Impact of science and technology on society Books

Book SynopsisJon Ronson is an award-winning writer and documentary maker. He is the author of many bestselling books, including Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie, Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries, The Psychopath Test, The Men Who Stare at Goats and Them: Adventures with Extremists. His first fictional screenplay, Frank, co-written with Peter Straughan, starred Michael Fassbender. He is the creator of podcasts including Things Fell Apart and The Butterfly Effect. He lives in London and New York City.Trade ReviewHe is such an exceptional writer . . . an incredibly funny writer . . . a perfect sense of comic timing throughout, but he manages to deal with profound subjects . . . so enjoyable . . . you can be having a laugh while understanding a social phenomenon in a completely unique way; it's such a great book . . . We're buying it! * The BBC Radio 2 Arts Show with Claudia Winkleman *A magnificent book, subtly argued, often painfully funny and yet deeply serious. . . I'm not sure I can recommend it highly enough * Daily Mail *A work of original, inspired journalism, it considers the complex dynamics between those who shame and those who are shamed, both of whom can become the focus of social media's grotesque, disproportionate judgments -- Laurence Scott * Financial Times *superb and terrifying . . . So You've Been Publicly Shamed brings together all of Ronson's virtues as a writer, to a more serious purpose than hitherto . . . Ronson is a true virtuoso of the faux-naive style. He is so good at it that it's not irritating . . . Ronson has beautiful comic-prose skills . . . but Ronson's self-description as a "humorous journalist" is not the whole story. Comedy is his disguise and also his weapon. He is a moralist. Some of his best lines seem casual but contain fierce social diagnoses . . . towards the end of his new book, someone accuses him of "prurient curiosity". This prompts what may be taken as a statement of the moral approach behind all his work. "I didn't want to write a book that advocated for a less curious world. Prurient curiosity may not be great. But curiosity is. People's flaws need to be written about. The flaws of some people lead to horrors inflicted on to others. And then there are the more human flaws that, when you shine a light on to them, de-demonise people that might otherwise be seen as ogres." At its best, this is exactly what his writing can do . . . relentlessly entertaining and thought-provoking -- Steven Poole * Guardian *Ronson is our current master of smarter-than-average pop nonfiction that combines social science, investigative journalism and no shortage of style . . . Ronson and his subjects are strikingly candid about their fears, which is compelling if not always comfortable to read. But the book slowly turns out to be about something bigger than it seems: a survival guide to living with shame both public and private, an inevitable consequence of being human. * Saturday Paper (Australia) *Ronson's finely attuned ear for dialogue and his skilfully deployed nebbishness ensure a pacy but discomfiting read -- Gillian Terzis * The Australian *Jon Ronson's great strength as a writer is his empathy with his subject, which seems to bring about trust and openness from his interviewees. Like all journalists, he is a voyeur, but he is sensitive with his material and self-analytical enough to realise his own part in the phenomenon. So You've Been Publicly Shamed is an interesting commentary on human behaviour and its consequences. * The Register *immensely readable -- Will Dean * Independent *[A] brilliant, thought-provoking book - a fascinating examination of citizen justice, which has enjoyed a great renaissance since the advent of the internet * Tatler *Amusing and thought-provoking * Daily Telegraph *Certainly, no reader could finish it without feeling a need to be gentler online, to defer judgment, not to press the retweet button, to resist that primal impulse to stoke the fires of shame * The Times *As in his previous books, Ronson's style is to take us with him wherever the story goes, curiosity his guide. But unlike bestsellers The Men Who Stare At Goats (US new age warfare), The Psychopath Test (the mental health 'industry') or Them (ideological extremism), Shamed is not a critique of those at the fringes of our society, it's about us - or at least the very many of us who take to Twitter to heap vitriol on those we feel deserve it * Metro *Jon Ronson is one of the funniest writers we have * Red *Hugely entertaining * National *Engrossing and terrifying * New Statesman *Ronson specialises in writing witty, wide-eyed, free-wheeling books . . . He is full of curiosity, and writes in a friendly, slightly faux-naif voice, but with strong moral antennae -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Compulsively readable -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *So You've Been Publicly Shamed is possibly [Ronson's] most ambitious project yet . . . a brilliantly articulated, sensitively rendered attempt to reform the world -- Charlie Gilmour * Independent *So You've Been Publicly Shamed is fascinating, insightful and amusing and should be read by everyone * Women24 *Everyone who has any kind of online presence - including anonymous below-the-line commenters - will find this book gripping . . . Ronson remains one of our finest comic writers -- India Knight * Spectator *[A] simultaneously lightweight and necessary book * Esquire *I was mesmerized. And I was also disturbed -- Cheryl Conner * Forbes *Gutsy and smart. . . Without losing any of the clever agility that makes his books so winning, he has taken on truly consequential material and risen to the challenge -- Janet Maslin * New York Times *Read this book. Then tell someone else about it. Make sure you leave it in a place where an unsuspecting teen is lingering, they too could benefit from these timely fables of the digital world -- Elisabeth Marrow * Wairarapa Times *A gripping book, well written, articulate, honest and incredibly relevant in today's society. A book everyone with a twitter account should read . . . This is a book that will grip you and really make you think about 21st century society in a different way, definitely one to read, and one to read now * New Zealand Library Blogspot *Ronson is adept at taking a topic and explaining it through a number of case studies . . . His facts are gathered first-hand, his experiences conveyed with sharp observations of scene and character, and his conclusions logical. As contemporary society becomes ever more connected, Ronson's lessons will become even more important * Sunday Star Times *Witty . . .clever and thought-provoking * Publishers Weekly *This book really needed to be written * Salon *One of our most important modern day thinkers, Jon Ronson . . . has written one of the most therapeutic books imaginable -- Howard Forman * US News & Word Report *I very much enjoyed Jon Ronson's salutary examination of what happens when the internet turns on you: So You've Been Publicly Shamed (Picador). One stupid picture, one misplaced joke, and your life can be completely trashed. The book examines a very dark corner of the times we live in but manages to be both entertaining and humane -- Anthony Horowitz * Telegraph *So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson is the non-fiction book of the year - an alarming examination of victims and victimisers in the new social media sport of mob justice. -- Mark Lawson, Best Holiday Reads 2015 * Guardian *Jon Ronson is unreal. So You've Been Publicly Shamed - everyone should read that book.He's one of my favourite human beings. -- Bill HaderWe love Jon Ronson. He's thoughtful and very funny. [So You've Been Publicly Shamed] is a great book about the way the internet can gang up on people and shame them, when they deserve it, when they don't deserve it and it's great -- Judd ApatowA chilling look at how social media encourages witch hunts -- Helen LewisAn important start to a necessary conversation on internet hate mobs -- Naomi Alderman[Ronson] takes on one of the most egregious perils of life in the age of social media - the whopping magnification of some gaffe or misstep or downright lie - to the point that it achieves life-wrecking power. . .there's a lot to learn from his funny, insightful look at this red-hot topic * New York Times, Top Books of 2015 *Yes, it's a breezy read at the sentence level, but Ronson's latest book evokes a sense of dread that lingers. * TimeOut, Best Books of 2015 *Simmering with humour, weirdness and pathos * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *A fascinating exploration of modern media and public shaming. John Ronson has provided me so many dinner party conversation topics with this book. It's a great conversation starter -- Reese WitherspoonIt is difficult to read this book and not feel equal parts righteous (because we wound never do the horrible things that the people in this book have done) and guilty (because we all have done the totally benign things that the people in this book have done), it's a terrifying and keen insight into a new form of misguided mass hysteria -- Jesse EisenbergI'll read anything by my old pal Ronson, who always tackles serious topics with a sense of play and an appreciation for the absurd -- Sarah Vowell

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Book SynopsisFrom the pilot's seat in the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, to the site in Finland where highly radioactive waste will be buried, this is the incredible story of nuclear power.Providing a vivid account of the characters and events that have shaped this controversial energy source and our thinking around it, The Power of Nuclear weaves politics, culture and technology to explore the past and future of nuclear power. Investigating the dawn of the atomic age in the 1940s, it goes on to show how the world came to fear nuclear plants after Chernobyl.In his quest to disentangle myth from facts, Marco Visscher asks: How dangerous is radiation? What should you do after a nuclear accident? And have nuclear weapons really made the world less safe? And why do some still reject the evidence that the atom can provide unlimited clean energy and free countries of their dependence on fossil fuels , combatting climate change and offering energy securi

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Book SynopsisImmortalism is the new frontier of Silicon Valley. By harnessing technology to cure aging and investing in cutting-edgeand often controversialresearch, today's billionaires, from Elon Musk and Peter Thiel to Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman, are financing a new quest for eternal life: one they not only engineer, but also own and control. There are entrepreneurs who regard humans as appliances to be fixed, and machines to be upgraded, transhumanists who want to upload consciousness to the cloud; and biohackers flogging AI-powered wellness apps. It's a wild west of experimentation and outlandish ideologies, with the so-called science of immortalism carrying profound and dubious implications for all our social, ethical and political futures. Award-winning journalist Aleks Krotoski journeys from the cult fringes to the technological heartlands, meeting the moguls, effective altruists, investors and inventors who are disrupting death. This razor-sharp, powerful, and at times chilling investigation explores what it truly means to be human, asking: who really wants to live forever?

