Nano: The Emerging Science of Nanotechnology: Remaking the World-Molecule by Molecule [Hardcover]

Edward, Jr. JR. Regis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

Introducing a new technology that may change the world as we know it--atom by atom--an acclaimed science writer explains the research, conflicts, risks, and wonders of nanotechnology and reveals the incredible potential it offers. 20,000 first printing. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

K. Eric Drexler envisions a world in which poverty and hunger no longer exist, because food can be made out of thin air, and we never grow old, because cells can be regenerated as swiftly as they "age." Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at the molecular level, is what he's betting will make it happen. Ed Regis tells the story of Drexler's forays into this new science, showing the scientist's attempts to convince his colleagues that he hasn't descended into pulp fiction. He also fills in a lot of the historical and technical background, from the 19th-century arguments over whether atoms exist to modern experiments that have isolated and manipulated single atoms. Regis's prose is clear and straightforward, but not without a sly sense of humor. Apart from Drexler's own Engines of Creation, this is the book on nanotechnology to read. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Still in its infancy, nanotechnology, or molecular engineering, has as its goal the manipulation of atoms and molecules to manufacture virtually anything. Nanotechnologists aspire to create "designer proteins" that will assemble themselves into atomic-scale, self-replicating machines; and, in fact, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman predicted atomic-scale machinery as early as 1959. Billions of these "molecular robots" will replace human labor, restructuring matter to make houses, sailboats and cars, say nanotechnologists. With such control of nature, they predict, these proteins will one day eradicate diseases and greatly extend the human lifespan. While critics dismiss such proposals as quixotic, science writer Regis (Who Got Einstein's Office?) seems more optimistic in this engaging report on what may be tomorrow's alchemy. He describes the rudimentary feats, blueprints and aspirations of molecular engineers, notably MIT aerospace scientist K. Eric Drexler, the field's pioneer. Photos.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 325 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company; 1st edition (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316738581
• ISBN-13: 978-0316738583
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,123,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My perceptions of Nano! by Ed Regis, June 9, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nano : The Emerging Science of Nanotechnology (Paperback)

I found Nano an interesting read. As a book, it lacked a lot of the technical guts, and more importantly, a broad overview of the potential social issues involved. But although I found this a little dissapointing, I stand in defence of the author for the simple reason that the average person usually doesn't have the skill to read deep technical texts (a skill which is developed by a long interest and/or study in the area). As a primer to the extremely important concepts and issues concerning nanotechnology, I give it a thumbs up. He generally sticks to the realities of the technology, avoiding the inevitable sci-fi fan rubbish which can congeal around such concepts (look a space travel, after all). I can understand not going into the more social and political issues of such an emerging technology as it can scare people, but I still think he should have elaborated more in this area. People have enough trouble dealing with the technology of today, having them (even more) unprepared for future technologies can be extremely dangerous. The best read on Molecular Nanotechnology for the average reader would still remain 'Engines of Creation', by Dr. K Eric Drexler. The book is still value for money, regardless. I give it four stars.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of the history of nanotechnology, March 8, 1999

By 

Mark Hatala "Senior Book Review" (seniorbookreview.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nano : The Emerging Science of Nanotechnology (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book a great deal. Regis is a good writer and the subject matter is compelling. It doesn't get 5 stars for two reasons: the lack of counterpoint about the development of nanotechnology (IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN DAMMIT! WE CAN'T STOP IT): please. Also, the author shows almost no creativity on the effects of nanotechnology on future society. The deepest thoughts are about free steak and getting to sit around without working 9-5 jobs?

This book is a very good history primer. If you're REALLY into nanotechnology though, read Drexler's works.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's important to familiarize yourself with this..., March 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Nano: The Emerging Science of Nanotechnology: Remaking the World-Molecule by Molecule (Hardcover)

This book provided me with my first FACTUAL survey of this science-fiction-ish area of scientific research. Nanotechnology, as the blurb up above says, is the emerging science of creating self-replicating robots the size of molecules. These tiny robots, if developed, should be able to have an almost unimaginable impact on human civilization. For example, they could be swallowed in the form of a tablet, which might release millions of tiny robots into the body with the aim of attacking cancer cells. They could be set to work transforming, for example, grass clippings into rice by monkeying around with the composition of grass at the atomic level. People are seriously researching scary stuff like this. There is a lot of science fiction out there about this kind of thing, especially dealing with the infamous (and not impossible) "gray goo" scenario, in which nanorobots run amok and accidentally rip the whole planet into undifferentiated submolecular slime.

Ed Regis is careful here to present the actual state of the field, and also to give some interesting insights into the curiously cultlike following that has grown up around Eric Drexler.

I recommend this book as a dispassionate assessment of what really COULD be one of the biggest technological revolutions since... oh, I don't know... the wheel comes to mind. Or fire. Or the printed word. My only problem with this book is that it's slightly behind the times nowadays. Nanotechnology is even less science fiction today, in 2001, than it was when this book came out. People should understand, while reading this, that IBM, Hewlett Packard, and other corporate behemoths are spending tens of millions of dollars RIGHT NOW to develop nanotechnology. Some of America's top business schools have Nanotechnology Clubs to monitor potentially lucrative developments in this field -- I'm thinking specifically of Wharton, which I know for a fact has such a club, and I've been told that Stanford and Harvard do as well.

I don't think it's possible to be too highly aware of this field of study. I recommend buying this book, and talking about it with family and friends. Pass it around, encourage your friends to pick up a copy for themselves. If you are in school, or have children in school, ask your science teacher to try to do a unit on it. Heck, why not form a club. Try anything, it doesn't matter what you do specifically, just try to become informed. Also -- it is easy to find newsgroups and listservs online about nanotechnology. Just go to any search engine and type in "nanotechnology" and "listserv," and you'll find a source of valuable information for yourself.

This book is very worth owning. Two thumbs up.