WINNER OF THE 2005 H.G. WELLS AWARD
What if you could be smarter, stronger, and have a
better memory just by taking a pill?
What if we could alter our genes to cure Alzheimer's
and Parkinson's?
What if we could halt or even reverse the human aging
process?
What if we could communicate with each
other simply by thinking about
it?
These questions were once the stuff of science
fiction. Today, advances in biotechnology have shown that
they're plausible, even likely to be accomplished in the
near future. In labs around the world, researchers looking
for ways to help the sick and injured have stumbled onto
techniques that enhance healthy animals--making them
stronger, faster, smarter, and longer-lived--in some cases,
even connecting their minds to robots and computers across
the Internet.
Now science is on the verge of applying this
knowledge to healthy men and women, allowing us to alter
humanity in ways we'd previously only dreamed possible. The
same research that could cure Alzheimer's is leading to
drugs and genetic techniques that could boost human
intelligence. The techniques being developed to stave off
heart disease and cancer have the potential to slow or even
reverse human aging. And brain implants that restore motion
to the paralyzed and sight to the blind are already
allowing a small set of patients to control robots and
computers simply by thinking about it.
Not everyone welcomes this scientific progress. Cries
of "against nature" arise from skeptics even as scientists
break new ground at an astounding pace. Across the
political spectrum, the debate roils: Should we embrace the
power to alter our minds and bodies, or should we restrict
it?
Distilling the most radical accomplishments being
made in labs worldwide, including gene therapy, genetic
engineering, stem cell research, life extension,
brain-computer interfaces, and cloning, More
Than Human offers an exciting tour of the
impact biotechnology will have on our lives. Throughout
this remarkable trip, author Ramez Naam shares an
impassioned vision for the future with revealing insight
into the ethical dilemmas posed by twenty-first-century
science.
"A terrific survey of current work and future
possibilities in gene therapy, neurotechnology and other
fields." - Los Angeles Times
"Ramez Naam provides a reliable and informed cook's tour
of the world we might choose if we decide that we should
fast-forward evolution. I disagree with virtually all his
enthusiasms, but I think he has made his case cogently
and well."
- Bill McKibben, author Enough:
Staying Human in an Engineered Age
"More Than Human is one of those rare books
that is both a delightful read and an important
statement. No one interested in the future
intersections of science, technology, and medicine can
afford to miss this book."
- Steven Johnson, author of Mind
Wide Open and Where Good Ideas Come From
"More Than Human is excellent - passionate
yet balanced, clearly written and rich with fascinating
details. A wonderful overview of a topic that will
dominate the twenty-first century."
- Greg Bear, author of Dead
Lines and Darwin's Children
"The future accelerates and change is upon us.
The only question - asked cogently
in More Than Human - is whether we can
learn to ride the waves, or else be swept away. This
book is a how-to guide for future-wave riders."
- David Brin, author
of EXISTENCE and The
Transparent Society: Will Technology Make Us Choose
Between Privacy and Freedom?