O'Connell's Wellcome prize-winning book is disjointed meander through the various groups, philosophies and scientific approaches to transhumanism.Eloquently written though it is (and it really does have an expansive vocabulary), there are few answers here beyond a few existential musings by the author and that makes it a strangely dissatisfying read if you are looking for something more than an introduction to the key concepts and personalities.
Part of the problem is that the author has simply told the story of his various research trips, rather than synthesise into a more profound analysis of this emerging field. It also tends to skim the science in favour of the more cultish elements. I also felt it lacked access in places - for example, it would have benefited from interviews with some of key players like Kurzweil, Diamandis, Musk etc rather than those who are generally on the fringe and relying on secondary sources. Even when he does get access to people like Aubrey De Grey, he tends to concentrate on their personal appearance and seems to get nothing new from them science or approach wise. I've listened to podcast interviews with De Grey that have more depth.
Verdict: Very human guide to this most human of concerns.
No comments:
Post a Comment