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Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age |
Author: Bill McKibben
Published: 2003-04 |
List price: $25.00
Our price: $11.10
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As of: November 19th, 2008 08:35:45 AM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 Interesting and provocative, but not entirely successful
In this book, McKibben argues that humanity needs to shut down large chunks of two areas of technology: stemline genetics research and nanotechnology/robotics. In each case, he works through the possible advantages for people of this research and then thinks about the implications if we go down that path.
Genetics research is much farther along, and I found McKibben's concerns in this area convincing. His discussion of nanotechnology seemed over the top to me, reminding me of Michael Creighton's "Prey" - - which may be my least-favorite Creighton book.
The concerns about genetics are very real. If parents can influence the intelligence or athletic ability of their offspring, this will set off an arms race among parents that will exclude people who are not wealthy enough to engage in genetic engineering. Even if everyone can participate, the effects on free-will are chilling: are your achievements your own if your parents chose them for you? If you are designed to love the piano, would you do anything other than given your own children a piano-loving gene? What happens to the species and to society in such a world?
The bigger question, which he touches on but does not emphasize, is whether the developed world really needs continued technological advance at all. How much is enough?
The challenge, as McKibben recognizes, is how to step back from the brink. He spends a chapter discussing societies that have rejecting technology, such as Japan and guns, China and navies, or the Amish people today. I find the Amish the more interesting and relevant example, especially since they coexist with non-Amish people making different choices. (And quite well, I might add, since I live about 30 miles from an Amish community that interacts with my own community economically in all sorts of ways.)
This is a provocative book, well worth reading. The material on genetics deserves five stars but the nanotechnology/robotics chapter doesn't work nearly as well. The sections on "how much is enough" are also thoughtful.
 Yes
One point that has not been made yet which I feel is pertinent is the question of disease. Namely, what purpose has disease served in directing the adaptation of humans? This needs to be considered by pathologists and geneticists alike. Genetically engineering resistance to known diseases will not protect future humans from all diseases. On the contrary, such a poorly thought-out removal of adaptive processes such as natural immunity is likely to make engineered humans of the future utterly helpless when beset by a new disease. If space colonization is a serious hope for the future, we'd best not engineer ourselves for greater comfort. It's a real shame that multi-generational eugenics programs have been abandoned in favor of a get-it-now attitude similar to that which produced fast food. "Fast Evolution."
 The Simple Life
McKibben has turned simplicity, primitivism and that universal longing railed against almost every aspect of modern American life - television, marketing, the environment, capitalism, education and now biotechnology with its evil twins, nanotech and artificial intelligence. He continues issuing dire warnings that the race is imperiled if we continue down our current paths. I think he would prefer extinction over transformation, something he sees with every genetic advance or scientific breakthrough. Except, of course, those he deems "allowable". Here, he is concerned about the genetic haves vs the have-nots - you know, the group with money will outperform those with less, an idea as old as society. In Bill Land folks just accept their fate and never change, accepting their lower status for lack of access to the techy gizmos of the Rich & Famous.
Here's the rub - it's a subjective matter of limits and definitions. Which of the following would he reject? Knee, hip, heart or liver replacement, cataract lenses, magnets in the brain to forestall epilepsy, regulators to pump blood, implants to kill cancer cells. The real question is what he thinks about using biotech letting the blind see, the deaf hear and the paralyzed walk. Is removal of pain with replacement joints "anti human"? Again, this is a matter of opinion (for him, not the poor victims). Lately, he has been warning that immortality may be around the corner in one form or another. He insists that death is a vital part of life, something that gives us our "humanity. " No, death is the termination of human life, good or bad. As one panelist at a symposium recently told him, he didn't mind if Bill wanted to die - he just didn't want to be told he had to also.
His real concern is genetic engineering and again we face the problem of who decides limits. He appears to "OK" some physical improvements but mental or emotional ones are taboo. We hear the usual red herrings - slippery slope arguments that if this happens then that will follow, designer babies, folks so smart they don't consider themselves human, people who won't know if they or a machine is "thinking", drugs to keep us happy or make into robots for "them", that nameless group that tells us to do bad things (probably fat, evil business types smoking cigars).
