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Title: Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age by Bill McKibben ISBN: 0-8050-7096-6 Publisher: Times Books Pub. Date: 02 April, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.77 (13 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Something we all need to think about
Comment: Bill McKibben's latest book, "Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age," raises some fundamental questions about who we are, what we are, and how we may be affected by the biotechnologies which we already possess and those which are just over the horizon. The author takes us on an expedition into the world of genetic research, nanotechnology and robotics.
This is a passionate book and a disturbing book and one that presents what we in the "argumentation trade" might call a "persuasive" argument, that is, a presentation of facts which are used, not to support a conclusion that may be true or false, but used to support a conclusion promoting a particular policy or course of action.
"Enough" is also a revealing book, a hard and detailed look at our rapid acceleration into technologies which may have permanent and adverse effects on the future of human beings; indeed, these technologies have the potential to affect what it means to be human at all. Because he perceives this to be a threatening situation, McKibben discusses technologies such as germline engineering and therapeutic cloning, warning that they represent a slippery slope that may make more dangerous and harmful technologies possible and even acceptable.
"[I]f we aggressively pursue any or all of several new technologies now before us," the author says, "we may alter our relationship not with the rest of nature but with ourselves. First human genetic engineering and then advanced forms of robotics and nanotechnology will call into question, often quite explicitly, our understanding of what it means to be a human being."
McKibben acquaints us with microscopic nanobots cruising our bloodstreams, attacking pathogens within our bodies and building new cells. And with children born so genetically enhanced that they will never be able to believe that they reached success as musicians or artists or athletes or whatever because there was something unique in them and a hunger to reach the pinnacle of their ability through their own choice and desire.
The author tackles what it means to be human, pointing out how these new technologies threaten our very identity as human beings. "What if we have been programmed," he asks, "or at least must suspect each time we choose a path that we have been nudged in that direction by our engineered cells? Who then 'are we'?"
One of the more interesting arguments that McKibben makes, in my opinion, has to do with the matter of "choice," an issue with which libertarians are always concerned. Libertarian-minded thinkers tend to be among the strongest advocates of modern technologies and tend to believe that the free market will police itself in regard to any dangers which may result from their use.
More often than not, libertarians accuse those who oppose or may merely question the effects of new technologies of being Luddites, a name attributed to that infamous group of early nineteenth century workers who protested against the introduction of new labor-saving technologies in the factories of that period.
But McKibben argues that some of these new biotechnologies are really "anti-choice." He points out that "In widespread use, they will first rob parents of their liberty, and then strip freedom from every generation that follows. In the end, they will destroy forever the very possibility of meaningful choice."
I think that's a point that needs to be thoughtfully and seriously considered, especially by those who are, like I am, more or less on the libertarian side of the socio-political spectrum.
McKibben is not a naive thinker. He realizes that there is no limit to human aspirations or desires. And our ability to discover new scientific facts and to invent new technologies seems unlimited. But can we draw a line and say this far and no further? Can we say, this is enough? The author answers yes, and argues that only by staying human can we find true meaning in our lives. What sets a human being apart from other beings in this world of ours? McKibben argues that it is our power of self-limitation. "We need to do an unlikely thing," he says. "We need to survey the world we now inhabit and proclaim it good. Good enough."
While allowing that many of these new technologies may hold the promise to cure disease and provide other benefits, they also offer problematic choices such as the capacity to choose a child's gender, the power to boost human intelligence and, what may be the nightmare of all nightmares, the option of "improving" or "perfecting" human beings. And, I have always argued and will continue to do so: just because we can do something does not mean it is something we should do or need to do. I find myself having to agree with McKibben when he concludes, "I think the stakes in this argument are absurdly high, nothing less than the meaning of being human. Must we forever grow in reach and power? Or can we, should we, ever say,'Enough'?" Maybe so, maybe in this case, maybe at this time.
This is a book that should be read by everyone who is concerned about the future of the human species.
Rating: 5
Summary: He's right!!!!! .....ENOUGH
Comment: Very readable. A minor knowledge of genetics and cursory knowledge of robotics will get you through this book without confusion. Nanotechnology is so new that few of us have even a fundamental knowledge of its workings. Fortunately, Mr. McKibben recognizes this and spares us baffling jargon on most all issues. Recommended reading for any parent having more than half a child, or considering having a child.
Perhaps I was fortunate to have read Francis Fukuyama's "Our Posthuman Future" and Greg Stock's "Redesigning Humans" just prior to reading Mr. McKibben's book. As Mr. McKibben says in his book, Fukuyama used an [unremarkable] style to get the message across that something must be done now to begin to internationally regulate the ethical boundaries of, and path forward for, genetics.
Mr. McKibben is clearly well read on a number of subjects and takes a pragmatic yet fatalistic view of the future considering the current trend of science. He talks of the perils and pitfalls that could accompany the genetic revolution, while giving a fair and balanced view of the merits of the field in disease prevention. What he does extremely well in this book, "Enough", is to draw attention to the paralleling emerging technologies of genetics, nanotechnology and robotics (GNR as he has labeled it), and the confluence of these three fast-paced advancing technologies.
