Synopses & Reviews
cyborg, n. a person whose physiological functioning is aided by or dependent upon a mechanical or electronic device.
Steve Mann is a cyborg. He sees the entire world, including himself, through a video lens. He can control what he sees, liberating his imaginative space from the visual stimuli -- billboards and flashing neon signs -- that threaten to overwhelm us. While recognizing the danger that human beings could be controlled by technology and the corporations that produce it for profit, Mann is also fascinated by the vast possibilities presented by the wearable computer.
In Cyborg, Mann articulates a vision for a future in which humanity is freer, safer, and smarter in ways most of us can only imagine. Part biography, part breath-taking manifesto, part startling look into the very near future, Cyborg is a powerful book that challenges preconceptions and invites readers to enter the mind of one of the most fascinating thinkers of our time.
About the Author
Steve Mann has a Ph.D. from MIT and is currently on the faculty of the University of Toronto. Having invented, designed, built, and worn the WearComp device for 20 years, he is, to date, the worlds only cyborg.
Hal Niedzviecki is an award-winning journalist and cultural critic. His articles and essays have appeared in magazines, newspapers and journals in the United States, Canada, and the UK.
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE: Why should you care about the wearable computer?
INTRODUCTION: The Reluctant Cyborg
1: Imaging the Cyborg Revolution
2: Owning the Cyborg
3: Reinventing the Cyborg
4: Shooting Back: Privacy in the Cyborg Age
5: The Mediated Cyborg: Toward Community
6: The Right to Think – Imaging the Cyborg Community
Appendices
Glossary
Notes
Acknowledgements