Immortality: The Quest To Live Forever and How It Drives Civilisation - Brossura

Stephen Cave

Brossura

ISBN 10: 184954493X ISBN 13: 9781849544931

Casa editrice: Biteback, 2013

Riassunto

Who wants to live forever? According to Stephen Cave, we all do - every single one of us. And the evidence is all around. Eluding the Grim Reaper is humanity's oldest and most pervasive wish. It is embedded in our very nature and provides the real driving force behind every aspect of human civilisation: science, agriculture, architecture, religion, the arts, fame and family. From freeing your soul to freezing your brain, all these attempts to defy death fall into four simple categories - the four paths to immortality. Ranging across continents and cultures, from ancient Egypt to cutting-edge laboratories, Immortality raises the curtain on what compels us humans to keep on going. The four paths are ancient, but science is now showing us - for the first time in human history - whether any of them can really lead to infinity. Cave investigates what it would mean for our lives if they can - but also if they can't. If the paths up the Mount of the Immortals lead nowhere - if there is no getting to the summit - is there still reason to live? And can civilisation survive?

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Recensione:

'An epic inquiry into the human desire to defy death and how to overcome it' - Julian Baggini, Financial Times
"Informed and metaphysically nuanced...Cave presents his arguments in a brisk, engaging style, and draws effectively upon a wide-ranging stock of religious, philosophical, and scientific sources, both ancient and contemporary."
--Weekly Standard
"In his survey of the subject, Stephen Cave, a British philosopher, argues that man's various tales of immortality can be boiled down into four basic "narratives..". For the aspiring undying, Mr Cave unfortunately concludes that immortality is a mirage. But his demolition project is fascinating in its own right...If anything, readers might want more of Mr. Cave's crisp conversational prose."
--The Economist
"A must-read exploration of what spurs human ingenuity. Every once in a while a book comes along that catches me by surprise and provides me with an entirely new lens through which to view the world...Such is the case with Stephen Cave's book "Immortality."..Cave presents an extremely compelling case - one that has changed my view of the driving force of civilization as much as Jared Diamond did years ago with his brilliant book "Guns, Germs and Steel.""
--S. Jay Olshanksy, New Scientist magazine
"Cave explains how the seeking of immortality is the foundation of human achievement, the wellspring of art, religion and civilization...The author is rangy and recondite, searching the byways of elixirs, the surprises of alchemy, the faith in engineering and all the wonder to be found in discussions of life and death...Luminous."
--Kirkus Reviews
"A dramatic and frequently surprising story of the pursuit of immortality and its effects on human history."
--Booklist
"A beautifully clear and entertaining look at life after death. Cave does not shrink from the hard questions. Bold and thought-provoking."
--Eric Olson, author of "The Human Animal "and "What Are We?
""Immortality "plumbs the depths of the human mind and ties the quest for the infinite prolongation of life into the very nature of civilization itself. Cave reveals remarkable depth and breadth of learning, yet is always a breeze to read. I thoroughly enjoyed his book--it's a really intriguing study." --David Boyd Haycock, author of "Mortal Coil "and "A Crisis of Brilliance"
"I loved this.Cave has set himself an enormous task and accomplished it--inspades. Establishing a four-level subject matter, he has stuck to his guns and never let up. As he left one level and went to the next, I was always a little worried: Would he be able to pull it off? This was especially true as he approached the end. There is a sense in which each level, as he left it smoking in the road, looked easy as he started the next. In fact, the last level, while it is the most difficult, is the best, the most satisfying. I am happy to live in the world Cave describes." -- Charles Van Doren, author of "A History of Knowledge "
"Cave is smart, lucid, elegant and original. "Immortality" is an engaging read about our oldest obsession, and how that obsession propels some of our greatest accomplishments." --Greg Critser, author of "Eternity Soup "
"In "Immortality" Stephen Cave tells wonderful stories about one of humanity's oldest desires and comes to a wise conclusion." -- Stefan Klein, author of "The Science of Happiness "and "The Secret Pulse of Time "
"Cave has produced a strikingly original and compelling exploration of the age-old conundrum: Can we live forever, and do we really want to?" --John Horgan, science journalist and author of "The End of War" --Maria Popova

[An] impressive book... his arguments are compelling... Crossing the blurred borders between history, philosophy, psychology, technology and science, Immortality will give food for thought and may even put our attitudes to life and death, past and present, into perspective. --Family Tree

Fascinating... a must read. In Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How It Drives Civilization, Cambridge University philosopher Stephen Cave explores the inner workings of that ancient impulse, inviting us on a mind-bending, intense, at times unsettling and at times deeply comforting journey into the most cavernous quarters of the human psyche. --Maria Popova

L'autore:

Stephen Cave is a writer, philosopher and diplomat. He regularly writes essays and book reviews for the Financial Times.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Biteback
• Data di pubblicazione: 2013
• ISBN 10: 184954493X
• ISBN 13: 9781849544931
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 340