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Book SynopsisContemporary life is so deeply reliant upon digital technology that the computer has come to dominate almost every aspect of our culture. What is the philosophical and spiritual significance of this dependence on electronic technology, both for our relationship to nature and for the future of humanity? And, what processes in human perception and awareness have produced the situation we find ourselves in? As Jeremy Naydler elucidates in this penetrating study, we cannot understand the emergence of the computer without seeing it within the wider context of the evolution of human consciousness, which has taken place over millennia. Modern consciousness, he shows, has evolved in conjunction with the development of machines and under their intensifying shadow. The computer was the product of a long historical development, culminating in the scientific revolution of the 17th century. It was during this period that the first mechanical calculators were invented and the project to create more complex `thinking machines’ began in earnest. But the seeds were sown many hundreds of years earlier, deep in antiquity. Naydler paints a vast panorama depicting human development and the emergence of electronic technology. His painstaking research illuminates an urgent question that concerns every living person today: What does it mean to be human and what, if anything, distinguishes us from machines?Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements PART ONE: THE ANCIENT WORLD – CHAPTER ONE Participative Consciousness in Deep Antiquity; CHAPTER TWO The Gods and Technological Consciousness in the Ancient Near East; CHAPTER THREE Poets, Visionaries and the Rise of the Clever Man; CHAPTER FOUR Harnessing Logic to the Pursuit of Wisdom; CHAPTER FIVE Technology in the Greco-Roman Age; CHAPTER SIX The Eclipse of the Mystery Knowledge of Electricity; PART TWO: THE MIDDLE AGES – CHAPTER SEVEN Grammar and Logic in the Middle Ages; CHAPTER EIGHT The Logic Machine and the Cam Logical Devices; CHAPTER NINE The Mechanical Clock and Human Consciousness; CHAPTER TEN The Quantification of the World The Denial of Ideas in Nature; CHAPTER ELEVEN The Renunciation of the Upper Border; Notes, Index

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Book SynopsisInterdisciplinary perspectives on cultural evolution that reject meme theory in favor of a complex understanding of dynamic change over time How do cultures change? In recent decades, the concept of the meme, posited as a basic unit of culture analogous to the gene, has been central to debates about cultural transformation. Despite the appeal of meme theory, its simplification of complex interactions and other inadequacies as an explanatory framework raise more questions about cultural evolution than it answers. In Beyond the Meme, William C. Wimsatt and Alan C. Love assemble interdisciplinary perspectives on cultural evolution, providing a nuanced understanding of it as a process in which dynamic structures interact on different scales of size and time. By focusing on the full range of evolutionary processes across distinct contexts, from rice farming to scientific reasoning, this volume demonstrates how a thick understanding of change in culture emerges from multiple disciplinary vantage points, each of which is required to understand cultural evolution in all its complexity. The editors provide an extensive introductory essay to contextualize the volume, and Wimsatt contributes a separate chapter that systematically organizes the conceptual geography of cultural processes and phenomena.Any adequate account of the transmission, elaboration, and evolution of culture must, this volume argues, recognize the central roles that cognitive and social development play in cultural change and the complex interplay of technological, organizational, and institutional structures needed to enable and coordinate these processes.Contributors: Marshall Abrams, U of Alabama at Birmingham; Claes Andersson, Chalmers U of Technology; Mark A. Bedau, Reed College; James A. Evans, U of Chicago; Jacob G. Foster, U of California, Los Angeles; Michel Janssen, U of Minnesota; Sabina Leonelli, U of Exeter; Massimo Maiocchi, U of Chicago; Joseph D. Martin, U of Cambridge; Salikoko S. Mufwene, U of Chicago; Nancy J. Nersessian, Georgia Institute of Technology and Harvard U; Paul E. Smaldino, U of California, Merced; Anton Törnberg, U of Gothenburg; Petter Törnberg, U of Amsterdam; Gilbert B. Tostevin, U of Minnesota.Trade Review"Beyond the Meme is a collection of thought-provoking essays dealing with the multifaceted complexity and wide diversity of cultural systems."—Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science "An appreciation of how development and structure can be brought to bear on specific problems."—Evolutionary Studies

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Book Synopsis'Bored and Brilliant is full of easy steps to make each day more effective' Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of HabitIt’s time to move ‘doing nothing’ to the top of your to-do list Have you ever noticed how you have your best ideas when doing the dishes or staring out the window? It's because when your body goes on autopilot, your brain gets busy connecting ideas and solving problems.However in the modern world it often feels as though we have completely removed boredom from our lives; we are addicted to our phones, we reply to our emails twenty-four hours a day, tweet as we watch TV, watch TV as we commute, check Facebook as we walk and Instagram while we eat. Constant stimulation has become our default mode. In this easy to follow, practical book, award-winning journalist Manoush Zomorodi explores the connection between boredom and original thinking, and will show you how to ditch your screens and start embracing time spent doing nothing. Bored and Brilliant will help you unlock the way to becoming your most productive and creative self.Trade ReviewA timely, political and liberating book exploring the neurological reasons why tech might be getting in the way of your creativity and problem-solving...Zomorodi explores why we need to step away from social, streaming and snapping in order to daydream, and how to do it in practical steps * Emerald Street *A breezy and engaging book that is a little philosophy and a lot of self-help. This could do for unplugging what Marie Kondo's The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up did for decluttering * Booklist *Bored and Brilliant is full of easy steps to make each day more effective and every life more intentional. Manoush’s mix of personal stories, neuroscience, and data will convince you that boredom is actually a gift -- Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of HabitBored and Brilliant shows the fascinating side of boredom. Manoush Zomorodi investigates cutting-edge research as well as compelling (and often funny) real-life examples to demonstrate that boredom is actually a crucial tool for making our lives happier, more productive, and more creative. What’s more, the book is crammed with practical exercises for anyone who wants to reclaim the power of spacing out – deleting the Two Dots app, for instance, or having a photo-free day, or taking a '"fakecation." -- Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness ProjectIn this age of information, Zomorodi’s book seems revolutionary, almost subversive. Sprinkled liberally with research and insights from some of the leading minds in technology and futurism, Bored and Brilliant is an important reminder that we are not beholden to our devises * Bookpage *If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the technology in your life, Manoush Zomorodi totally gets you. * Tech Times *Rarely has a conversation about boredom been less boring. I found it more thrilling than ‘Serial’ because, frankly, it was of more universal import * Newsweek on the Bored and Brilliant Podcast *

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Book Synopsis'Enchanting to the point of escapism.' – Simon Ings, Spectator'Hugh Aldersey-Williams rescues his subject from Newton's shadow, where he was been unjustly confined for over three hundred years.' – Literary ReviewFilled with incident, discovery, and revelation, Dutch Light is a vivid account of Christiaan Huygens’s remarkable life and career, but it is also nothing less than the story of the birth of modern science as we know it. Europe’s greatest scientist during the latter half of the seventeenth century, Christiaan Huygens was a true polymath. A towering figure in the fields of astronomy, optics, mechanics, and mathematics, many of his innovations in methodology, optics and timekeeping remain in use to this day. Among his many achievements, he developed the theory of light travelling as a wave, invented the mechanism for the pendulum clock, and discovered the rings of Saturn – via a telescope that he had also invented.A man of fashion and culture, Christiaan came from a family of multi-talented individuals whose circle included not only leading figures of Dutch society, but also artists and philosophers such as Rembrandt, Locke and Descartes. The Huygens family and their contemporaries would become key actors in the Dutch Golden Age, a time of unprecedented intellectual expansion within the Netherlands. Set against a backdrop of worldwide religious and political turmoil, this febrile period was defined by danger, luxury and leisure, but also curiosity, purpose, and tremendous possibility.Following in Huygens’s footsteps as he navigates this era while shuttling opportunistically between countries and scientific disciplines, Hugh Aldersey-Williams builds a compelling case to reclaim Huygens from the margins of history and acknowledge him as one of our most important and influential scientific figures.Trade ReviewThis book, soaked like the Dutch Republic itself 'in ink and paint', is enchanting to the point of escapism . . . One of the best things about this absorbing book (and how many 500-page biographies feel too short when you finish them?) is the interest it shows in everyone else. -- Simon Ings * Spectator *Here’s early modern Europe by way of one of its most energetic minds. * Times Literary Supplement Books of the Year *Hugh Aldersey-Williams rescues his subject from Newton's shadow, where he was been unjustly confined for other three hundred years . . . a fresh and absorbing vision of 17th-century experimentation that sheds welcome light on wider European culture. * Literary Review *A clever and comprehensive portrait of a unique mind prospering on the border between Renaissance humanism and Enlightenment empiricism. -- Chris Allnutt * Financial Times *Hugh Aldersey-Williams reclaims the 17th-century polymath Christiaan Huygens from relative obscurity in an excellent biography that is also a story about the birth of modern science. Among other things, Huygens invented the mechanism for the pendulum clock and discovered the rings of Saturn through a telescope he had invented. -- Ruth Scurr * Spectator 'Books of the year' *Fascinating . . . an impressive piece of scholarship. I learned a lot -- John Gribbin, author of Six Impossible Things and In Search of Schrödinger's CatAt last – a scintillating biography of Christiaan Huygens, the Dutch mathematician, astronomer and inventor whose splendour has been unjustly eclipsed by the aura of Isaac Newton. After scouring archives, art galleries and museums in both the Netherlands and the UK, Hugh Aldersley-Williams has evocatively illuminated this brilliant polymath who laid the foundations of modern European science. -- Dr Patricia Fara, Emeritus Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge.

