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Summary: amazing story and insight
Review: Bernard Nathanson knows abortion--he "provided" thousands of them before realizing he was murdering thousands of babies. After seeing ultrasound and discovering the self-evident humanity and life of the unborn, Nathanson became pro-life and became saved as well. This book contradicts moral relativism and the belief that killing innocent human life is okay sometimes. It is truly an amazing book. It not only tells an inspiring story, it also provides a lot of information on sickening organizations such as the pro-abortion NARAL, which he co-founded. Bernard Nathanson has done humanity a favor by exposing the murder of abortion behind closed doors.
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Summary: Belongs in the pro-life canon
Review: Bernard Nathanson's "Hand Of God" is actually two books instead of one. First, we witness the journey of a man from cynical atheism to a new faith and the redemption that comes with it. Then, we enjoy an excellent pro-life apologetic from a man who is intimately familiar with both sides of the story. If you really want to understand the abortion debate, this book and Randy Alcorn's "Pro-life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments" are two of the essentials.
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Summary: Needs more negative reviews.
Review: C. S. Lewis once wrote, "For many healthy extroverts, self-examination first begins with conversion. For me it was the other way around. . . I had been 'taken out of myself.'" While it would be innaccurate to call Dr. Nathanson a "healthy extrovert" before he became a Christian, this is the story of an abrasive and self-centered man who, coming into the presence of God, became more aware of what was within. He is almost painfully honest in telling what he found and why it troubled, and continues to trouble, him. The book's confessionary ending reminds the reader that the spiritual journey, like a human partnership, only begins when one steps up to the altar. Perhaps the opposite delusion, our demand for instant gratification, pay-off without investment, is one fault behind American acceptance of cheap grace, fast food, divorce, and abortion alike. While the Hand of God is first of all a contemporary spiritual pilgrimage, it is also a book that anyone who is at all open-minded about abortion should read and carefully consider. Dr. Nathanson has looked at abortion from both sides, now: he knows very well what he is talking about. So it is a pity there are so few reviews of this book here, including the kind of attacks from hostile reviewers that show a point has sunk in, or that a book has sold beyond its narrowest constituency. This is a book more people ought to read. I might add that it is well-written and full of surprising and sometimes rather contrarian observations. author, Jesus and the Religions of Man
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Summary: An Insiders Look at Abortion
Review: Dr. Bernard Nathanson no doubt speaks the truth when he claims to know the abortion issue "as perhaps no one else does." Nathanson oversaw or participated in over 60,000 abortions during his medical career, including the abortion which took the life of his own child. Thus it is especially admirable that he, unlike many others who have been involved personally with abortion, had the ability to admit to himself what we all at some level know to be true (and what is becoming harder and harder to deny with the advancement of science and medical technology)--that abortion is indeed the taking of a human life. But admit this he does, after a personal encounter with sonographic visual images of an abortion carried out by a colleague. If anything, Nathanson's story is a testimony to the power such images have to catalyze a reevaluation of people's views on abortion. It is unfortunate that many in the pro-life movement now shy away from using graphich visual aids in presenting their case. Certainly graphic images have been missused by pro-lifers in the past, but that does not mean that they don't have a vital and proper role to play in persuading the public that abortion is a violent act against a defenseless fellow human being. I would think anyone with an interest in the abortion debate would want to read this book. Nathanson played a critical role in the legalizing of abortion in the US (he was the co-founder of NARAL) and gives a behind the scenes look at the abortion rights movement in its infancy. The only drawbacks I have concern the writing style and organization. Nathanson uses far too many arcane and difficult words in a book written for the general public and some parts of the book are repetitive. A couple of paragraphs are almost word for word identical. Also, many many key details connecting important parts of Nathanson's life are skipped over which can be confusing and annoying. At one point Nathanson briefly mentions that he has a son but one is never told when, where, or from whom the son was born. Overall I think this was a good book. Nathanson's account of his conversion from being pro-abortion to pro-life and then from an atheist to a Roman Catholic is certainly fascinating. Perhaps it could've been told better, but the story itself makes up for any shortcomings.
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Summary: Must reading in the abortion debate ... for both sides.
Review: Dr. Bernard Nathanson was a leader in the movement to make abortion "legal, affordable,and available on demand" for American women, even before the 1972 Supreme Courtdecisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. He performed abortions, directed a largeabortion clinic in New York City, and was one of the three co-founders of theorganization that became the National Abortion Rights Action League. Doubts about abortion, however, were finally confirmed when ultrasound technologyallowed him to to view the development of the child in the womb. He stopped performingabortions at the end of the 70's, made a video -- "The Silent Scream" -- in 1985, andjoined the pro-life movement. "I know the abortion issue as perhaps no one else does,"Dr. Nathanson writes. His expertise and prominence make this an informative, compellingbook. Readers will find much more than autobiography in its pages. The author's recollection ofhis physician father makes fascinating reading by itself. Dr. Nathanson's description of anabortion in lay terms is valuable and revealing. A gruesome chapter on abortionmalpractice and his discussion of RU-486 are must reading for all who deliberate publicpolicy. Historians, who focus on causation, will be intrigued by Dr. Nathanson'srendering of the social changes in the 1960's. There are important essays on theHippocratic oath, fetal tissue research, and the prospect of physician-assisted suicide. Shortly after this book was published, Dr. Nathanson's journey across the medical,political, and spiritual chasm caused by abortion led him to Catholicism. "The Hand ofGod" finally stands with the great confessional works. He writes, "The usual andcustomary progression is: Belief in God and His splendid gift of life leads the believer todefend it -- and become pro-life. With me, it was just the opposite: Perversely, Ijourneyed from being pro-life to belief in God."
