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242nd out of 917 books
—
287 voters
Culture: Leading Scientists Explore Societies, Art, Power, and Technology
Why do civilizations rise and fall?What are the origins and purpose of art?How does technology shape society? Did culture direct human evolution?Is the Internet an agent of democracy or dictatorships?
An immensely powerful but little-understood force that impacts society, art, politics, and even human biological development, culture is the very stage on which human experien...more
An immensely powerful but little-understood force that impacts society, art, politics, and even human biological development, culture is the very stage on which human experien...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
August 16th 2011
by Harper Perennial
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A good idea that was ruined in practice. Scientific views on culture sounded interesting, but ultimately the book didn't live up to any of my expectations and even what it could deliver was lackluster.
First the good. I surprisingly liked Daniel Dennet's essay, surprising because I don't usually agree with his views on things despite our similarities. Being atheists, philosophers and taking the same stance in the "evolution wars." I think his and Brian Arthur's essay on evolving technology took...more
First the good. I surprisingly liked Daniel Dennet's essay, surprising because I don't usually agree with his views on things despite our similarities. Being atheists, philosophers and taking the same stance in the "evolution wars." I think his and Brian Arthur's essay on evolving technology took...more
While many of these essays were quite interesting, as a whole they really didn't fit together well. The theme of culture was to be the bind, but with so many different aspects provided, there seemed to be discontinuity. The essays may have worked together better if there was more discussion on some topics, such as art, or perhaps left out entirely. The various aspects were not treated with equal space. These essays are part of a larger conversation through Edge and sometimes I felt part of the c...more
Well if you want to keep up to date on culture you need look no further than John Brockman. Loads of great inspiration for my coaching cultures research.
It provided me with a really helpful description of how we are connected, sometimes infering that the habitats do not change. It helped me to realise that they are somewhat static but they still need to shift and evolve. The coaching habitats I refer to describe how networks are formed - i.e. structure.
"It is critical when you think of networks...more
It provided me with a really helpful description of how we are connected, sometimes infering that the habitats do not change. It helped me to realise that they are somewhat static but they still need to shift and evolve. The coaching habitats I refer to describe how networks are formed - i.e. structure.
"It is critical when you think of networks...more
I am interested in any publications from the Edge.org. This is my second book compiled and edited by John Brockman and it is very different from the "This will change everything". While the previous one was dealing with a concept of the future, here the subject is culture and digital age discussed by the prominent scientists. They have different opinions and look at the subject from different angles but the general outcome is that humans always need to be engaged in some kind of cultural activit...more
Various essays and debates from writers, scientists, commentators and other flavor experts about the effect of technology and the Internet on culture. Interesting discussions and varied points of view-- I really enjoyed it.
I read all the ' Edge ' stuff as it comes out. You can skip this one.
Love it. Good to read.
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With a broad career spanning the fields of art, science, books, software and the Internet. In 1960 he established the bases for "intermedia kinetic environments" in art, theatre and commerce, while consulting for clients such as General Electric, Columbia Pictures, The Pentagon, The White House... In 1973 he formed his own literary and software agency. He is founder of the Edge Foundation and edit...more
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