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Book SynopsisA new way of thinking about data science and data ethics that is informed by the ideas of intersectional feminism.Today, data science is a form of power. It has been used to expose injustice, improve health outcomes, and topple governments. But it has also been used to discriminate, police, and surveil. This potential for good, on the one hand, and harm, on the other, makes it essential to ask: Data science by whom? Data science for whom? Data science with whose interests in mind? The narratives around big data and data science are overwhelmingly white, male, and techno-heroic. In Data Feminism, Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren Klein present a new way of thinking about data science and data ethics—one that is informed by intersectional feminist thought.Illustrating data feminism in action, D'Ignazio and Klein show how challenges to the male/female binary can help challenge other hierarchical (and empirically wrong) classification systems. They explain how,

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Book SynopsisWhat will the world of tomorrow be like? How does progress happen? And why don't we have a lunar colony already? In this witty and entertaining book, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith give us a snapshot of the transformative technologies that are coming next - from robot swarms to nuclear fusion powered-toasters - and explain how they will change our world in astonishing ways. By weaving together their own research, interviews with pioneering scientists and Zach's trademark comics, the Weinersmiths investigate why these innovations are needed, how they would work, and what is standing in their way.Trade ReviewAn unabashed nerd-out of a book, zinging from outer space to DNA, hardly pausing for breath ... The gleeful geeking out makes for a great read - I couldn't help chuckling or outright cracking up a number of times - while surreptitiously teaching some really important science. It's a winning combination. The sheer breadth of topics covered is also amazing: Probably no other book in history has seriously described the science behind both tentacle construction robots and the human nasal cycle -- Science * Colin McCormick *Space elevators, gold asteroids, and fusion-powered toasters - who knew science could be so much fun? And who knew fun could be so scientific? Soonish is hilarious, provocative, and shamelessly informative -- Tim Harford, author of 'Messy' and 'The Undercover Economist'Playful, yet deep -- Dr. George Church, Harvard UniversityI love this book so much I 3D printed myself a second heart so I could love it more -- Dr. Phil Plait, astronomer, author, writer of the Bad Astronomy BlogKelly and Zach promised me a crystal ball, but what I got is both more insightful and far more entertaining than staring into a dumb glass orb. Soonish will make you laugh and - without you even realizing it - give you insight into the most ambitious technological feats of our time. You should read this book, sooner than soonish -- Alexis Ohanian, Cofounder of RedditBasically, I think this book is a masterpiece, and something I wish I'd written myself -- Scott Aaronson, David J. Bruton Centennial Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin and author of 'Quantum Computing Since Democritus'Compelling, accessible, and wryly funny ... Popular-science writing has rarely been so whip-smart, captivating, or hilarious (albeit occasionally terrifying) -- Sarah Hunter * Booklist *A fascinating look at the most provocative and promising research going on today and how it could alter the way we work and live * Publishers Weekly *

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Book Synopsis'Joins the dots in a neglected narrative of female scientists, visionaries and code-breakers' ObserverHow is artificial intelligence changing the way we live and love? Now with a new chapter, this is the eye-opening new book from Sunday Times bestselling author Jeanette Winterson.Drawing on her years of thinking and reading about AI, Jeanette Winterson looks to history, religion, myth, literature, politics and, of course, computer science to help us understand the radical changes to the way we live and love that are happening now.With wit, compassion and curiosity, Winterson tackles AI's most interesting talking points - from the weirdness of backing up your brain and the connections between humans and non-human helpers to whether it's time to leave planet Earth.'Very funny... A kind of comparative mythology, where the hype and ideology of cutting-edge tech is read through the lens of far older stories' Spectator'Refreshingly optimistic' GuardianA 'Books of 2021' Pick in the Guardian, Financial Times, Daily Telegraph and Evening StandardTrade ReviewThought provoking and necessary * Guardian *Briskly and breezily, it [12 Bytes] joins the dots in a neglected narrative of female scientists, visionaries and code-breakers -- Claire Armitstead * Observer *12 punchy, fact-laden and witty essays... Her writing engulfs you in lucid, fairytale-like realities that take you on gender-bending and time-warped explorations of religion, love, sex, and sexual identity. -- Charlotte Cripps * Independent *An unusual and entertaining read...[12 Bytes] is inflected with the same delightful, dry humour as the rest of her work... With its imaginative, insightful and wide-ranging essays, 12 Bytes will undoubtedly prompt readers to begin their own circlings around AI. -- Laura Grace Simpkins * New Scientist *Aspects of this AI future are frightening...[and] for any non-scientist wanting to understand the challenges and possibilities of this brave new world, I can't think of a more engaging place to start. -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer *

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Book SynopsisDigital Liberty explores the imminent convergence of three pivotal themes: data, artificial intelligence and society''s intricate social graph, and warns of a looming crisis that threatens to challenge the very foundations of liberal democracies. Two distinct paths unfurl a dystopian trajectory marked by surging inequality, globalized elites, and societal unrest, and a utopian alternative rooted in adapting to this impending crisis. Drawing from the annals of liberal philosophy and guided by the insights of our digital age, the book scrutinizes the profound interplay between technological architecture and the character of societies.The book delves into the historical genesis of our contemporary digital milieu, explores the emerging vistas of artificial intelligence, dissects the interplay between technological architecture and political power, and presents a vision for a decentralized future. It explores the transformative potential of decentralized technology in enhanci

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Book SynopsisEllie Duncan is a financial journalist and Head of Content at Open Banking Expo, based in London, UK. She hosts the Open Banking Expo Unplugged podcast and Open Banking Expo TV. She is a former features editor at the Financial Times and has written for titles including Investment Week, Net Zero Investor, Ignites Europe and Portfolio Adviser. She is an experienced broadcast journalist who has moderated webcasts for a number of FT titles, including FundFire and Ignites US.

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Book SynopsisIn You are Not a Gadget digital guru and virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier reveals how the internet is deadening personal interaction, stifling genuine inventiveness and even changing us as people. Something went wrong around the start of the twenty-first century. The crowd was wise. Social networks replaced individual creativity. There were more places to express ourselves than ever before... yet no one really had anything to say. Does this have to be our future? Showing us the way to a future where individuals mean more than machines, this is a searing manifesto against mass mediocrity, a creative call to arms - and an impassioned defence of the human. ''A provocative and sure-to-be-controversial book ... Lucid, powerful and persuasive''  The New York Times ''There is hardly a page that does not contain some fascinating provocation''   Guardian ''Short and frighteniTrade ReviewFabulous - I couldn't put it down and shouted out Yes! Yes! on many pages . . . This is a landmark book that will have people talking and arguing for years into the future. * Lee Smolin *Lucid, powerful and persuasive . . . Necessary reading for anyone interested in how the Web and the software we use every day are reshaping culture and the marketplace * Michiko Kakutani, New York Times *There is hardly a page that does not contain some fascinating provocation * Guardian *Mind-bending, exuberant, brilliant * Washington Post *A pioneer in the development of virtual reality and a Silicon Valley veteran, Mr. Lanier is a digital-world insider concerned with the effect that online collectivism and the current enshrinement of "the wisdom of the crowd" is having on artists, intellectual property rights and the larger social and cultural landscape. In taking on such issues, he's written an illuminating book that is as provocative as it is impassioned. -- Michiko Kakutani's Top 10 Books of the Year 2010 * New York Times *In the world of technologists, Jaron Lanier is that rare combination: a pioneer and a skeptic. A legendary computer scientist, he did crucial early work in the field of virtual reality (the phrase is his). But he now recoils at the way Web 2.0 and social media sell us short as human beings, both in our relationships and in our sense of who we are. In purposeful, reasoned steps, always informed by a profound understanding of how software really works, he lays out his vision of where it all went wrong and champions the power of the human brain in an age of ever smarter machines. -- Lev Grossman * Time Magazine Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2010 *