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Summary: A moving story told by an immensely talented writer
Review: Dr. Nathanson's story is the main reason for this book: he wasan abortionist who saw the light, became pro-life, and ended up converting to Catholicism. And of course, that story alone would make this book well worth reading. But as it happens, Dr. Nathanson also turns out to be an extremely gifted writer. I can't stress that enough: Dr. Nathanson tells his story with such intelligence, depth of feeling, and humor that he has become one of my favorite authors of all time. "I laughed, I cried..." I really did! Catholic readers will immediately observe that Dr. Nathanson never trashes his Jewish roots, as ex-Catholics are wont to do, and will admire and respect him so much more for that. In "A Perfunctory Jew" Nathanson writes: "I do not believe that this ethical vacuum was a result of the hospital's Jewishness...Rather, the moral tenor of the place was lowered, as in the case of many Jewish institutions today, as in the house in which I was raised, by its lack of Judaism." Many Catholics will recognize the faint but unmistakable echo of their own voices in these words, and in many of the childhood experiences Dr. Nathanson so skillfully relates. I'll leave it to the other reviewers to describe the story itself, which is of course the main point of this book. Or is it? Perhaps the main point of this book is that it is brilliantly written, by an author whose immense talent is truly a gift from God and a tremendous asset to the Catholic community. The conversion of someone so gifted cannot help but validate and strengthen our faith. Although on reflection it seems inappropriate to "thank" someone for coverting, or to "welcome" him to one's Church - that is, after all, God's job - I can't seem to fight the overwhelming urge to say to Dr. Nathanson: Thank you...and a thousand welcomes to you!
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Summary: a life and a mind are terrible things to waste
Review: I wrote a review posted at this site several months ago which apparenty amazon found too hot, and too long to handle. In 1970, Nathanson became one of the most active abortion providers in the world and evidently made a ton of money. However, Roe v. Wade was issued and the roof of his personal treasure trove fell in when thousands of physicians around the country started providing elective abortions in every state in the union. Nathanson claims to have suddenly discovered (after seeing scores of thousands of dead fetuses while doing abortions and at least scores of hundreds of stillbirths and new born babies as an ob/gyn) that the fetus, as it matures, looks a lot like a baby. He claims not to have known this until he first say the results of early ultrasounds. As anyone who has ever done an ob residency can tell you, one doesn't have to see his first ultrasound to know any of this. If you would like a copy of the review amazon refused, you may email me at wharri3365@cox-internet.com. William F Harrison, MD, FACOG and abortion provider.
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Summary: The Hand of God
Review: If you get past the first 50 pages or so -- try not to let the big words scare you -- then you are in for a very good-sobering look at the whole"procedure." His story is very compelling. The book is hard to put down for long, however, put it down you must to catch your breath. Every voter in America should read this; then decide for themselves. If the Supreme Court makes abortion legal should we assume it is moral?
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Summary: Breathtaking Honesty
Review: Imagine you are an abortionist, responsible for the deaths of hundreds, or even thousands, of human beings. How will you tell your story to others? Perhaps, in an effort to ease your burning conscience, you will write a rambling, disjointed rationalization of your own behavior. Perhaps you will denounce those who disagree with you, resorting to ad hominem attacks. Or perhaps you will write the kind of book Bernard Nathanson did. Perhaps you will undertake a serious examination of conscience, admit your grievous errors, and dedicate the rest of your life to saving the lives of those whom you have placed in danger. Nathanson has seen abortion from the inside. He led the crusade to make it legal and pervasive. He performed abortions himself and taught others how to do them. He knows firsthand how this gruesome procedure affects the mother, the doctor, and most importantly, the baby. His credibility and standing on this issue are unparalleled. I cannot recall reading another book, apart from St. Augustine's Confessions, in which the author has so thoroughly cataloged his own failings and his efforts to ameliorate their effects. This type of candid reflection is painful for the author, but enormously valuable and instructive for the rest of us. I highly recommend this book, both for its analysis of abortion and its illuminating honesty.
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Summary: amazing story and insight
Review: This book was about an doctor who performed many abortions until he had a change of heart and became pro-life. In the process, he finds God through the Catholic church. This book is very honest about how he performed many abortions, including one on his own child. It takes great courage for someone to stand up and admit he is wrong to commit such a terrible crime against humanity. This book gives a lot of background on his growing up years and medical training. This book also details the abortion procedure and how it can be harmful to the women who have them. However, this book was hard to read. Clearly, this man is intelligent and well-educated, but I personally don't have his vocabulary. I did not know what a lot of the words he used meant and had to guess at what he was talking about through the context in which he was talking about. I also would have liked to have found out more about his son and his wives, and how being an abortion doctor affected them. This is a good book for research on the abortion issue. I would recommend that book for that purpose, but personally, I preferred "Won by Love" by Norma McCorvey and "The Atonement Child" by Francine Rivers. Those books are much easier to read and get the point across just as good.
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