Humanity Sucks: Zen & the Art of Transhuman Evolution, or Darwin Meets the Buddha at Woodstock [Paperback]

Ron Garland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2001

More Multi-Media Madness from the Mastermind of Pop Philosophy. Humanity Sucks presents four basic propositions in a quasi-legal format arguing that 1) Humanity Sucks; 2) We got this way through evolutionary processes, such as natural selection; 3) To improve, we must take control of these evolutionary processes and use genetic engineering, bionics and biochemical interventions; and 4) the Ultimate Goal of this directed evolutionary process should be the Zen Ideal of the One, or in modern materialistic terminology---a SuperOrganism or Global Brain.

While addressing the serious subject of the future of our species, the book is presented in an irreverent and humorous manner including forty Ashleigh Brilliant cartoons and numerous multi-media recommendations involving movies, videos, and music.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Infinity Publishing.com (October 10, 2001)
• ISBN-10: 0741407272
• ISBN-13: 978-0741407276
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,214,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Purpose of Human Life, February 18, 2002

By 

Paula Edward-Presson (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Humanity Sucks: Zen & the Art of Transhuman Evolution, or Darwin Meets the Buddha at Woodstock (Paperback)

Sex, drugs, & Rock 'n' Roll, plus Buddha, Darwin, jokes, cartoons, videos, and movies. It's a sometimes confusing mix, but always interesting and guaranteed to challenge all your ideas about the purpose of human life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars People of the Future, February 14, 2002

By 

Dayle Alecto (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Humanity Sucks: Zen & the Art of Transhuman Evolution, or Darwin Meets the Buddha at Woodstock (Paperback)

This is a book written for people of the future. The last cartoon gives this away. But for people of today who are interested in the far future, this is a fascinating speculation.

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but with some flaws, March 2, 2005

By 

Julian Vargas (Manaus, AM Brazil) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Humanity Sucks: Zen & the Art of Transhuman Evolution, or Darwin Meets the Buddha at Woodstock (Paperback)

This book presents an interesting alternate view to transhumanist and bioconservative agendas. It shows why "humanity sucks" and why our species, at the current form and whatever path we choose to follow in the near future, is doomed to extinction. The idea 'If we are doomed anyway let's do something good before that' is a compelling one. It is a good intro to the concept of a future united consciouness that will be formed by all life forms, if we somehow manage to not destroy ourselves before some few first steps in that direction.

Unfortunately it have some flaws that are annoying:

- The liberal, leftist sin that so many authors make: if you agree to my hippie, 60's views on sex, drugs, whatever you are a enlightened human being (you still sucks, but a little less than the norm) if you not agree with them, you are a primiteive, non-evolved neandhertal.

- Human personalities are extremely diverse. His Darwinian explanations of behavior ignores this fact.

- His continuous religion bashing. He have some good points about it and it is his opinion but I, as a reader, got the point the first time it was mentioned, no need to talk about it every two pages. Not that I am a very religious man but such repetition gets boring.

Besides that the cartoons are entertaining and the list of books and sites at the end of the book is very good. Three stars.