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Book SynopsisSUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe creator of the Gaia hypothesis and the greatest environmental thinker of our time has produced an astounding new theory about the future of life on Earth. James Lovelock argues that the anthropocene - the age in which humans acquired planetary-scale technologies - is, after three centuries, coming to an end. A new age - the novacene - has already begun.New beings will emerge from existing artificial intelligence systems. They will think 10,000 times faster than we do and will regard us as we now regard plants. The cruel, violent machine takeover imagined by sci-fi writers will not happen: these hyper-intelligent beings will be as dependent on the health of the planet as we are. They will need the planetary cooling system of Gaia to defend from the increasing heat of the sun. Gaia depends on organic life. We will be partners in this project. It is crucial, Lovelock argues, that the intelligence of Earth survives and prospers. We are at present the only beings capable of understanding the cosmos, but he speculates that the novacene could be the beginning of a process that will see intelligence suffusing the entire cosmos. At the age 100, Lovelock has produced the most compelling work of his life.Trade ReviewThe hard science is explained with beautiful clarity, and a characteristic mischievous wit ... It is a bracing corrective -- Steven Poole * Guardian *This restlessly thoughtful and forward-looking book ... is partly a defence of a lifetime's ideas, but mostly an argument about how AI is soon to overtake us - and what that means for our species -- James McConnachie * The Times *Leavened with wit and optimism ... Novacene is the collected wisdom of an elder of our tribe which more than repays the short time it takes to read. -- Stephen Cave * Financial Times *Novacene reads like undiluted Lovelock. From the start of his writing life - no matter how tortuous the narrative or complex the argument - Lovelock has written persuasively. ... if you want a sense of hyperintelligence in bipedal form, Novacene is a good place to start. -- Tim Radford * Nature *

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Book SynopsisA practical guide to how we can positively adapt to a changing world, from the internationally bestselling authors of The 100-Year Life ‘The London Business School professors Andrew J. Scott and Lynda Gratton have been predicting how society must adapt for years. Now they have a post-pandemic road map for us all’ Sunday Times Smart new technologies. Longer, healthier lives. Human progress has risen to great heights, but at the same time it has prompted anxiety about where we’re heading. Are our jobs under threat? If we live to 100, will we ever really stop working? And how will this change the way we love, manage and learn from others? One thing is clear: advances in technology have not been matched by the necessary innovation to our social structures. In our era of unprecedented change, we haven’t yet discovered new ways of living. Drawing from the fields of economics and psychology, Andrew J. Scott and Lynda Gratton offer a simple framework based on three fundamental principles (Narrate, Explore and Relate) to give you the tools to navigate the challenges ahead. The New Long Life is the essential guide to a longer, smarter, happier life.Trade ReviewA manifesto for better later years * Financial Times *Wonderful . . . This thought-provoking book is a must-read -- Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of 'Why Nations Fail'‘The London Business School professors Andrew J. Scott and Lynda Gratton have been predicting how society must adapt for years. Now they have a post-pandemic road map for us all * Sunday Times *In this fresh and striking book, Scott and Gratton address the central question of our age: how to achieve human flourishing at a time of radical new technology and longer lives. The optimism oozes out, as unlike most attempts to tackle this question, they never forget that, done right, new technology and longer lives are forces for good -- Rt Hon Matt Hancock, UK Secretary of State for Health and Social CareThe combination of rapid technological change and ageing are causing deep anxiety about the future. Gratton and Scott show us how social ingenuity by individuals, employers and governments can turn sources of fear into sources of hope -- Dame Minouche Shafik, Director, London School of Economics and Political ScienceStimulating, insightful and inspirational. This book is an essential work on how longevity and technology affect us all. Read it to not only learn about ageing and robots, but also how to use that knowledge to positively transform our lives -- Linda Yueh, author of 'The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today'A fascinating book grappling with a critical topic: how to embrace technological change and longevity. A recommended read for business leaders with the job of nurturing a happy and productive workforce -- Anne Richards, CEO, Fidelity InternationalBrilliant, timely, original, well written and utterly terrifying -- Niall Ferguson, Praise for 'The 100-Year Life'A fascinating and thought-provoking book. A brilliant read for individuals, but should be mandatory reading for our politicians -- Shirley Cramer CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Society for Public Health, Praise for 'The 100-Year Life'

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Book SynopsisEverywhere we turn, a startling new device promises to transfigure our lives. But at what cost? In this urgent and revelatory excavation of our Information Age, leading technology thinker Adam Greenfield forces us to reconsider our relationship with the networked objects, services and spaces that define us. It is time to reevaluate the Silicon Valley consensus determining the future.Having successfully colonised everyday life, radical technologies - from smartphones, blockchain, augmented-reality interfaces and virtual assistants to 3D printing, autonomous delivery drones and self-driving cars - are now conditioning the choices available to us in the years to come. How do they work? What challenges do they present to us, as individuals and societies? Who benefits from their adoption? In answering these questions, Greenfield's timely guide clarifies the scale and nature of the crisis we now confront - and offers ways to reclaim our stake in the future.Trade ReviewAdam Greenfield goes digging into the layers that constitute what we experience as smooth tech surface. He unsettles and repositions much of that smoothness. Radical Technologies is brilliant and scary. -- Saskia Sassen, Columbia University, author of Expulsions.We exist within an ever-thickening web of technologies whose workings are increasingly opaque to us. In this illuminating and sometimes deeply disturbing book Adam Greenfield explores how these systems work, how they synergise with each other, and the resultant effects on our societies, our politics, and our psyches. This is an essential book. -- Brian EnoA tremendously intelligent and stylish book on the 'colonization of everyday life by information processing' calls for resistance to rule by the tech elite... a landmark primer and spur to more informed and effective opposition -- Steve Poole * Guardian *"Fascinating and scary.[Adam Greenfield] is very well informed about a whole host of technologies that we hear a lot about but (if you're like me) have a hard time grasping. He's a graceful writer, so even when he's angry he's eloquent without relying on emotional cues or nostalgia. More importantly, he thinks new technologies have a lot of potential - but if we fail to pay attention, all of its benefits will reinforce current power structures. What they call 'innovation' now that 'progress' has gone out of style is the entrenchment of power and wealth." -- Barbara Fister * Inside Higher Ed *

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Book SynopsisSusie Alegre is a leading international human rights lawyer who has worked for NGOs like Amnesty International and international organisations around the world. She is currently a Member of the Commission for Control of Interpol's Files and is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). She has been a legal pioneer in the field of digital rights. Susie's first book, Freedom to Think, received wide acclaim, was chosen as a Book of the Year in the Financial Times and the Telegraph, and longlisted for the Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing and shortlisted for the RSL Christopher Bland Prize.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisSignature in the Cell is a defining work in the discussion of life''s origins and the question of whether life is a product of unthinking matter or of an intelligent mind. For those who disagree with ID, the powerful case Meyer presents cannot be ignored in any honest debate. For those who may be sympathetic to ID, on the fence, or merely curious, this book is an engaging, eye-opening, and often eye-popping read'' '' American Spectator Named one of the top books of 2009 by the Times Literary Supplement (London), this controversial and compelling book from Dr. Stephen C. Meyer presents a convincing new case for intelligent design (ID), based on revolutionary discoveries in science and DNA. Along the way, Meyer argues that Charles Darwin''s theory of evolution as expounded in The Origin of Species did not, in fact, refute ID. If you enjoyed Francis Collins''s The Language of God, you''ll find much to ponder''about evolution, DNA, and intelligent design''in Signature in the Cell.

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestselling author of Darwin’s Doubt, Stephen Meyer, presents groundbreaking scientific evidence of the existence of God, based on breakthroughs in physics, cosmology, and biology.Beginning in the late 19th century, many intellectuals began to insist that scientific knowledge conflicts with traditional theistic belief—that science and belief in God are “at war.” Philosopher of science Stephen Meyer challenges this view by examining three scientific discoveries with decidedly theistic implications. Building on the case for the intelligent design of life that he developed in Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt, Meyer demonstrates how discoveries in cosmology and physics coupled with those in biology help to establish the identity of the designing intelligence behind life and the universe. Meyer argues that theism—with its affirmati

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Book SynopsisDreamscapes of Modernity offers the first book-length treatment of sociotechnical imaginaries, a concept originated by Sheila Jasanoff and developed in close collaboration with Sang-Hyun Kim to describe how visions of scientific and technological progress carry with them implicit ideas about public purposes, collective futures, and the common good. The book presents a mix of case studies-including nuclear power in Austria, Chinese rice biotechnology, Korean stem cell research, the Indonesian Internet, US bioethics, global health, and more-to illustrate how the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries can lead to more sophisticated understandings of the national and transnational politics of science and technology. A theoretical introduction sets the stage for the contributors' wide-ranging analyses, and a conclusion gathers and synthesizes their collective findings. The book marks a major theoretical advance for a concept that has been rapidly taken up across the social sciences and promi

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE WELLCOME BOOK PRIZE 2018 Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2017 A stunning new non-fiction voice tackles an urgent question... what next for mankind? 'Troubling and humorous, this is one of my current give-it-to-everyone books - I buy six copies at a time' Jeanette Winterson

