero minutes of our lives thinking about plasma, plasma donations, and the impacts of them, medicinally and socially. Her personal tie-in with a medication made from plasma makes the content of this book all the more interesting because she has knowledge that most of us have not bothered to comtemplate.

The help that this book provides opening our eyes to the impact that our societal set-up has on the plasma industry and how it weaves in through broader occurrences and impacts on some of our most vulnerable’s daily lives is immeasurable. I will absolutely be thinking about this piece for a long, long time.

My one pretty major grievance with this book, in the review copy as I read it, is that it can be distractingly repetitive. And in some cases reads like a college term paper bumpily summarizing the key points at the end of the chapter. I hope, hope, hope that it gets another edit or slight revamp to do this narrative the justice that it deserves. It would have probably been a 5-star read for me if it was cleaner, tighter, and didn’t repeat so much.

Still a pretty-high recommend for those that are interested in social issues, social justice, the impacts of capitalism, finance, business, government, and the like. Compelling!

Thank you to Atria/One Signal Publishers and Netgalley for this free review copy. #netgalley #bloodmoney

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I was able to read this book via NetGalley thanks to Atria Books!*

Part memoir, part exploration of an ignored cog in the system of the U.S. - and global - healthcare system, Blood Money is a fascinating investigation into the plasma selling business that thrives in some of the most neglected corners of the U.S. The book is engaging to read - I found myself constantly pulled back to it to find out what McLaughlin would learn next - and packed full of information and interviews, as well as personal stories of McLaughlin's chronic illness and the plasma-based medication that helps her keep it in check.

Blood Money somehow manages to be insightful, empathetic, and scathing, not to mention well-researched without feeling dry. I felt like I was along for the journey through the back roads of America, where plasma centers thrive, putting a little bit of cash into the pockets of those who need it to make ends meet.

My only issue with this book was that it got repetitive at times - certain facts were repeated multiple times, as were specific turns of phrase. I felt at times that this was a book not meant for consumption straight through, but rather one to read and set down, wander away, and come back some time later, maybe having forgotten some of the specifics. When read in one go, I felt as though I was being hit over the head with certain concepts that I had already internalized.

Other than that, however, this was a fascinating read, holding my attention in a way that nonfiction books often don't.

4/5

[CatReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book is kind of misleading -- it's not an expose into the American blood industry, it's an expose into the human plasma industry. This book very briefly or does not at all delve into other human blood product topics I was hoping for more examination of, such as the controversial actions of the American Red Cross, the intra-blood market selling of and bartering of human blood donations, the market and ethics of Rhogam (anti-D (Rh) immunoglobulin given to Rh- negative pregnant women, made from voluntarily exposing Rh- donors to D antigen and harvesting their antibodies, leading to possible health implications for these donors down the road if ever given Rh+ blood), etc.

That being said, I did find McLaughlin's narrative about the murky ethics of plasma selling compelling. The book is repetitive at times and could have used a tighter focus (she visited plasma donation centers in various parts of the country and basically told the same story at each). I thought the strongest anecdote in the book was actually the opening one, about Shuping Wang and Gao Yaojie, two brave women who exposed China's unsafe plasma selling practices that exposed thousands of people to blood-borne diseases, at great cost to themselves.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would have made a great long newspaper or magazine article, and would likely have been better as such. This book is highly repetitive, which many other reviewers here note. The author focuses on blood plasma clinics buying plasma from “donors” (workers) in low-income areas and the motivations of those individuals (they need money), but spends no time whatsoever on how this for-profit plasma economy differs from the nonprofit blood centers in the U.S. That seems like a miss!

I did enjoy learning about the spooky-as-hell Stanford mouse trials (2005) in which an old and a young mouse were stitched together to share blood (WHAT) or how the US Government disagrees with itself about whether or not plasma “donation” is work (for years the answer has been no…until the covid-19 pandemic hit and the land border with Mexico was shut, which crippled the plasma economy that powers the world, so folks were eventually permitted to cross as “workers”). But these anecdotes come buried within what feels like endless rehashing of the “exhaustive” Twitter survey the author conducted by talking to tens of plasma donors. 🫤

Surprise: Capitalism is a curse! America’s wealth is unfairly distributed! Big business is predatory!

