given the politics of the age, i think this is worth forwarding on, but this is not what I would say about Cyborg Citizen, which is an interesting book in many more ways than this review illustrates, but with any book from any given perspective.... mileage varies. Begin forwarded message:
From: Ian Pitchford <ian.pitchford@scientist.com> Date: Sun Apr 6, 2003 2:09:01 PM US/Eastern To: evolutionary-psychology@yahoogroups.com, radical-science@yahoogroups.com Subject: [radical-science] Cyborg Citizen: Politics in the Posthuman Age Reply-To: Ian Pitchford <ian.pitchford@scientist.com>
Metapsychology
Cyborg Citizen: Politics in the Posthuman Age by Chris Hables Gray Routledge, 2001
Review by Ian Stoner on Mar 19th 2003
There is little doubt that the presence of technology is increasingly felt in the world of politics; representatives reach constituents through web pages, citizens vote at computer terminals, antiwar protesters organize with the help of wireless networks. In Cyborg Citizen: Politics in the Posthuman Age, Chris Hables Gray suggests that there is a more fundamental way in which technology is changing the face of politics. The citizenry, he argues, has been so thoroughly permeated by technology that the people comprising our democracy are no longer humans, but cyborgs. This shift in the fundamental unit of democracy, he says, will revolutionize the politics of the future.
In order to develop this provocative thesis, Gray's goals are necessarily twofold. First, he must convince his readers that they are cyborgs. Then, he must show that the cyborgization of the citizenry has implications for the political process of democracy.
On the first point, Gray has a lot to say. He notes that the term "cyborg" commonly refers to people who have been modified or enhanced by technology. This should bring to mind not only the bionic man, but also women with hearing aides, children with eyeglasses, men with pacemakers, and so on. He is convincing when he suggests that the technologies that support and extend our physical capabilities have become so widespread that it is easy to forget about them. It has probably never occurred to most contact lens wearers, for instance, that they fit even conservative definitions of "cyborg."
Full text http://mentalhelp.net/books/books.php?type=de&id=1604
Cyborg Citizen: Politics in the Posthuman Age by Chris Hables Gray Paperback: 256 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.68 x 8.62 x 6.42 Publisher: Routledge; (February 1, 2002) ISBN: 0415919797 AMAZON - US http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415919797/darwinanddarwini AMAZON - UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415919797/humannaturecom
Amazon.com Some great science fiction has asked about robots and the right to vote--but what happens when we're 51 percent artificial ourselves? Cyberculture scholar Chris Hables Gray looks at the ever-changing human body in Cyborg Citizen: Politics in the Posthuman Age and makes some well-educated guesses on the makeup of the future cybernetic body politic. Though he does go out of his way to remind the reader that nearly all of us are bioenhanced (that is a vaccination scar, isn't it?), he's neither a chrome-eyed Extropian nor a Rifkinesque fear-mongerer. His thesis is refreshingly simple in a world overfilled with postmodern complexity: we're changing our bodies more and more radically, and we ought to think about how this will change our way of life. Examining health care, social interactions, and politics, Gray's focus is largely on particular modifications and enhancements such as prosthetic limbs, artificial organs, performance-enhancing drugs, and their descendants. The book never dips into freak show territory, though; even if Gray uses colorful examples to illustrate his points, he still maintains a humanistic attitude throughout. His simple thesis, coupled with this attitude, create a web of thought that is simultaneously entertaining and enlightening. Though our track record on preemptively dealing with change is spotty at best, reading Cyborg Citizen is still a good prescription for keeping the posthuman jitters at bay. --Rob Lightner --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Book News, Inc. The growing synergy between humans and technology is changing how people view their minds and bodies, says cyberculture specialist and social activist Gray (cultural studies of science and technology, U. of Great Falls, Montana), but he investigates how it has changed the body politic. He explores how to forge a society that protects the rights of human and cyborg alike.Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Book Description The creator of the cult classic Cyborg Handbook, Chris Hables Gray, now offers the first guide to "posthuman" politics, framing the key issues that could threaten or brighten out technological future. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Book Info Examining health care, social interactions, and politics, Gray's focus is largely on particular modifications and enhancements such as prosthetic limbs, artificial organs, performance-enhancing drugs, and their descendants. He also explores how to forge a society that protects the rights of human and cyborg alike. Softcover.
About the Author Chris Gray is a cyberculture expert and social activist who is editor of The Cyborg Handbook and author of Postmodern War. He has worked for NASA, the Smithsonian Institutions, and the computer industry, and is currently Associate Professor of Cultural Studies of Science and Technology at the University of Great Falls in Montana. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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