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Book SynopsisDiscover the final book from one of Europe's cultural giants.In this entertaining collection of essays about the modern world the celebrated author of The Name of the Rose explores everything from unbridled individualism to mobile phones.'He brilliantly exposes all that is absurd and paradoxical in contemporary behaviour. Eco's irony is disarming, his cleverness dazzling' Guardian'Eco has left us an intelligent, intriguing, and often hilariously incisive set of observations on contemporary follies and changing mores' Publisher's WeeklyTrade ReviewThere are people you’ve never met and yet you miss them when they are gone… Eco’s famously ironic voice is penetrating … The issues Eco addresses are so enormous in their scale they seem insurmountable, yet his measured, erudite commentary assures you that they can be understood and therefore resolved * Financial Times *He brilliantly exposes all that is absurd and paradoxical in contemporary behaviour. Eco’s irony is disarming, his cleverness dazzling -- Tim Parks * Guardian *A swan song from one of Europe's great intellectuals...Eco entertains with his intellect, humor, and insatiable curiosity...there's much here to enjoy and ponder * Kirkus Reviews *Eco has left us an intelligent, intriguing, and often hilariously incisive set of observations on contemporary follies and changing mores. * Publisher's Weekly *Illuminating, entertaining and humane. -- Emily Beament * UK Press Syndication *

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Book Synopsis**Winner of the 2019 Transmission Prize****Longlisted for the 2019 Orwell Prize for Political Writing**‘A superb book by one of the world’s leading experts on the digital revolution’ David Patrikarakos, Literary Review‘This book could not have come at a better moment... The People Vs Tech makes clear that there is still time – just – for us to take back control’ - Camilla Cavendish, Sunday Times The internet was meant to set us free.Tech has radically changed the way we live our lives. But have we unwittingly handed too much away to shadowy powers behind a wall of code, all manipulated by a handful of Silicon Valley utopians, ad men, and venture capitalists? And, in light of recent data breach scandals around companies like Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, what does that mean for democracy, our delicately balanced system of government that was created long before big data, total information and artificial intelligence? In this urgent polemic, Jamie Bartlett argues that through our unquestioning embrace of big tech, the building blocks of democracy are slowly being removed. The middle class is being eroded, sovereign authority and civil society is weakened, and we citizens are losing our critical faculties, maybe even our free will.The People Vs Tech is an enthralling account of how our fragile political system is being threatened by the digital revolution. Bartlett explains that by upholding six key pillars of democracy, we can save it before it is too late. We need to become active citizens; uphold a shared democratic culture; protect free elections; promote equality; safeguard competitive and civic freedoms; and trust in a sovereign authority. This essential book shows that the stakes couldn’t be higher and that, unless we radically alter our course, democracy will join feudalism, supreme monarchies and communism as just another political experiment that quietly disappeared.Trade ReviewA superb book by one of the world’s leading experts on the digital revolution... Bartlett finishes by offering us “20 Ideas to Save Democracy". These thoughtful pointers ... provide both invaluable food for thought and a fitting end to an outstanding book -- David Patrikarakos * Literary Review *There are thousands of books about the internet and its impact on society, but this is the only one you really need... I can't think of a more important book right now -- Iain Macwhirter * Herald *The People Vs Tech is a vital guide and a call addressed to those who are unwilling to play the part of the hapless shipowner in the coming war for our minds and democracy itself -- Yiannis Baboulias * Spectator *A timely new book by Jamie Bartlett of Demos, The People Vs Tech, spells out why it's vital that politicians seize this moment to reform our attitudes to technology -- Helen Lewis * New Statesman *The People Vs Tech is an erudite book that sheds light on the unwanted social costs of the big tech revolution. An essential read for pretty much anyone in the world of politics -- Sam Bright * Progress *Highly readable... [Bartlett] is surely right to argue that our futures will be shaped by how the winners and losers respond to the changes unleashed by technology, as much as by the technology itself -- John Thornhill * Financial Times *Bartlett effectively manages to condense the political challenges of technology into his six-pillar framework. This book can therefore serve as both a foundational introduction to the current technological and political landscape, whilst also providing much-needed clarity to even the seasoned reader of such issues... When it comes to rapidly-scaling technology companies, society must now ask the right questions – and Bartlett’s book is a strong place to start. -- Kevin Seidler * LSE Review of Books *A fascinating, though sometimes sobering and even frightening, journey * The Quint *Fascinating -- Amber Rudd MPRemarkable -- David Anderson QC

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Book SynopsisAn acclaimed science writer tells the story of cosmic projectiles that may be on a collision course with our Earth.

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Book SynopsisDu Sautoy's discussion of computer creativity is fascinating' ObserverCAN MACHINES BE CREATIVE?In The Creativity Code, Marcus du Sautoy examines the nature of creativity, asking how much of our emotional response to art is a product of our brains reacting to pattern and structure, and exactly what it is to be creative in mathematics, art, language and music.Exploring how long it might be before machines compose a symphony or paint a masterpiece, and whether they might jolt us into being more imaginative in turn, The Creativity Code is a fascinating and very different exploration into the essence of what it means to be human.Trade Review‘What a wonderful, brilliant, joyous read! Marcus makes it seem so easy, and such fun, to begin to understand that which appears complex, frightening and beautiful, and the magic of being human’ Philippe Sands ‘The Creativity Code is only partly a book about AI art. It is as much about how AI thinks and how it does mathematics — du Sautoy’s own special subject. And on these topics, he is thoughtful and illuminating’ The Times ‘Du Sautoy is […] the light-bearer, illuminating not only the work of coders and creators, but the mathematics of chaos that underpin art and our emotional responses to it’ Hans Ulrich Obrist ‘Why could a machine one day not create a truly original work of art, write a moving poem, compose an opera or even discover a mathematical theorem? The answers, in this compelling and thought-provoking book by mathematician and musician, Marcus du Sautoy, can be found by breaking down what it actually means to be creative’ Jim Al-Khalili ‘Fact-packed and funny, questioning what we mean by creative and unsettling the script about what it means to be human, The Creativity Code is a brilliant travel guide to the coming world of AI’ Jeanette Winterson ‘Fascinating book … if all the experiences, hopes, dreams, visions, lusts, loves and hatreds that shape the human imagination amount to nothing more than a “code”, then sooner or later a machine will crack it. Indeed, Du Sautoy assembles an eclectic array of evidence to show how that’s happening even now’ The Times ‘Absorbing study … eloquent and illuminating’ Nature Magazine

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Waterstones Best Science Book of the Year""A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""Engaging and illuminating, al-Khalili argues that a scientific approach is 'one of humankind’s great riches and the birthright of everyone.'"---Hannah Beckerman, The Observer"A little book of calm that is very welcome in these strange times."---Simon Ings, New Scientist"An easily digestible, pocket-sized guide in how to think more scientifically, and how this can benefit us in everyday life."---Sara Rigby, BBC Science Focus"Professor Jim Al-Khalili of Surrey University is a distinguished theoretical physicist who has also worked wonders in making science accessible and engaging. This short book encapsulates his achievement in its combination of concision (under 200 pages), lucidity and rigour. . . . In practice, this is not just a book about science but a short guide to how we live now."---Matthew D’Ancona, Tortoise Media"Al-Khalili aims to empower readers to use critical thinking to evaluate the news, as well as their own knowledge and beliefs. He succeeds easily, with each chapter dedicated to a lesson readers can apply to their lives. . . . Readers overwhelmed by information overload will find this a balm." * Publishers Weekly *"An extremely readable account. . . .a good basic primer to the scientific way of thinking."---Gautam Gangopadhyay, Contemporary Physics

