Split Self/Torn Mind

Author: Julia W. Rath ISBN 978-1-947532-06-9 1 (softcover); 978-1-947532-19-9 (eBook) 292 pages When Dr. Theresa Hightower failed to show up to the class she was teaching at The University of Chicago, her graduate students were told that she had to leave town immediately because her mother was ill. In truth, the professor had been kidnapped. Set in the present-day, this character-driven psychological suspense novel tells the story of locating the missing woman, her captors, and the secret laboratory where a cruel genetic engineering experiment was taking place. The story touches upon basic issues concerning human subjects’ rights, the ethics of certain biomedical research investigations, and the desire to create powerful weapons of war in order to “save the world as we know it.” It compels us to ask whether the pursuit of righteous goals justifies any scientific means possible to achieve them. It also raises the issue of whether a major research university functions to disseminate knowledge or to conceal much of it from public view. If the latter, who are the parties responsible for keeping things “under wraps” and towards what end? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Julia W. Rath was formally trained as a social scientist and public policy analyst. She has a Ph.D. in sociology and a post-doctoral fellowship in the behavioral sciences. As a health services research analyst, she worked for the State of New York as a project director for a nationally-recognized study on Medicaid Managed Care as it relates to general health outcomes and treatment for alcohol and substance abuse. Her previous book, “Conquering Your Own Sleep Apnea The All-Natural Way,” tells the story of how she overcame her sleeplessness and breathlessness by making simple, common-sense changes to her diet and environment. Eclectic in her interests, she now writes fiction, popular songs, and classical music.