Name: Radical Evolution
ISBN: 9780767915038

Joel Garreau

Arguing that the acceleration of technological innovation is setting the course for the next stage of human evolution, the author of Edge City raises thought-provoking questions about human culture, society, and the very nature of humankind. Reprint. 15,000 first printing.

The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies--and what it Means to be Human

Radical Evolution

Gavin

Pop account of near-future technological accelerations and explosions. (AKA transhumanism v bioconservatism.) We face four types of dislocating technologies: Genetics, Robotics, Infotech and Nanotech. 

Garreau gives loads of stage time to two dogmatic cranks from each side: Kurzweil (booster technocrat), and Fukuyama (neocon fearmonger) as well as an unclassifiable polymath, Jaron Lanier. But this is sadly just the way science journalism is done, and Garreau is later courageous in half-endorsing the transcendent transhuman rationale of beautiful bioprogressive Bostrom. Unfortunately his prose is Gladwellian, full of glib pop references and leaden line-break punch-lines. Still a balanced intro to the scenarios and figureheads. 

You really should read something on the ethics of these technologies: I recommend Pearce, Bostrom, or Sandberg.

Radical Evolution The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies--and what it Means to be Human

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