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 800-CEO-READ BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2015In the vein of Susan Cain's QUIET and Malcolm Gladwell's DAVID AND GOLIATH, HOW TO FLY A HORSE is a smart, empowering book that dispels the myths around genius and creativity.There is a myth about how something new comes to be;Trade ReviewAshton is persuasive … His well chosen examples reinforce the idea that there is no magic or myth to creation or discovery, making this an approachable, thought-provoking book that encourages everyone to be as good as they can be. * Observer *An inspiring vision of creativity that’s littered with practical advice, and is a cracking read to boot. * BBC Focus *Many of these anecdotes are rather lovely – a chapter on the credit denied female scientists is fascinating * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK TO READ _______________ ‘One of the foremost thinkers on the transformative impact of the technology revolution’ - TONY BLAIR ‘Original and hopeful . . . a unique guide to the great challenges of the digital age’ - ANNE APPLEBAUM ‘Lucid and persuasive’ - NIALL FERGUSON _______________ The Digital Republic is the definitive guide to the great political question of our time: how can freedom and democracy survive in a world of powerful digital technologies? Not long ago, the tech industry was widely admired and the internet was regarded as a tonic for freedom and democracy. Not anymore. Every day, the headlines blaze with reports of racist algorithms, data leaks, and social media platforms festering with falsehood and hate. In The Digital Republic, acclaimed author Jamie Susskind argues that these problems are not the fault of a few bad apples at the top of the industry. They are the result of our failure to govern technology properly, a failure derived from decades of muddled ideas and wishful thinking. The Digital Republic charts a new course, with new legal standards, new public bodies and institutions, new duties on platforms, new rights and regulators, and new codes of conduct for people in the tech industry. Inspired by the great political essays of the past, and steeped in the traditions of republican thought, it offers a vision of a different type of society: a digital republic in which human and technological flourishing go hand in hand.Trade ReviewJamie Susskind’s big book is a welcome arrival on the scene . . . The most refreshing thing about this fine book is its ideological stance . . . It’s time for a change, and The Digital Republic is a good place to start * Observer *Jamie Susskind has established himself as one of the foremost thinkers on the transformative impact of the technology revolution. The Digital Republic is as innovative in its ideas as it is sharp with its analysis, offering an important contribution to the future of technology regulation while bridging the gap between changemakers and policymakers -- Tony BlairA deeply engaging and thought-provoking book which should be read by everyone (including those with no technical knowledge) who wants to understand how AI can affect our lives, and how we could rise to the challenges this presents -- Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, President of the UK Supreme Court (2012-2017)In the shadow of algorithmic discrimination, Big Tech's overarching power, and menacing cyberwarfare, Susskind offers an alternative, enticing and convincing in equal parts: digital republicanism. I am sold. Read this book -- Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, co-author of BIG DATA and FRAMERSThe sprawling power of tech giants is one of the biggest, most complex and urgent challenges facing modern democracy. It takes rare clarity, focus and intellectual discipline to address the issue as lucidly and practically as Jamie Susskind has done in The Digital Republic -- Rafael BehrWhat to do with Big Tech is one of the enduring questions of today. In The Digital Republic, Jamie Susskind argues that it is time to deal with ‘the unaccountable power of digital technology’ and offers a primer of how law and governance could be harnessed to reshape Big Tech * Financial Times *This is the book America needs now. Susskind thinks deeply, and writes with powerful clarity, about how technology is reshaping society and what we should do about it -- Bruce Schneier, author of CLICK HERE TO KILL EVERYBODYThe Digital Republic highlights what is at stake amidst digital disruption: the very foundations of our open, rules-based democracies. By focusing back on core principles such as legitimacy, accountability and countervailing powers, Susskind finds inspiration to secure what should not be disrupted, and reimagines the role of laws in a digitized, global context -- Marietje Schaake, international policy director at Stanford University's Cyber Policy CenterThe digital revolution threatens to overturn democracy. But we can still do something about it. This book is the blueprint, philosophical and practical, on how to remake our online society to make sure democracy prevails -- Peter Pomerantsev, author of THIS IS NOT PROPAGANDAAn important, well-written and well-timed book. The extraordinary power held by a handful of vast digital companies affects everything from the dynamics of markets to the health of democracy. But political theorists have struggled to understand the technologies while the technologists have often been blind to the implications of their own actions. After a flood of books offering diagnosis and hand-wringing, we badly needed ideas about what to do: here Jamie Susskind does just that, linking vivid examples, thoughtful principles and, crucially, practical prescriptions to guide us in ensuring that powerful technologies really do serve us well -- Sir Geoff Mulgan CBE, CBE is Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at University College LondonSusskind does a sophisticated job diagnosing the core problem of how many technologies affect our lives today: unaccountable power. And while there is no magical solution, he provides a compelling roadmap for taking that power back so we can reshape our digital world to better serve the public -- Yael Eisenstat, Future of Democracy Fellow at the Berggruen InstituteIn focussing on the potential solutions available to govern and regulate the digital realm, [Susskind's] book makes a truly novel contribution to the existing body of literature on the now well-documented harms and pitfalls of the existing data economy. This readable primer will appeal to policymakers, law students and lawyers, and technologists alike, and act as a roadmap for anyone wondering how law and governance can reshape Big Tech, harness platform power, end extractive data practices, and ground an ecosystem of new technologies that empowers, rather than exploits, people -- Carly Kind, director of the Ada Lovelace InstituteMore valuable and more attractive than a mere invitation to emulate the plans of foreign bureaucrats . . . This visionary yet practical book conveys its message with clarity and panache. Active and intellectually curious citizens everywhere should read it * The Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating look at the cutting-edge science and technologies that are on the cusp of changing everything from where we’ll live, how we’ll look, and who we’ll be, by the popular science broadcaster and bestselling author Jay Ingram. Where will we live? How will we get around? What will we look like? These are just some of the questions bestselling author and popular science broadcaster Jay Ingram answers in this exciting examination of the science and technologies that will affect every aspect of human life. In these pages, Ingram explores the future of our technological civilization. He reports on cutting-edge research in organ and limb regeneration, advances in prosthetics, the merging of the human and the synthetic, and gene editing. Vertical farming and lab-grown food might help feed millions and alleviate pressure on the planet. Cities could accommodate green space and the long-awaited flying car. Finally, he speculates on the future of artificial general intelligence, even artificial superintelligence, as well as our place on Earth and in the universe. The potential impact of these developments in science and technology will be powerful and wide-ranging, complicated by ethics and social equity. And they will inevitably revolutionize every aspect of life and even who we are. This is The Future of Us.Trade Review“We are the only species on Earth capable of radically changing our future. In The Future of Us, Jay Ingram expertly reveals how state of the art science and technology is transforming the human body and the planetary body. From evolving extra fingers to cyborgs and from ‘sponge cities’ to space colonies, this book is an essential guide to understanding the challenges and opportunities for humanity’s survival in the years ahead.” — ZIYA TONG, award-winning broadcaster and author of The Reality Bubble“Jay’s done it again, pulling threads from the past, present, and future to spin a surprising tale about where we’re headed as a species. I give The Future of Us two thumbs up . . . (and if Jay’s right about our future, maybe soon I’ll give it three or four!)” — DAN RISKIN, evolutionary biologist, author, and former cohost of Daily Planet on Discovery“Readers couldn't ask for a better guide through the weird and wonderful near future than Jay Ingram. In spite of the sometimes-troubling views of the world to come, Ingram writes with a clear sense of hope for a better tomorrow.” — MARCELLO DI CINTIO, award-winning author of Walls and Driven“In his fascinating book The Future of Us, author Jay Ingram pulls back the curtain on what our future might hold. While highlighting the promise of emerging innovations such as geoengineering, AI, and vertical farms, Jay also shines a critical light on impracticalities and ethical implications. This book is a must-read for anyone who desires a comprehensive and well-documented look at where the future is leading us, while avoiding the hype and technocratic jargon.” — ROBERT THIRSK, former Canadian Space Agency astronaut

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Book SynopsisRay Kurzweil, one of the world's leading AI researchers, innovators and futurists, offers a provocative exploration of the most important project in human-machine civilisation: reverse-engineering the brain to understand precisely how it works and using that knowledge to create even more intelligent machines.

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Book SynopsisIn recent decades, we have witnessed an explosion in the number of visual images we encounter, as our lives have become increasingly saturated with screens. From Google Images to Instagram, video games to installation art, this transformation is confusing, liberating and worrying all at once, since observing the new visuality of culture is not the same as understanding it. Nicholas Mirzoeff is a leading figure in the field of visual culture, which aims to make sense of this extraordinary explosion of visual experiences. As Mirzoeff reminds us, this is not the first visual revolution; the 19th century saw the invention of film, photography and x-rays, and the development of maps, microscopes and telescopes made the 17th century an era of visual discovery. But the sheer quantity of images produced on the internet today has no parallels. In the first book to define visual culture for the general reader, Mirzoeff draws on art history, theory and everyday experience to prTrade ReviewA dizzying and delightful book * New Scientist *Deploying a blend of semiotics, sociology, and art history, Mirzoeff shows us how to interpret everything from old masters to selfies, from Rashomon to a map of the Mississippi. Mirzoeff says he owes much of his approach to John Berger, and this is evident in the way he argues how inevitably political visual images are... Mirzoeff draws on theorists such as Benjamin, Foucault, and Deleuze, but thankfully is much clearer and easier to read than any of those writers * Independent on Sunday *In our fluid world, we need reminding how strange our visual culture has become. Artist John Berger did that job for the 1970s with his classic book Ways of Seeing; now Nicholas Mirzoeff teaches us how to "read" an astronaut's 2012 space-walk selfie - and how to decode military photos smothered with labels that claim to show weapons we cannot in fact see -- New Scientist 'Books of the Year'

