The embryo is a hotly contested item these days. But few actually consider what it is. Enter Embryo – A Defense of Human Life, by Robert George and Christopher Tollefsen. The book is non-religious, and indeed the authors argue that it is science and not religion that shows the embryo is human from conception.

I might highlight some of the existing contradictions in Canada: Our Assisted Human Reproduction Act outlaws choosing the sex of an embryo for couples undergoing invitro fertilization. But sex selection abortion on the flip side, weeks or months later, is completely legal. In some cases, then, embryos in Canada are afforded greater protection than the fetus. Canadian hospitals are also fundraising to develop embryonic stem cell research centres. We ought to ask ourselves whether humans are meant to be created, used and discarded. This book might help with that.