[Ben Sicnolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a pretty good look at capitalism in America that so many people are selling their literal blood in order to make ends meet. Plasma centers being so heavily concentrated in poorer areas or areas with student populations is obviously not an accident.

Also, I'm only allowed to donate whole blood once every 8 weeks, so I figured it would be something similar to that for giving plasma and platelets at the for-profit agencies. People are giving multiple times a week! (in the US, at least - every other country is like a month or weeks in between, but you can give plasma over 100 times per year in the US). That was shocking to me. The US is a massive exporter of plasma to other countries, for profit. Blood - human blood - is the US's 10th most valuable export. Ahead of corn, soybeans, trucks...

To recap - in these United States, companies set up plasma centers in poor areas. Then, people come in to sell their literal body parts to the companies because they cannot afford to live on the income from their jobs. Those body parts are then resold at a massive profit. Things are going great!

[Diane Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know all those sketchy plasma collection centers where they pay you for plasma? Turns out huge numbers of people donate plasma because it’s some of the fastest money around and fills in the income gaps for large numbers of people. The collection centers are placed where there’s a lot of economic precarity. Donors get around thirty or forty bucks and many places offer incentive plans that pay you more if you do it all the time. What does giving up all that plasma do to you? Nobody apparently knows and the extremely wealthy companies making medicines out of the plasma don’t want to know. And the IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) they make from it costs patients A LOT. It’s one more messed up system in our country where people have to sell parts of their bodies in order to live.
The book is kind of repetitive and McLaughlin expresses a lot of angst at being a recipient of all these sketchy practices. But I think this would have been better as a long article or blog post.

[Hugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is extremely padded and still runs less than 200 pages. It's meandering and repetitive, and basically boils down to 'paying people for plasma has unsavoury and unexpected externalities', with a shallow exploration of those. This could have been a not-bad article in The Atlantic.

Tons of anecdotal evidence, some statistics that aren't concrete, and a whole lot of personal memoir. A chapter devoted to the history of blood-taking, which is all filler. A couple times in the first half of the book the author asks plasma donors whether 'the stigma' bothers them, and they have no idea what she's talking about (hint: there's no stigma).

She seems to think she's on the trail of a major scandal, but really she's discovering that late capitalism is breaking America, and that a broken system exploits its' most vulnerable.

Sad, true, and better explored in many other books.

[Jennifer Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leaving aside the smaller critiques (e.g. IVIG does not contain “cells”), the biggest issue with this book is that the author doesn’t reconcile her qualms with the plasma industry with her dependence on it for treatment of her medical condition (or the many other patients who require plasma-based products to treat their, sometimes life-threatening, conditions), which should have been a rich discussion. The book brings up many other interesting ethical dilemmas regarding the whos and wheres of commercial plasma collection, but does not explore these in any meaningful depth. Instead the book is peppered with snippets of marginally-related topics, which are generally distracting and give the book an unfocused feel. Overall the subject matter is interesting but it wasn’t consolidated into a coherent narrative.

[Nate Schweber · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The blood game is rigged," writes "living vampire" Kathleen McLaughlin. As a journalist from Montana working in China, she discovers that the plasma treatments for her rare autoimmune disease come literally from other people's blood. A multi-country quest to learn about the lives of the people whose vital-fluid "donations" keep her alive reveals a parasitic multi-billion dollar global industry that feeds on America's lack of worker rights and torn social safety net. "That's exactly how the system is designed," McLaughlin writes. "Selling plasma does not pay enough to live on; it just pays enough to fill the gas tank or the refrigerator." McLaughlin's unique insight, extensive reporting, and clear, sharp analysis makes this book piercing. You're going to feel a pinch.