More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement

WINNER OF THE 2005 H.G. WELLS AWARDThe Editors Recommend Scientific AmericanWhat 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 Alzheimers and Parkinsons?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 theyre 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 animalsmaking them stronger, faster, smarter, and longerlivedin 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 wed previously only dreamed possible. The same research that could cure Alzheimers 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, braincomputer 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 twentyfirstcentury science.A terrific survey of current work and future possibilities in gene therapy, neurotechnology and other fields. Los Angeles TimesRamez Naam provides a reliable and informed cooks tour of the world we might choose if we decide that we should fastforward 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 AgeMore 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 FromMore Than Human is excellent passionate yet balanced, clearly written and rich with fascinating details. A wonderful overview of a topic that will dominate the twentyfirst century. Greg Bear, author of Dead Lines and Darwins ChildrenThe 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 howto guide for futurewave riders. David Brin, author of EXISTENCE and The Transparent Society: Will Technology Make Us Choose Between Privacy and Freedom?