PREFACE There are some people on earth who cannot bear to live an ordinary life. This quirk of personality, exceedingly rare among mankind s billions, leads certain individuals to great acts--as with the medical researcher who labors tirelessly to develop a cure for a dreaded dis- ease. It drives others to unimaginable evil--as in the case of Genene Jones. Genene Jones s demons--and the crimes they spurred her to com- mit-compose a dark and compelling tale. But this book is far more than an account of one woman s madness. Its story offers a window into the frailties of modern medicine--the petty jealousies and arrogance, the fears and ambitions, the bureaucratic paralysis--that can produce tragedy. This is a story about the criminal-justice system: of eager pros- ecutors, leaked secrets, and greedy lawyers. Most powerfully of all, it is an account of every parent s worst nightmare--of discovering that someone to whom he has entrusted his child has acted to harm rather than to heal. I first wrote about these events in August 1983 for Texas Monthly. I am grateful to Nicholas Lemann, a gifted editor and writer, who entrusted me with that assignment--my first for a magazine--and has been a source of astute guidance ever since. I owe thanks to several PREFACE ix
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