Chip Jones' The Organ Thieves is a gripping exposé on medical ethics and racial exploitation, with reviewers praising its thorough research and compelling narrative. Criticisms focus on its dense detail and disturbing content. Overall, it’s lauded for shedding light on historical injustices in the medical field.

Readers of The Organ Thieves by Chip Jones will likely enjoy investigative historical works that explore themes of medical ethics, racial injustice, and human rights. Comparable titles include The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot and Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington. Fans of meticulously researched, thought-provoking non-fiction will find this book compelling.

In The Organ Thieves, Chip Jones reveals the racism and ethical transgressions surrounding the first heart transplant at the Medical College of Virginia in 1968, where Bruce Tucker, an African American man, had his heart removed before legally being declared dead and it was transplanted into a white recipient. The book delves into the institutional racism and exploitation in medical procedures of the time. Discussions of slavery, racial injustice, and medical exploitation are present.

Dark / Unnerving / Informative / Contemplative

Chip Jones

Adult

Book

Nonfiction

Guide

Study Guide

title

content

Overview

Get ready to explore The Organ Thieves and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

The Organ Thieves Summary and Study Guide

Background

The Organ Thieves Background

chapter

chapterType

section

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “Roots”

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

The Organ Thieves Part 1, Chapters 1-4 Summary & Analysis

Part 2: “The Race”

Part 2, Chapters 5-10

The Organ Thieves Part 2, Chapters 5-10 Summary & Analysis

Part 3: “Reckoning”

Part 3, Chapters 11-14

The Organ Thieves Part 3, Chapters 11-14 Summary & Analysis

Part 4: “Troubles, Trials, and Tribulations”

Part 4, Chapters 15-18

The Organ Thieves Part 4, Chapters 15-18 Summary & Analysis

Part 4, Chapters 19-21

The Organ Thieves Part 4, Chapters 19-21 Summary & Analysis

Part 4, Chapter 22-Afterword

The Organ Thieves Part 4, Chapter 22-Afterword Summary & Analysis

keyFigure

Key Figures

The Organ Thieves Key Figures

theme

Themes

The Organ Thieves Themes

Index of Terms

The Organ Thieves Index of Terms

quote

citation

character

Important Quotes

The Organ Thieves Important Quotes

primaryCharacter

Essay Topics

The Organ Thieves Essay Topics

The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South

Before You Read

Reviews & Readership

Review Roundup

Who Should Read The Organ Thieves?

Reading Age

Book Details