A captivating prediction about the future of mankind.
A scientist explores the possibility that a new human species could arise within the next two centuries.
It seems like fantastical sci-fi fodder: the emergence of a new, intelligent species that shares the Earth with us—maybe as partners and maybe as rivals. But debut author Simborg, a physician, contends that it’s not only possible, but also likely that a new species—he dubs it “Homo nouveau”—will eventually appear. This sort of species coexistence is historically the evolutionary norm, he says; for a stretch of at least 10,000 years, he points out, Homo sapiens lived side by side with Homo neanderthalensis and Homo denisova. And although we’re still subject to Darwinian evolution—we’ve undergone seismic transformations in the last 40,000 years—the new humans, he says, won’t be the result of it or of the natural, accidental branching of a new species from the existing one. Instead, he argues, Homo nouveau will be birthed by genetic engineering—more specifically, germline genetic therapy, which, he says, can allow new traits to be passed on to offspring. For example, he writes, this type of genetic editing could be used on a portion of the population to prevent a disease, and then that group could interbreed for generations. (For the sake of hypothesis, the original alteration doesn’t make breeding problematic by, for instance, increasing the possibility of miscarriage.) Such a combination of technologically sophisticated action and ungovernable accident, he asserts, could eventually give rise to Homo nouveau. Given the extraordinary leaps in genomic science and the likelihood that such germline editing will become both more effective and popular, he avers, it seems plausible that a new species will materialize. Simborg travels a wide expanse of scientific and philosophical terrain with astonishing brevity. In order for his book to be accessible to the layperson, he needed to quickly explain concepts surrounding species and natural selection, and he accomplishes this with clarity and the breeziest style that such technical subject matter permits. The author also ably furnishes a minihistory of evolution, appraising the theoretical interpretations of Charles Darwin, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, and Gregor Mendel. Perhaps more impressive, though, is that Simborg’s thesis compels him to take readers on a tour of multiple disciplines, including neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and anthropology. For example, over the course of this work, he thoughtfully discusses and critiques futurist Ray Kurzweil’s predictions regarding the singularity, the moral issues raised by genetic editing, and the difficulty of defining life itself. Even stripped of its provocative hypothesis regarding Homo nouveau, this study supplies a magisterially synoptic introduction to evolutionary science and its sister fields. Furthermore, Simborg’s zeal for scientific explanation doesn’t keep him from being sensitive to abiding mysteries; he concedes a whole host of unanswered questions, including those regarding the genesis of life on Earth: “This book is certainly not finished, and the answers are certainly not resolved. Not a week goes by that I don’t read something newly published that is relevant to the answers.”
A captivating prediction about the future of mankind.Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-692-92001-5
Page Count: 294
Publisher: DWS Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A solid primer despite its opening rant.
A detailed how-to on lower-cost computer-system organization.
Hughes is a specialist in the Virtual Memory System computer platform, a big-budget server system used by corporations, and here he demonstrates how to lower the cost of service-oriented architecture (SOA) by creating it in-house. SOA is structured so that companies purchase the basic platform and buy additional accoutrements, called services, during the life cycle of the computer system. In the first five chapters, Hughes passionately argues that this a la carte model, though practical, has been used to the advantage of major computer companies like IBM, which make dollars hand over fist on unwitting businesses. According to his history, modern-day computer-system providers haven't had such a market advantage since the '70s, the last time SOA was in fashion. The author recommends the first, largely non-technical chapters be read by business management, but his overzealous soapbox speech isn't likely to convert people not already in agreement, especially considering that they may have made these so-called unwise investment decisions themselves. Meanwhile, SOA implementers probably don't care about the bigger picture or, if they do, are not in the position to make management decisions within their company. The first five chapters could have easily been edited down to a precise introduction. Nonetheless, the book is meant for programmers–those actually setting up the business SOA–and the meat of the book is C++ programming language code. Thankfully, Hughes includes a CD with all pertinent code and extensive instructions. With The Minimum You Need to Know, Hughes is attempting two books: One, a scathing indictment of big SOA providers, and another, a precise overview of do-it-yourself SOA. Only one is really effective.
A solid primer despite its opening rant.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-0-9770866-6-5
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A ho-hum digest of 100 Bill of Rights cases decided by justices Brennan and Rehnquist along predictable ideological lines. ``This is not an insider's account,'' warns Irons (Political Science/Univ. of California, San Diego; The Courage of Their Convictions, 1988, etc.) in his preface. ``I did not interview either justice for this book. Neither have I talked with former clerks or looked at private papers.'' Bad move. Had Irons provided some behind-the-robes analysis, this book might have had drama. (Irons himself acknowledges Brennan's legendary ability to use his charm to win votes in controversial cases.) And had he focused on far fewer cases—say, ten—his analysis might have had some depth. Instead, this numbing case-by-case-by-case summary provides little insight into the jurisprudence of the men who, for 18 years, were the Court's leading voices on the left and right—and even less insight into their personalities. After a perfunctory stab at characterizing each justice in a chapter-long biography, Irons proceeds to march through the Bill of Rights, offering an overly dense historical context for each amendment and then quoting from Brennan's opinion, on the one hand, and Rehnquist's on the other. Most of the big constitutional issues of the post-Warren Court are here—abortion, affirmative action, the death penalty, the right to die, school prayer. But all Irons offers is the revelation that Brennan consistently votes for individual litigants against the government, and uses the word ``dignity'' in his opinions a lot, while Rehnquist sides with state legislatures and the police, and relies on the word ``deference.'' (Fans of Rehnquist will chafe at the frequent snide comments about his proclivities for ignoring precedent and distorting evidence—but it's unlikely that this tedious book will generate much heat on the subject.) Plodding he-said/he-said treatment that makes for strenuous cover-to-cover reading.
Pub Date: Oct. 5, 1994
ISBN: 0-679-42436-9
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1994
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