Originally posted on sciy.org by Rich Carlson on Mon 28 Apr 2008 11:07 AM PDT
Writing the Future
Progress and Evolution
Edited by David Rothenberg and Wandee J. Pryor
Table of Contents and Sample Chapters
The theory of evolution connects us to the
natural world, explaining how and why we are a part of nature. The idea
of progress, on the other hand, projects a destination. "If nature can
supply wonderfully elegant solutions to the problem of survival by
trying out test models derived solely by chance, then surely it's
possible for us to find our way forward," write David Rothenberg and
Wandee Pryor, setting the terms of the discussion. But is society going
somewhere in particular? Is nature improving? The stories, poems,
essays, and artwork in Writing the Future examine the concepts
of evolution and progress through a variety of artistic and scientific
lenses and speculate on how these ideas can help us appreciate our
place in the world.
The first section of the book, "Science, Mustard, Moths," looks at
evolution's founding concepts and personalities, and includes Theodore
Roszak's challenge to a Darwinian orthodoxy, which he traces back to
another pioneering theorist, Alfred Russel Wallace. The second section,
"Steps from the Cave," focuses on human change, and features Ellen
Dissanayake's unusual look at prehistoric cave paintings in France,
poetry by John Canaday, and a richly layered short story by Floyd
Skloot. The third section, "Places in Time," moves outward to examine
the world evolving and includes a reminiscence by Leslie Van Gelder of
growing up "in the church of Darwin" and Eva Salzman's account of an
infinitely reverberating walk through a Long Island neighborhood. In
the fourth section, "Getting to the Future," the writers consider
different manifestations of progress: Katherine Creed Page examines a
"future perfect" through reproductive technology, Kevin Warwick reports
on linking his nervous system to a computer by means of a small
electronic circuit implanted under his skin, and Joan Maloof meditates
on our possible future "de-evolution" -- an abdication of our
dominating role and gradual return to nature -- which brings the book
full circle.
About the Editors
David Rothenberg is Professor of Philosophy at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and founder of the Terra Nova book series. His most recent books are Always the Mountains and Sudden Music: Improvisation, Art and Nature.
Wandee J. Pryor is former Managing Editor of Terra Nova projects at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
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Endorsements |
"What
a fascinating and moving collection! Rothenberg and Pryor have drawn
together the work of writers, ecologists, scientists, and philosophers,
creating a collection that struggles with the pressure of time, the
dream of progress, and the ambivalent offers of nature. Sometimes using
poetry or autobiography, elsewhere deploying steely analysis or
political protest, this hugely diverse assembly of authors grapples
with a receding future, even as they try to come to terms with various
pasts from the paleolithic to their own memories. Located somewhere
between a performance piece and a scientific intervention, this is a
collection that should intrigue and provoke for a good long time." "Terra Nova has produced another brilliant cross-disciplinary
exploration of a profound theme. This collection of essays mimics
evolution itself in its creativity and diversity, its capacity to
startle and delight." "A dazzling collection, full of insights, surprises and useful
provocations. I was very impressed by the clarity and vividness of the
selections and found them to be engaging even to a non- specialist.", |
Roszak chapter
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