Our Grandchildren Redesigned: Life in the Bioengineered Society of the Near Future - Hardcover

"In the future, accelerating technology and unexpected, revolutionary events--most of which will never be predicted by futurists--may produce a society as alien as some of our tools. Bess delivers an insightful philosophical analysis of how we must adjust."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Rejuvenation therapies that could potentially extend human lifespans to 160 years or more, chemical or bioelectronic cognitive enhancement that could double or triple IQ scores, bioelectronic devices for modulating brain processes including 'pleasure centers, ' so-called 'designer babies, ' and much more are poised to cross the threshold from science fiction to reality in the near future. Michael Bess offers a sober prediction of how such advances will directly affect human society, and the ethical dilemmas that could result. Our Grandchildren Redesigned is fascinating from cover to cover and near-impossible to put down. Highly recommended!"
--The Midwest Book Review

A panoramic overview of biotechnologies that can endlessly boost human capabilities and the drastic changes these “superhuman” traits could trigger
 
Biotechnology is moving fast. In the coming decades, advanced pharmaceuticals, bioelectronics, and genetic interventions will boost human physical and mental performance to unprecedented levels. People will have access to pills that make them stronger and faster, informatic devices will interface seamlessly with the human brain, and epigenetic modification may allow people to reshape their own physical and mental identity at will. 
 
The results will no doubt be mixed. People will live longer, healthier lives and will generate staggeringly complex forms of knowledge. But these technologies also threaten to widen the rift between rich and poor, to generate new forms of social and economic division, and to force people into constant upgrades merely to keep up. Individuals may acquire such extreme capabilities that they will no longer be recognized as unambiguously human. 
 
Award-winning historian Michael Bess provides a clear, nontechnical overview of cutting-edge biotechnology and paints a vivid portrait of a near-future society in which bioenhancement has become a part of everyday life. He surveys the ethical questions raised by the enhancement enterprise and explores the space for human agency in dealing with the challenges that these technologies will present.