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Book SynopsisA stimulating and highly readable introduction to the science of imperfections, this book focuses on their crucial role in technology, as well as their influence on society, love, life, health, politics, career development, and key environmental issues, enabling readers to counteract scientific misinformation.Trade ReviewTownsend authored one of the most eloquent and lovely statements in the science of crystals: "Crystals are like people and it is their imperfections that make them interesting". This book is beautifully written and the wide range of topics fit well together. * Vasily V. Bulatov, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory *The range of topics is accessibly presented with confidence and there are interesting and often unexpected things to learn throughout. This is a book that is completely accessible to non-scientists, while not at all boring or tedious to more scientifically literate readers. * Gary Atkinson, University of the West of England *The book is written in an enjoyable style. The author adequately mixes scientific explanations with personal experiences and matters of topical interest. * Ginés Lifante Pedrola, Autonomous University of Madrid *Peter Townsend's book is highly readable, often provocative, and full of insights into technology, the nature of science, and even the broader nature of life. * N. David Mermin, Cornell University *In The Power of Imperfections, Peter Townsend argues that we are conditioned to orient toward a fictional ideal of perfection that leads to a disregard of any form of imperfection. His book is an attempt to overcome this conditioning and show that praising imperfection is justifed in many cases. * Bas de Boer, Metascience *The book attempts to make the general public sensitive to the beauty of imperfections in the context of technology, as well as show how the recognition of imperfections helps people to flourish in their social and professional lives. * Bas de Boer, Metascience *Table of Contents1: Before We Begin 2: The Case for Technological Imperfections 3: Cookery and Technological Spices 4: A Short Log of Technology from Wood 5: Reader Beware 6: Key Features of Chemistry and Solids 7: Examples of New Glass Technologies 8: Optical Fibre Communication 9: Beauty from Imperfections 10: Valuable Imperfections in Crystal Lattices 11: Impurities and the Growth of Semiconductors 12: Small Anomalies and Long-range Consequences 13: Photonics in the 21st Century 14: Chemistry and Catalysis 15: Imperfections in Music 16: Evolution Achieved through Imperfections 17: Hints for a Successful Scientific Career 18: Science in the Realm of Opinion 19: Improving our Future Lives 20: The Greatest Challenges that We Face

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Book SynopsisForeword by Jonathan Haidt, author of THE RIGHTEOUS MINDAn invaluable guide to understanding the technology that captures our attention with anger.The original internet was not designed to make us upset, distracted, confused, and outraged. But something unexpected happened at the turn of the last decade, when a handful of small features were quietly launched at social media companies with little fanfare. Together, they triggered a cascading set of dramatic changes to how media, politics, and society itself operates-inadvertently creating an Outrage Machine we cannot ignore.Author, designer, and media researcher Tobias Rose-Stockwell shares the defining shifts caused by these technologies, and how they have ignited a society-wide crisis of trust. Drawing from cutting-edge research and vivid personal anecdotes, Rose-Stockwell illustrates how social media has bound us to an unprecedented system of public performance, training us to react rather than reflect, and attack rather than debate.OUTRAGE MACHINE reveals the triggers and tactics used to exploit our anger, unpacking how these tools hack our deep tribal instincts and psychological vulnerabilities, and how they have become opportunistic platforms for authoritarians and a threat to democratic norms everywhere.But this book is not just about the problem. In a story spanning continents and generations, Rose-Stockwell explores how every new media technology disrupts our ability to make sense of the world, from the printing press to the telegraph, from radio to television. OUTRAGE MACHINE situates social media within a historical cycle of confusion, violence, and emerging tolerance. Using clear language and powerful illustrations, this book reveals the magnitude of the challenges we face, while offering realistic solutions and a promising pathway out.Trade ReviewTobias is a master of intuition and metaphor. This is a vivid and unforgettable book -- Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist at New York University and bestselling author of THE RIGHTEOUS MINDWith insight and sensitivity, Tobias offers a deep examination of how digital technologies are shaping our perceptions, relationships, and even our sense of personal identity. This book offers a vital perspective that's needed for us to build a more humane future -- Tristan Harris, cofounder of Center for Humane Technology, cohost of Your Undivided Attention podcast, as seen in the Netflix documentary The Social DilemmaA riveting exploration of the double-edged sword of our time: social media. This book provides a road map of how we got here, what's really at stake, and how we can find our way out. An absolutely urgent read -- Ryder Carroll, New York Times bestselling author of THE BULLET JOURNAL METHODBased on solid research, this is a disturbing examination of the destructive impact of social media * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisFrom the former president of MIT, the story of the next technology revolution, and how it will change our lives.Trade Review"... entertaining and prescient…" -- Science"Your amazing guide to the future of biology is the former president of the Aladdin's cave that is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology." -- Summer Reading 2019 - New Scientist

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Book SynopsisLed by Erasmus Darwin, the Lunar Society of Birmingham was formed from a group of amateur experimenters, tradesmen and artisans who met and made friends in the Midlands in the 1760s. Most came from humble families, all lived far from the centre of things, but they were young and their optimism was boundless: together they would change the world. Among them were the ambitious toy-maker Matthew Boulton and his partner James Watt, of steam-engine fame; the potter Josiah Wedgwood; the larger-than-life Erasmus Darwin, physician, poet, inventor and theorist of evolution (a forerunner of his grandson Charles Darwin). Later came Joseph Priestley, discoverer of oxygen and fighting radical. Led by Erasmus Darwin they joined a small band of allies, formed the Lunar Society of Birmingham (so called because it met at each full moon) and kick-started the Industrial Revolution. Blending science, art, and commerce, the Lunar Men built canals, launched balloons, named plants, gases and miner

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Book Synopsis‘Witty, bracingly honest, deeply humane and piercingly insightful’ PATRICK STOKES, AUTHOR OF DIGITAL SOULS Technology affects every interaction, shapes our identities and constantly hijacks our attention. So how can we reclaim our power and feel less helpless at every stage of our lives? In a world full of algorithms, addictive apps and data-driven adverts, it often feels as if the digital environment is determining our behaviour. We trace our steps, track our kids and share our lives online, without really knowing whether this technology is serving our best interests – or those of the people we love. We speak as though technology is a powerful, unstoppable force and we are the victims. ‘What is this technology doing to us?’ we ask. But are we as helpless as we assume? In Reboot, leading psychotherapist and cyberpsychologist Elaine Kasket offers a novel approach to understanding technology’s role at every stage of our lives. Journeying from digital gestation to the digital afterlife, through infancy, adolescence and adulthood, Kasket connects the dots between our technology usage and the challenges it poses to our identity and development, and to our relationships and privacy. Via discussions of ‘sharenting’, surveillance and social media, Kasket reveals how we consistently underestimate our power to shape our relationships with and through technology. She invites us to question the auto-pilot approach that many of us adopt and instead move forward in a more deliberate, mindful and empowered way. Come away curious about why you use technology the way you do, clear about how those choices are really working out and with the tools to reclaim your life in a tech-obsessed world.Trade Review‘A critical reminder that, at every stage of life, we get to choose our relationship with technology – and our choices shape our humanity. Kasket’s book is a roadmap filled with generous possibilities.’ LUKE BURGIS, AUTHOR OF WANTING ‘Digital technologies aren’t just transforming every area of life. They’re transforming us, and this book, examining the psychological, social and technological intersections of this transformation, couldn’t be more timely.’ CATHERINE MAYER, AUTHOR OF GOOD GRIEF ‘Witty, bracingly honest, deeply humane and piercingly insightful’ PATRICK STOKES, AUTHOR OF DIGITAL SOULS ‘Reboot is an incredibly well researched and entertaining book. Kasket has the ability to illustrate complex research areas through engaging, human stories that often reach all the way into your heart. As a recent parent, this book really made me reevaluate the way I use technology around my family. I do research on the impact of digital technology for a living. Even so, this is undoubtedly one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read this year.’ CARL ÖHMAN, AUTHOR OF THE AFTERLIFE OF DATA

