Enough

Staying Human in an Engineered Age

De: Bill McKibben

Narrado por: Bill McKibben

From the bestselling author of The End of Nature comes a passionate plea to limit the technologies that could change the very definition of who we are

We are on the verge of crossing the line from born to made, from created to built. Sometime in the next few years, a scientist will reprogram a human egg or sperm cell, spawning a genetic change that could be passed down into eternity. We are sleepwalking toward the future, argues Bill McKibben, and it's time to open our eyes.

In The End of Nature, nearly fifteen years ago, McKibben demonstrated that humanity had begun to irrevocably alter--and endanger--our environment on a global scale. Now he turns his eye to an array of technologies that could change our relationship not with the rest of nature but with ourselves. He explores the frontiers of genetic engineering, robotics, and nanotechnology--all of which we are approaching with astonishing speed--and shows that each threatens to take us past a point of no return. We now stand at a critical threshold, poised between the human past and a post-human future.

Ultimately, McKibben offers a celebration of what it means to be human, and a warning that we risk the loss of all meaning if we step across the threshold. His wise and eloquent book argues that we cannot forever grow in reach and power--that we must at last learn how to say, "Enough."

"Passionate, succinct, chilling, closely argued, sometimes hilarious, touchingly well-intentioned, and essential." —Margaret Atwood, The New York Review of Books

©2003 Bill McKibben; (P)2002 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Bill McKibben has produced a book that is both a sequel and an equal to his brilliant The End of Nature. Enough is an ambitious and important book.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Without question, this is one of the most important books of the year. McKibben deserves to be read, to be discussed, to be heard.” —San Diego Union-Tribune

“[A] brave and luminous book . . . Bill McKibben understands genetics--but he knows poetry, too.” —David Gelernter, Wired

“Bill McKibben has done a top-notch job of researching and writing about one of the most important topics of the current age. Enough is an important book and needs to be read by everyone with an interest in keeping the human future human.” —The Weekly Standard

“Fiercely important . . . the most thought-provoking piece of non-fiction I've read in a long time.” —The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

“In this wise, well-researched, and important book, Bill McKibben addresses the burning philosophical question of the new century, and the one that counts for the long haul: how to control the technoscientific juggernaut before it dehumanizes our species.” —E. O. Wilson, author of The Future of Life

“In Enough, McKibben shines his powerful light on another momentous change that is upon us: the ability to re-engineer ourselves and therefore the very meaning of human identity. If he is right, then humankind stands on a moral and existential threshold--or cliff. We would do well as a society to weigh his bracing argument before taking another step.” —Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire

cotton mouth

The content was great, but the presentation could have been better. Bill has cotton mouth sometimes and it really is distraction. Aside from that, it was very engaging and interesting.

Food for deadly serious thought

What made the experience of listening to Enough the most enjoyable?

McKibben brings together a great deal of information and offers a consistent narrative that begs for deep consideration. The point he makes about germ-line engineering as an irrevocable step toward a post-human future devoid of meaning is particularly notable.

What about Bill McKibben’s performance did you like?

His narration is very conversational and lively.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"The end of us as we know us"

Good enough

The book is a discussion of McKibben's opinions of genetic manipulation of humans, the history of stem cell and cloning research and the possible outcomes. It is not a scientific work, but succeeds as a discussion in bioethics.
The book would be very useful for those who are unfamiliar with the subject and those who are only beginning to study bioethics. Some of the information seems too superficial for me, since I am a Family Physician studying for a Master's in Bioethics. I still learned new information and am definitely informed by the author's viewpoint.
I disagree with some of his pessimism about the reaction of the subjects of genetic manipulation since all children have struggled with identity and we've done fairly well so far. However, Dr Leon Kass and other more informed minds agree with McKibben. (I wonder how much of our differing opinions and optimism/pessimism are due to *our* genetics and how much due to that very struggle? How much is nature, how much nurture and the specific portion of our environment that includes these discussions?)
The actual reading is a little flat.

Well read, well thought out

Bill McKibben takes on the topic of genetic modification, nanotechnology and robotics and sets them contextually in the scheme of human development. He alleges that we are at the elbow of a geometric expansion of technology, and at the verge of taking a huge and dangerous step with the modification of not only human genetics but with the manipulation of all matter on earth. For those who are wondering if cloning is a good idea, if genetically "improving" humans is near at hand, and for those interested in having children, this is a must-read book and/or must-listen audiobook

The world is fine. Why try to improve it?

A collection of shaky arguments about why Bill thinks "the world is just fine the way it is."

The connectedness arguement:
I feel connected in some way to all of humanity. If we meddle with our progeny on a molecular level will they still feel connected?

The devaluation argument:
If we tinker with our kids to give them a hightened intelligence or physical edurance etc. doesn't that in some way devalue any contributions they make?

The commodity argument:
Sure we can erradicate cystic fibrosis, but because the same technology can be used to potentially make superficial alterations (such as height, hair color etc) we should not use the technology because those uses are illegitimate.

Bill borrows heavily from other writers who are more technically knowlegeable on the subject. I found Lee M. Silver's "Remaking Eden" somewhat meatier if not a bit more fanciful toward the end.