This didn't work for me. The increasingly melodramatic vignettes, featuring a suicidal uplifted orangutan and a young woman attracted to her extremely well-preserved great-great-great-great grandfather, could have been rejects from the slush pile of a science-fiction magazine.
The arguments were equally speculative, often based on theoretical and philosophical arguments rather than scientific or even anecdotal evidence. For example, the terse dismissal of all moral enhancement as harmful to free will would have been improved by a discussion of John Elder Robison's memoir [b:Switched On: A Memoir of Brain Change and Emotional Awakening|31826198|Switched On A Memoir of Brain Change and Emotional Awakening|John Elder Robison|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472865255s/31826198.jpg|43596101], which explores the complexities of using TMS to enhance empathy. Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction, which is saying a lot, given the content of this book. ( )

Prediction can be a risky endeavor but Bess manages to limn a possible future by building on current science and technology while avoiding the common pitfalls of painting a rosy utopia or a dark dystopia. Short vignettes of how we may live in the future give a glimpse of a strange new world.

That future has begun. In just the last century we have changed our life using pharmaceuticals such as aspirin, antibiotics, and vaccines. Bioengineering has given us hip replacements, cochlear implants, and limb prosthetics. Genetics and epigenetics have taken us from selective breeding to cloning (Dolly the sheep) to in vitro fertilization and more recently to trans-species interbreeding. These three areas will be the source of amazing changes which may decide how we live and how we see ourselves and others. Will we become a post human species and how will we relate to non-modified people?

The reality will probably be exciting, perplexing and just a little bit frightening. Governments will have to implement policies to guarantee everyone access to the latest developments. Some people may choose to forgo enhancements, especially for religious reasons, much as the Amish eschew electricity today. Others may choose only basic modifications. For some, choosing enhancements could be similar to wanting the latest hairstyle or clothes or having the fanciest gadget. Populations may self-segregate according to their shared attributes. "[I]nterspecies mixing will become an increasingly normal feature of tomorrow's society." Transgenic creatures such as glow in the dark pigs (incorporating jellyfish DNA) have already been created by scientists.

Personal relationships may be very different which will have unexpected repercussions for society. Enhancements may lead to a higher divorce rate as parents disagree about how to design their children. Serial marriages will become even more common as people live longer (Bess estimates 160 years may soon be a normal lifetime). It just may not be possible to remain married to the same person for a hundred years—or longer. Career changes every thirty or forty years will also be typical.

Our Grandchildren Redesigned often reads like science fiction but the future it describes is almost within our grasp. Change is guaranteed and the future could be dazzling. One almost wishes one could be here to see it. At least our grandchildren will have the chance to live in exciting new ways. The book is indexed and the extensive notes add to the text. There is a companion website as well. ( )

After reading “Our Grandchildren Redesigned”, by Michael Bess, I clandestinely watched my grandchildren to see if maybe they had yet been bioengineered far passed my capabilities. Bess creates a clear case on the difficulties in predicting the future, especially in technical areas. Through cleaver storytelling and factual analysis, he unveils a bioengineered future for humankind, discussing both the advantages and possible horrors. I was a bit annoyed with all of his references to “Her” and few if any “He”, and the clear liberal slant to the text, as it distracted from the topic. Additionally, the later chapters tend to rehash the former, losing the intellectual flow. However, the book is well written, extensively researched, and a must read for all those that care about our engineered future. And, my grandchildren have not yet advanced beyond their grandfather in any noticeable way. At least not yet.

I give the book four stars.

10/22/2016 ( )

Michael Bess's book is well researched and shocking to someone, like me, who has not closely followed all of the breakthroughs in medicine, biotechnology and genetics research. Bess begins by clearing spelling out what trends and technological leaps he believes are within the realm of predictability and why, while contending there is plenty of room for unpredictable wild cards. His book touches on more than just the medical and sterile descriptions of what may be, but also delves into the psychological, political and social reactions that are likely to manifest in this near future. I will happily share this book with friends interested in science and technology. ( )

Upon the start of this book I had high hopes to learn about something that I had no minisucle knowledge of. The first part was interesting even though I couldn't understand half of what was written. I kept reading though still interested and yet again I was amazed at the things that have been created and what will or even could be for the future.
Most of these things that have been done are things that I never hear of in my small town of about 15,00 in Iowa. I even have a learning disability and I am amazed how well I understood all the specifics. Just as amazed as I will be when many of this technologies are implemented especially the kind that helps people for not only my future children but also my future grandchildren. I liked this book for its very knowledge was informative to my young mind.