Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age

Author Bill McKibben talked about his book Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age, published by Henry Holt and Company. The book addresses what the author feels are the dangers inherent in technological advances that have outpaced current understanding. While conceding that the new technologies can enhance lives, Mr. McKibben points out that they can also initiate a “post-human” existence. He cautions against wholesale acceptance of procedures that, for example, merge people with machines or that allow lab workers to reprogram human embryos to the specifications of their parents. In the book, Mr. McKibben examines the new technologies and sciences such as genetics, robotics, and nanotechnology, and explains how we can avoid the worst case scenarios while still enjoying the benefits of progress. close