He has expressed dissatisfaction with the Industrial Age. We've become machines instead of frolicking through fields and woods. In better days, neighbors talked and relatives lived together. They would head out daily - mom to spend the day washing, dad & junior to hunt for dinner, sis sewing a new dress by hand. Technology has made our lives qualitatively better and easier, we live twice as long as just a few years ago and yet he has an array of statistics "proving" that we were happier before all this newfangled techno stuff. Could it be the hysterical unscientific news media with its "fear of the week"? You know, sharks, bird flue, Ebola, anthrax, mad cow, mad dog, hurricanes, "the environment", heat, cold, traffic, subliminal advertising....the list is endless as are those who think earlier ages were pastoral and peaceful. This is not only bad reading but also bad pleading.
A naturist's bias on germline genetic engineering
McKibben has some valid points and questions regarding germiline genetic engineering, unfortunately his stong naturist bias diminsh his credibility. He extensibly quotes scientists and experts on the matter, at the end what they say fits his idea that genetics and technlogy will be the apocalyptic executor.
Take for example three pages from his book were he uses the research work by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to demonstrate that genetic enhancement will not make people happier.
McKibben's claim that "What if you were thinking, in the back of your head, Is it really me doing this? Is it my programming? Am I losing myself, or is that feeling merely an artifact of my engineering? And those are precisely the sorts of thoughts that would rise in your mind because, in some ways, the whole point of flow experiences is to know yourself better" is emotional extortion, as if he is trying to scare people away from germline engineering. Either he doesn't understand the neurobiology of flow or he's just using a quote to fit his agenda, or both.
Flow is a term coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to describe a mental state characterized by lack of self-awareness and sharp concentration on the task at hand, not worried on how things are going or what the outcome will be. People engaged on this state perform at their best. Under flow action and awareness merge into one, lack of self and thinking creates a sense of deep relaxation and joy seems to arise by itself. Flow is also known as "the zone" by some athletes.
Characteristics of flow resemble meditation experiences. Zen meditation is a relaxed attentive state, on which the practitioner clear his or her mind of thinking. "Meditation then becomes several things other than a way to relax, physically and mentally. It becomes a way of not thinking, clearly, and then of carrying this clear awareness into everyday living" . Meditation is intrinsically rewarding and joyful. The mental state under flow and mediation are equal, the difference is that "flow" occurs during an activity while meditation is passive. Nevertheless mental clarity and intrinsic joy are the same.
In conclusion McKibben is putting thoughts on the head of somebody who doesn't exist and then he claims that these very thoughts will keep this individual from experiencing flow, thus preventing him from getting to know him-self better. Clearly he is projecting and scenario that doesn't exist but fits his purpose to plant the seed of doubt and fear on the minds of potential germline users. As for flow he doesn't understand that the insight arises after the experience not during it.
McKibben may have some valid points against germline but his strong naturist bias makes him to force facts to fit his purpose. Even more, he has a pessimistic opinion on the technology that doesn't meet his preferences; treadmills with electronic read-outs are ok. Had he been born fifty years earlier he would' written a book on the evils of running machines that prevent people from breathing fresh air at the risk of lung diseases.
Good Overall Explanation
The Strong point about this book is that it poses thought provoking questions. The author has really thought about this subject and where the field of genetics may lead us. The book provides some good explanations of the terms and types of research currently being carried on. He shows that by the time the nation starts legislating procedures it is generally too late. The author does bring up some pretty good predictions that society may be forced to deal with. The compulsion to fix detrimental hereditary diseases is really a forgone conclusion, Cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy etc, but will Genetic engineering rapidly go the route that plastic surgery traveled, from repairing hideous disfigurements to cosmetic [...] augmentation and facial makeovers. The author makes a very good point, if IQ or athletic ability can be increased by genetic tweaking and everyone is doing it for their kids, do you want your kid to be the only natural kid getting below average grades with below average athletic ability. The book definitely accomplished its purpose with this reader. I appreciate the ideas and societal situations this author has brought into the book and I have thought about it many times since I finished the book. Definitely worth a second read in the short-term future. The title is unfortunate, it sounds as if the author wants no more genetic progress, but the author wants to enjoy his "humanness" . He asks that society consider the big picture when dealing with limits to genetic engineering
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