|
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Relief to the Brave New World, August 22, 2001
At our think tank we have watched a rather unfortuante level of triumphalism to the new genetic technologies. From Dolly to Rael to boistrous Italians and to "experts" at the American Academy for the "Advancement" of Science (AAAS) far too many individuals and institutions have staked a supportive claim for the new biotechnologies. What these modern Huxley's fail to do, however, is locate biotechnology in a clear political-economic, and historical context. For most of these John-come-lately's (the antedeluvian, US President included) biotechnologies happen in the ever present now. Such experts provide little to no understanding of the deep historical relationship of the "new" technologies to their legacy with the global eugenics movement--that always includes Nazi racial-hygiene efforts. Finally, Brian Tokar and his colleagues have arrived. Not with a venegenace, but with a calm, much needed, political-economic, historical and analytical insight, to be both appreciated and championed. This book is important inasmuch as it contains a critical ad-mixture of prominent environmentalists from the North (e.g., a Director of the quasi-rightwing, xenophobic Sierra Club--that recently voted (unsuccesfully) to ban immigrants from the US) and the South (Vandana Shiva, acclaimed Indian scientists and activists for biosafety and much else) and many others that don't come out screaming. Beyond the enviro-authors are many other scientists and activists many broadly published and read elsewhere. The environmentalists contribution is notable and important inasmuch, despite the anti-GE-food movement they have spawned, environmentalists and other liberals would arguably be the first in line to receive the new genetic technologies, as few if any of these middle to upper-middle class liberals (Heller, Schmidt, Dorsey, et. al.) and global jet-setters (Shiva, Burrows, Von Weisacker, et. al.) would want to "produce" feeble-minded children to attend to the Harvard and Yale factories. More importantly these folks make the point over and over again that biotechnology, as all technologies, just does NOT just happen out of some benevolent transnational ether, to "save the planet" or "cure diseases". Instead interested parties, Monsanto and its underlings, and a host of others, are out to make money. Of course nothing is inherently wrong with making money (despite liberal angst against it), yet when we understand biotech in this light, we are forced to see it for what its worth and to whom. So Redesigning Life is a very important contribution--especially in an age where anyone who dares tell the truth about the thuggery of Monsanto, the potential dangerous and unethical outcomes of Rael or the deadly consequence of GE food may face unwarranted attacks from those that would dare and be able to differ, if only with their huge budgets and fat pockets. The books other bonus is that each chapter can be consumed one part at a time, in any order. Although overall the text is a terrifically coherent whole. Its more than appropriate for reading groups, students (at all levels) and the curious citizen, interested in some solid research on the matter. We highly recommend it.
|
See all 43 books this book cites
