From: Brett Paatsch (paatschb@ocean.com.au)
Date: Fri Jan 10 2003 - 19:34:21 MST
Christopher Camp wrote:
> I have been searching for a book - something that I can
> recommend to the book club I belong to. I am desperate
> to begin constructively sharing transhumanist memes with
> these people but I am struggling to find an appropriate vehicle.
> Do any of you have recommendations of suitable books
> out there?
Great way to propagate some memes Christopher! This is my kind
of social politics.
Personally one of my all time favourites is Damien Broderick's
"The Last Mortal Generation" but I may have been being unduly
swayed by an excellent and challenging title. This is the only book
that I've even purchased two copies of *(without first reading it)
just so I could give one away and propagate the meme (in the title).
(In my defence I had heard about it on the radio, I'm not completely
superficial ;-) And as it turned out, I don't think she did read it
Ah well. I think her father may have.
I read another of Damien's book's "The Spike" later and I think that
was probably easier reading.
Damien might not be the sort to plug his own books so I'm happy
to give these two a wrap. But Damien himself might be a better
person to comment on which of these books or some books might
best satisfy your guidelines.
Damien is one of extropy's leading meme propagators, imho, and
a poster to this list.
Brett
>
> Here are some guidelines
>
> -most of the book should be comprehensible to those without an extensive
> technical/scientific vocabulary
> -journalistic/outsider voice (point of view) is preferred - usually the
> insiders are too wrapped up in their awe and anticipation to allow the
> humor/perspective that is necessary to introduce the meme set to newbies
> -Preferably the book would cover a lot of ground - providing sci/tech.
basis
> for transhuman beliefs as well as approaching transhuman issues from a
> political/ethical/social perspective.
> -I would be especially interested in hearing about books that you have
given
> to newbie friends and have found to be successful.
>
> Admittedly this is a tall order and no single book may currently exist.
My
> current top choice is Kurzweil's Age of Spiritual machines but maybe
there
> is a better option out there.
>
> Thanks for the help,
>
> Chris Camp
>
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