Although an interesting and well written book, I cannot refrain from commenting (as Mr. McKibben politely did) on the conclusions drawn in Gregory Stock's book. Mr. Stock takes the view that the momentum is too great now and is unstoppable (heaven forbid that he is correct). Mr. McKibben is thorough and visionary in helping us understand the burning issue at hand in the bioethical decisions we must make in thwarting this burgeoning push towards germinal technology. The burning issue.... the future of our children (or wandering humans without meaning...whatever...) in that they will inevitably bear the consequences of inaction within the coming ten, twenty or fifty years from now if this current generation of commercial decision makers is left to their own devices. The exact timing is debatable. The outcome, if unchecked, is only a question of severity of the consequences, not when.
Mr. McKibben's forward thinking scenarios of what the human may evolve to if some or all of this modification occurs paints a stark... no dark, picture of the "human" of the future. Wandering aimlessly without family ties and wondering if the enhancements bequeathed upon them by their ancestors predisposed them to their calling in life, or if their physical and intellectual successes were of their own ability, or the results of their modifications.
He closes with several brief conclusions shared by other academics in that it is a "freight train" (my words) that could only be stopped by a police state. The choice...Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World", a return to a caste system liking that of India in past years, or George Orwell's "1984". Take your pick.
I admit to be one to worry about what the future holds for my children in any event. That's my job. However, this book helped me to finally draw a clear conclusion that a sad destiny is upon us if something is not done. As Mr. McKibben points out, we are a species that has, in the past, said "Enough" when the consequences were unmistakably too grave. It can be done again. I am of the mind that we should do it again. That we just say enough, and begin to regulate it in the face of the commercial proponents.
I was truly taken aback by Mr. McKibben's simple comment that we may be the last generation to be able to make this choice. The Mother of all choices as it may turn out.
For the immediate, the best thing we could do would be to see a few more books realizing the need for a fast track plan to educate our children about the oncoming freight train. This would allow them to at least begin to understand and be aware of the potential danger of the outcome, and hopefully, to choose to oppose it in the coming years.
Well done Bill. One of the best books on bioethics I have read to date. It should be mandatory for all parents. Five Stars in my book.
By Stephan Agnitsch, an American in Malaysia
[email protected]
Rating: 1
Summary: Huh?
Comment: This book has a goal: to scare you. That, in itself, doesn't make the book bad. While I am pro-biotech, I appreciate the fact that people are allowed to read and explore a myriad of positioins before they make up their mind. What bothers me, then, is that McKibben is so intent on scaring us into submission that he is either a.) puposely exaggerating and misunderstanding his information and doesn't care, or b.)literally doesn't know 'enough' about what he's writing so as not to notice his caricatures.
For instance - amd most troubleing -, well over 2/3rds of his citations are gotten from newspapers, trade magazines, and (a little better but not by a lot) popular science articles. So we get treated to all the exaggerated stories about the nutty little cult-like submovements that treat biotech as an unmitigated utopia while under the impression that this is the mainstream view. Well, the New York TImes is in the business of selling newspapers and reporting stories that can help them do it. If we haven't noticed, they are much less concerned with accuracy. But McKibben's index is not only littered with these types of exaggerated stories, but virtually all are gotten from the newspapers and trade rags. Not very professional.
Second (and partly due to the above) Mckibben is wont to grossly overexaggerate fears of genetic determinism. IF we can select genes for success, he says, then children will be comodities!!! But in saying this, he doesn't realisze - or doesn't let on - that a.) there is no gene combo for 'success' (such a blanket phrase), b.) success involeves quite a bit of 'luck' and evironment in addition to genetic factors; c.) a genetic tweek is by no means a gaurentee of superiority in a particular area. McKibben, though, doesn't know this; my guess becasue he is quoting from trade magazines that like to write article on the "gene for x" in order to give us a shocking and juicy cover story. "Beanbag genetics" is dead an someone forgot to tell McKibbon that he is more of a gentic determinist than even most genetic determinist are.
Third he writes aobut his fears that biotech will 'dehumanize' us. We get this alot and McKibben swears he is not a luddite. But the argument fits the bill perfectly: Limitations are what makes us human; the better humans are made to perform, the less human they'll be. McKibben says that we should just be happy with the progress we've made so far (after all, eradication of limitions in the past was a good thing; it is only the future doings that are problematic) and cash in our chips content only with the results gotten so far. But how would getting people to live longer, be less prone to obesity, have smarter brains, have better eye-sight, and have various other talnents be immoral? The problem is that McKibben doesn't really ARUGE a point here; he just repeats his emotional appeal about the joys of human limitaitons as they are (you too can die at 70! Woohoo!) like it doesn't require any further argument. But in light of all of the things we COULD be better at with biotech's help, we really deserve an explanation of why it is moral to know that you can improve humans and NOT do it.
Long and short: following McKibben's title, reading this book make me say: "Enough!"
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Title: The End of Nature : Tenth Anniversary Edition by Bill McKibben ISBN: 0385416040 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 05 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Age of Missing Information by Bill McKibben ISBN: 0452269806 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: May, 1993 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Redesigning Humans: Our Inevitable Genetic Future by Gregory Stock ISBN: 061806026X Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co Pub. Date: 15 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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Title: Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution by Francis Fukuyama ISBN: 0312421710 Publisher: Picador USA Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly on the Earth by Bill McKibben ISBN: 1886913137 Publisher: Ruminator Books Pub. Date: April, 1997 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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