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Book SynopsisThe Times and Financial Times Book of the Year'Enticing' Sunday Times 'Engaging' Financial Times 'Essential' Reid Hoffman___As technology accelerates, the human mind struggles to keep up - and our companies, workplaces and democracies get left behind. This is the exponential gap.Now, a leading technologist explores how this exponential gap is rewiring our world - and reveals how we should respond.___'The sheer might of technology giants is one of the great challenges of our time . . . Azeem Azhar's excellent book Exponential offers some solutions' Amol Rajan, BBC News'Azhar has a knack for interrogating and inverting conventional thinking . . . A convincing case that something extraordinary is taking place in business and society' Economist'Deft and clear-eyed . . . Perhaps Azhar's most valuable insight is that conservatively managing the individual risks posed by new technologies will not suffice' Financial Times'Speaks powerfully about how we need to shape technology to put it back in the service of society' Guardian'Valuable and timely . . . A diligent and comprehensive definition of a new phase in human affairs' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewValuable and timely . . . The importance of the book lies in its diligent and comprehensive definition of a new phase in human affairs . . . An enticing and necessary read. * Sunday Times *As a primer on our latest multi-dimensional technological revolution and how it is rewriting the rules of society, economics and politics, this book is hard to beat. -- Books of the Year * Financial Times *The exponentially growing mismatch between the tools available to democracies and the sheer might of technology giants is one of the great challenges of our time . . . Azeem Azhar's excellent book Exponential offers some solutions. -- Amol Rajan * BBC News *As high-tech innovation accelerates in ways that deliver huge benefits to society but also create unique challenges, Azeem Azhar delivers a comprehensive but lively take on the key issues informing what he calls the Exponential Age. It's an essential addition to the ongoing discourse about where these remarkable new technologies can take us, and where we should be aiming to go. Highly recommended! -- Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and author of BLITZSCALINGWhile many talk about the rate of innovation, too few talk about its direction. Azeem's new book helps bring that directionality to the surface through a dynamic understanding of the connections between economic, social and technological forces. Read this book if you are interested in how we can design a more inclusive and sustainable system with a re-direction of technological change at its centre. -- Mariana Mazzucato, UCL professor and author of THE VALUE OF EVERYTHING and MISSION ECONOMYA sweeping, engaging, nuanced, and ultimately conflicted look at how recent innovations in computing and other emerging technologies have radically transformed human existence, with consequences that we can hardly fathom . . . A deft and clear-eyed treatment of complex issues such as globalisation and the future of automation . . . Perhaps Azhar's most valuable insight is that conservatively managing the individual risks posed by new technologies will not suffice. * Financial Times *Azeem Azhar is one of the best-regarded thought leaders in the industry. But more importantly, he has a broad understanding of the exponential ways technology can be used to solve our biggest problems, shape our society, and bridge cultural divides. -- Daniel Ek, founder and CEO of SpotifyAzeem Azhar is a globally recognised voice on technology and its impact. He has written a fascinating and important book, required reading for anyone seeking to understand the new economy and the massive global corporations that seek to dominate that economy. -- Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, Royal Society of ArtsAzhar is unapologetically bullish about the power of technology . . . He speaks powerfully about how we need to shape technology to put it back in the service of society. * Guardian *Brilliant. -- Anil Seth, author of BEING YOUEvery generation fears technology is changing frighteningly fast. Usually it is hyperbole, the fear of the unknown. But today technological shifts are posing challenges to our security, our democracies, our way of life, our sanity. Azeem Azhar's brilliant book demystifies these exponentially fast changes and - importantly - shows how the chronic volatility can be harnessed for good. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how to reclaim a good society from the snapping jaws of looming chaos. -- Robert PestonWe are living through a period of unprecedented technological change . . . Exponential offers a new framework for understanding the impact of technology on the economy, politics and the future. * Forbes *A powerful argument . . . Azhar's writing is informative and accessible, and his prescient ideas are only going to become more important. -- Hannah Fry, BBC Radio 4 presenter and author of HELLO WORLDA details-rich journey from the discovery of the first transistor in 1947 to the arrival of TikTok. * Reuters *Azhar has a knack for interrogating and inverting conventional thinking . . . A convincing case that something extraordinary is taking place in business and society. * Economist *A celebration of the world-changing impact of computing technologies . . . Azhar meticulously and smartly makes his case. * MIT Technology Review *Excellent. * Forbes *A tremendous new book which has far-reaching implications. -- Ian Goldin, Founding Director, University of Oxford Martin SchoolAs a primer on our latest multi-dimensional technological revolution and how it is rewriting the rules of society, economics and politics, this book is hard to beat. -- Books of the Year * Financial Times *How tech companies conquered the world and how their thirst for endless growth shapes the way they operate . . . Heralds an eventful, if rather alarming, new phase in human history. -- Books of the Year * The Times *

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Book SynopsisTo care can feel good, or it can feel bad. It can do good, it can oppress. But what is care? A moral obligation? A burden? A joy? Is it only human? In Matters of Care, María Puig de la Bellacasa presents a powerful challenge to conventional notions of care, exploring its significance as an ethical and political obligation for thinking in the more than human worlds of technoscience and naturecultures. Matters of Care contests the view that care is something only humans do, and argues for extending to non-humans the consideration of agencies and communities that make the living web of care by considering how care circulates in the natural world. The first of the book’s two parts, “Knowledge Politics,” defines the motivations for expanding the ethico-political meanings of care, focusing on discussions in science and technology that engage with sociotechnical assemblages and objects as lively, politically charged “things.” The second part, “Speculative Ethics in Antiecological Times,” considers everyday ecologies of sustaining and perpetuating life for their potential to transform our entrenched relations to natural worlds as “resources.” From the ethics and politics of care to experiential research on care to feminist science and technology studies, Matters of Care is a singular contribution to an emerging interdisciplinary debate that expands agency beyond the human to ask how our understandings of care must shift if we broaden the world. Trade Review"Through its observations and appreciations of the worlds in which many forms of care happen, this bold and synthetic book makes two transforming contributions to contemporary theorizing as it subtly invites everyone to appreciate the centrality of posthuman thinking. Feminists and posthumanists can no longer speak past each other: here’s why."—Joan C. Tronto, University of Minnesota"Aesthetic analyses such as these would carry the potential to generate care within and for the entanglement of relations to which we all belong, a task that Puig de la Bellacasa’s book accomplishes exceptionally well."—Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory"Matters of Care provides us with a theory of transformative change that is not anchored in violence and bloodshed, but in the everyday occurrences of caring with and for. This is a revolutionary book!"—Hypatia Reviews"Matters of Care offers a dive into an always-political ethics that is inspired by agricultural practices and the more-than-human beings wrapped up in them."—CENHS "It offers a serious and thoughtful contribution to debates around the place of politics within posthumanism, connecting a radical openness to human and non-human others with an enduring concern for the excluded and marginal. In doing so it reimagines how we might know the world and places care at the heart of a hybrid practice of knowing, relating to, and sustaining worlds." —Society + Space "Matters of Care feels at once like a new beginning for ethics and politics in more than human worlds, yet also the logical outcome of many years of work in new materialist and feminist thought. It is a masterfully lucid and challenging theoretical exposition in which a feminist ethic of care is extended through speculation on its limits." —Journal of Cultural Economy "Her speculative ethics of care joins together “an affective state, a material vital doing, and an ethico-political obligation” (42) to imagine how to live in these worlds. The book draws upon and will be of interest to practitioners of science and technology studies, feminist care ethics, and posthumanism, among others." —ISLE "Puig de la Bellacasa’s Matters of Care offers a stirring and thoughtful meditation on how to engage in a speculative task and an ethical commitment that brings together humans and more-than-humans." —TapuyaTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction: The Subtle Thought of CarePart I. Knowledge Politics1. Assembling Neglected “Things”2. Thinking with Care3. Touching VisionsPart II. Speculative Ethics in Antiecological Times4. Alterbiopolitics5. Soil Times: The Pace of Ecological CareCodaAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis concise book introduces nonphysicists to the core philosophical issues surrounding the nature and structure of space and time, and is also an ideal resource for physicists interested in the conceptual foundations of space-time theory. Tim Maudlin's broad historical overview examines Aristotelian and Newtonian accounts of space and time, and trTrade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 "Taking up the conceptual foundations of classical and modern physics, Maudlin explains in a clear manner how Einstein's special and general theories of relativity emerged from Newtonian mechanics and Galilean relativity... This is a solid work that deserves careful study and rewards readers accordingly."--Choice "I would highly recommend Philosophy of Physics to anyone who wants to get a deeper historical and philosophical perspective on the nature of space and time, as well as to any physics student who has been confused by the twin paradox."--Robert M. Wald, Physics Today "Maudlin has successfully undertaken a very difficult task: to write a book about the physical theories of space and time, accessible to every learned person with genuine interest in philosophy and the foundations of physics, with little mathematical prerequisites but without betraying the physical theories. We are really anxious to read the second volume of his work."--Chrysovalantis Stergiou, Metascience "An accessible and highly engaging introduction to the major issues in the physics of space and time."--Matt Farr, Philosophy in ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction: The Aim and Structure of These Volumes xi Chapter One Classical Accounts of Space and Time 1 The Birth of Physics 1 Newton's First Law and Absolute Space 4 Absolute Time and the Persistence of Absolute Space 9 The Metaphysics of Absolute Space and Time 12 Chapter Two Evidence for Spatial and Temporal Structure 17 Newton's Second Law and the Bucket Experiment 17 Arithmetic, Geometry, and Coordinates 24 The Symmetries of Space and the Leibniz-Clarke Debate 34 Chapter Three Eliminating Unobservable Structure 47 Absolute Velocity and Galilean Relativity 47 Galilean Space-Time 54 Chapter Four Special Relativity 67 Special Relativity and Minkowski Space-Time 67 The Twins Paradox 77 Minkowski Straightedge, Minkowski Compass 83 Constructing Lorentz Coordinates 87 Chapter Five The Physics of Measurement 106 The Clock Hypothesis 106 Abstract Boosts and Physical Boosts 114 The "Constancy of the Speed of Light" 120 Deeper Accounts of Physical Principles 124 Chapter Six General Relativity 126 Curved Space and Curved Space-Time 126 Geometrizing Away Gravity 131 Black Holes and the Big Bang 140 The Hole Argument 146 Suggested Readings on General Relativity 152 Chapter Seven The Direction and Topology of Time 153 The Geometry of Time 153 Time Travel as a Technical Problem 162 The Direction of Time 165 Appendix: Some Problems in Special Relativistic Physics 171 References 177 Index 181

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