Hybrid Humans
Dispatches from the Frontiers of Man and Machine
Published on 17. February 2022
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-78816-310-1 (ISBN)
Description
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 BARBELLION PRIZE*
As heard on BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week
As seen on Sky Arts Book Club with Elizabeth Day and Andi Oliver
An eye-opening account of disability, identity and how robotics and AI are altering our understanding of what it means to be human - from the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Soldier
Harry Parker's life changed overnight when he lost his legs to an IED in Afghanistan. His rehabilitation took him into an often surprising landscape of a very human kind of hacking, and he wondered - are all humans becoming hybrids?
Whether it's putting on contact lenses every day or DIY biohackers tinkering in garages, Parker introduces us to the exhilarating breadth of human invention - and intervention.
Grappling with his own new identity and disability, he discovers the latest robotics, tech and implants that might lead us to powerful, liberating possibilities for what a body can be.
"I loved Hybrid Humans. It is modest, wise ... and a way of looking at the future without nostalgia for the past" - Jeanette Winterson
"This may be a tour of the scientific avant garde, but the focus is always on the human heart and mind" - Observer, Book of the Day
"Harry Parker has explored the cutting edge of interaction between humanity, computing and AI ... a captivating and cautionary travel guide to a new world" - Gavin Francis, author of Adventures in Human Being
As heard on BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week
As seen on Sky Arts Book Club with Elizabeth Day and Andi Oliver
An eye-opening account of disability, identity and how robotics and AI are altering our understanding of what it means to be human - from the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Soldier
Harry Parker's life changed overnight when he lost his legs to an IED in Afghanistan. His rehabilitation took him into an often surprising landscape of a very human kind of hacking, and he wondered - are all humans becoming hybrids?
Whether it's putting on contact lenses every day or DIY biohackers tinkering in garages, Parker introduces us to the exhilarating breadth of human invention - and intervention.
Grappling with his own new identity and disability, he discovers the latest robotics, tech and implants that might lead us to powerful, liberating possibilities for what a body can be.
"I loved Hybrid Humans. It is modest, wise ... and a way of looking at the future without nostalgia for the past" - Jeanette Winterson
"This may be a tour of the scientific avant garde, but the focus is always on the human heart and mind" - Observer, Book of the Day
"Harry Parker has explored the cutting edge of interaction between humanity, computing and AI ... a captivating and cautionary travel guide to a new world" - Gavin Francis, author of Adventures in Human Being
Reviews / Votes
I loved Hybrid Humans. It is modest, wise ... and a way of looking at the future without nostalgia for the past -- Jeanette Winterson Harry Parker has explored the cutting edge of interaction between humanity, computing and AI ... a captivating and cautionary travel guide to a new world -- Gavin Francis, author of Adventures in Human Being Fascinating ... Parker's writing is elegant and often lyrical ... As someone who has lived as a "hybrid" for more than a decade, Parker never forgets the realities of everyday life, which encompass both pain and beauty. This may be a tour of the scientific avant garde, but the focus is always on the human heart and mind -- David Robson, Book of the Day * Observer * A terrific writer -- Elizabeth Day Absorbing ... Parker takes us on a tour of the weird and wonderful world where man and machine meet * Daily Mail * Praise for Anatomy of a Soldier:'Marvellously told' -- Alan Bennett Alive to every nuance of feeling -- Hilary Mantel A brilliant book -- Edna O'Brien Beautifully constructed and moving -- Val McDermid A tour de force -- Nadeem Aslam Compassionate and compelling -- Kate Hamer An endless ability to surprise -- Phil Klay
More details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Profile Books Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 200 mm
Width: 134 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
336 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78816-310-1 (9781788163101)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2022
Wellcome Collection
€11.49
Available for download
Person
Harry Parker is the author of Anatomy of a Soldier (2016), translated in eight languages. He grew up in Wiltshire, and was educated at Falmouth College of Art and University College London. He joined the British Army when he was 23 and served in Iraq in 2007 and Afghanistan in 2009 as a Captain. He is now a writer and artist and lives in London.