Publisher's Synopsis
Beyond the fear and chaos of contemporary life, there is good news to share.
A new era is at hand: the era of sustainable superabundance. In this era, the positive potential of humanity can develop in truly profound ways. The key to this new era is to take wise advantage of the remarkable capabilities of twenty-first century science and technology: robotics, biotech, neurotech, greentech, collabtech, artificial intelligence, and much more. These technologies can provide all of us with the means to live better than well - to be healthier and fitter than ever before; nourished emotionally and spiritually as well as physically; and living at peace with ourselves, the environment, and our neighbours both near and far. This is not a vision of today's society writ large - a mere abundance of today's goods, services, activities, relationships, and rewards. It's a vision of a superabundance, with new qualities rather than just new quantities. This is not a vision of returning to some imagined prior historical period - to some supposed bygone golden age. It's a vision of advancing to a new society, featuring levels of human flourishing never before possible. This is not a vision restricted to the few - to an elite percentage of today's humanity. It's a universal vision, for everyone, of a wide, diverse fellowship in which all can freely participate, and in which all can enjoy unprecedented benefits. This is not a vision of the far-off future - something relevant, perhaps, to our great-grandchildren. It's a vision of change that could accelerate dramatically throughout the 2020s - a vision that is intensely relevant as the year 2020 comes into view. This is not a vision of a fixed, rigid utopia. It's a vision of the collaborative creation of a sustainable, open-ended, evolving social framework. In this new framework, every one of us will be empowered to make and follow our own choices without fear or favour. In this vision, the sky will no longer be the limit. In this vision, the cosmos beckons, with its vast resources and endless possibilities. In this vision, our destiny lies in the ongoing exploration and development of both outer and inner space, as we keep reaching forwards together to higher levels of consciousness and to experiences with ever greater significance. But first, we face some hard, critical choices - choices that will determine our future. If we choose poorly, technology will do much more harm than good. If we choose poorly, a bleak future awaits us - wretched environmental decline, bitter social divisions, and a rapid descent into a dismal new dark age. Instead of the flourishing of the better angels of our human nature, it will be our inner demons that technology magnifies. This book - this Universal Transhumanist Invitation - explains the choices. "Sustainable Superabundance offers a profoundly uplifting vision for the 2020s and beyond"- Natasha Vita-More, Executive Director, Humanity+ "David Wood is one of the best futurists around today, insightful and visionary, with a broad grasp of the issues, and passionate commitment to making the future a good place to live. This book will become a key resource for the development of practical technoprogressive policies"
- James Hughes, Executive Director, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET) "A welcome addition to the debate over how society should respond to the forthcoming Economic Singularity"
- Calum Chace, Author of Artificial Intelligence and the Two Singularities "Want to feel better about our future, find out why 'sustainable superabundance' is possible, and how we can make it happen? Read this book!"
- Nikola Danaylov, Founder of Singularity Weblog and Singularity.FM
