The Biotech Century | 
 enlarge | Author: Jeremy Rifkin
Publisher: Tarcher
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 566664
Media: Paperback
Edition: Trade edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 0.5
ISBN: 0874779537
Dewey Decimal Number: 303.483
EAN: 9780874779530
ASIN: 0874779537
Publication Date: April 5, 1999
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Amazon.com Review
When two Scottish scientists successfully cloned a sheep in July 1996, the news sparked fierce scientific, ethical, theological, and philosophical debate, momentarily pulling biotechnology from the laboratories and thrusting it onto the front pages. With living proof that such advancements are no longer the stuff of science fiction, a whole new world of possibilities--and dangers--presented itself. Jeremy Rifkin is more concerned with the dangers of this technology, and in The Biotech Century , he presents numerous compelling reasons why we should be, too. Many of these dangers revolve around the seemingly inevitable commercialization of genetically engineered life forms that would come if corporations battled for the rights to patents on new or modified species of plants, animals, or even human beings. Rifkin warns that "designer" babies and genetically perfect humans, along with any other artificial creations, would wreak havoc with the gene pool and the natural environment. While he concedes that there are benefits to biotechnology, he makes it clear that the risks far outweigh the rewards at this time, urging for greater restraint and responsibility before opening what could be a Pandora's box.
Product Description
Arguing that we are on the verge of a revolution of unparalleled impact, the author makes an impassioned plea for awareness of the environmental, commercial and moral implications of biotechnology. Developments in genetic engineering will have a profound effect on our lives, but at what cost?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
 No ideological axe to grind, but this book was a mess April 28, 2008
Mr. Rifkin seems to have a talent for polarizing his readers, I'll give him that. I neither love nor hate his writing, and feel this is a topic worthy of a well-researched book. Unfortunately, this feels very much like the sort of essay that gets written when somebody is assigned to finish x-thousand words by Thursday, and doesn't have time to research the topic. Seriously, in the first hundred pages or so, absolutely nothing happens except Rifkin asserting, over and over, how important biotechnology is. Wouldn't it have been better to provide some examples and let us decide for ourselves whether it's important? Better luck next time, Jeremy.
 The Biotech century at an ethical watershed March 27, 2007
In his book, Rifkin does not take a position of constant opposition to biotechnology but rather one of skepticism - a skepticism which at some point seems exaggerated, however appears to be justified.
With the invention of the computer respectively information technologies the world has entered a new age. Information is at the core of such a new world that people find themselves in. Progress in a computerized world made it possible to approach the human existence respectively humanity from a new different perspective. Computation of human DNA led to a view of life in terms of mere information. Indeed, human beings are now in the position to alter genetic information and thus to reshape the concept of life - of themselves and other creatures. Whilst one has to acknowledge that genetic engineering in fact could serve as a powerful tool - especially when thinking in economical terms - it must also be regarded as thoroughly dangerous as will be explained on later. Of course one could regard an increase in food production achieved by genetic engineering as something positive as it, for example, could potentially replace petrochemical farming or engage microorganisms as environmental cleaning agents. What are the implications for humanity when one can easily alter genetic information of future human offspring? The detection of potential diseases in fetuses has already led to the termination of many pregnancies - this is no longer a vision, it is a reality. Where is this world going to lead us? One of conformity? Diversity is at stake in the Biotech Century! The information age made genetic information "green gold" and in fact this leads to a challenge for humanity, caused by economic interest. Genetic engineering gives power to scientists and thus private enterprises are able to create life or exclude genetic information from coming into existence. As a simple consequence it is economic interest that will determine whether a genetic feature is regarded as good or bad. Eureka. Rifkin's The Biotech Century covers five crucial aspects of this new era and its implications for humanity and the world: Can life be intellectual property? Will biotechnology introduce a second genesis? Is biotechnology to be seen in a eugenic context? What impacts do genes have on our lives? What impacts does information technology have in regards to economy and life? And finally: What consequences arise out of the Biotech century for our views on nature?
As already pointed out, it is economic interests that govern the patterns in dealing with genetic information. Capitalism can be observed at his "finest" when considering that the Biotech Century led to the patenting of life forms. Though there was a lot of doubt and even legislation against the patenting of whole living entities, in the end it became even possible to patent whole (cloned) organisms. To illustrate biopiracy and its importance for Pan-Africanism, Rifkin refers to a Madagascan plant called Rosy Periwinkle. Having been used in traditional African medicine, Western researchers be-came aware of it and found that the plant produced vincristine - an agent that is effective in the treatment of some cancer forms. Of course the pharmaceutical information was economically exploited, while Madagascar did not gain anything. As the southern hemisphere is particularly biodiverse and thus rich in genetic information, the threat of biocolonialism becomes more than obvious. Again the West is about to benefit from regions of the southern hemisphere, as world history has already seen in Western colonialism and imperialism. Moreover one must ask a crucial question: How can somebody patent something that is already there? Even more so, the Biotech Century raises the issue of how to define life.
Another challenge to humanity is the uncertainty of what impacts genetic en-gineering will have on the environment as well as the human species. A striking example is recombinant DNA, which is simply uncontrollable, as demonstrated by Dr. Gallo in 1990 with "super" AIDS. Moreover the biotech enterprises show no interest in assessing risks in an effective way but conduct pro-forma risk assessment tests that are unreliable, ultimately leading to ecological roulette. "Visions of paradise" can also be found in the context of biological warfare, in which biotechnology opens up new "playgrounds". Moreover, the Biotech century has implications for our relationship to other species, as they often serve as experimental fields for Biotech research and thus are the ones who have to suffer as a result of humanity's curiosity. Acknowledging the fact that animals ARE suffering in biotechnological experiments, one has to ask what long-term effects humans will have to face - they too are "guinea pigs". Humanity often praises itself with its diversity and thus one has to challenge biotechnology from this viewpoint too, as the Biotech century will per se lead to uniformity.
A moral field of concern it the one of eugenics. Invented through racial dichotomies and stereotypes, the past has proven to what extent eugenics can result in atrocities and mere inhumanity - indeed a threat to any concept of humanity. That a eugenic civilization could be easily achieved by applying biotechnology is rather self-explanatory. However, the question remains, if eugenics could happen again on a large scale basis in our "free" world. For this purpose, Rifkin refers to eugenics in America, and astonishingly hardly anyone seems to be aware of the fact that the United States have a prominent history in eugenics before World War II. Politics and legislation had created a framework in which eugenics were practiced alarmingly effectively. Thus for example, immigration laws were constructed in order to "whiten" American society. It does not require much imagination what would happen if certain political movements were able to gain political power and would abuse biotechnology in order to reinforce "positive" genetic traits and "wipe out" "negative traits". As a matter of fact, the Biotech century could make a eugenic civilization possible - if the wrong people were in charge. However, eugenics is not necessarily a societal phenomenon. It is already in place at a family level - the crucial institution in every society - when one thinks of abortions. Thinking one step further, family policies in conjunction with politics could result in the creation of a "super human". Moreover one should not forget cultural and psychological implications, genetic eugenics might have.
Biosociology also plays an important role in the discourse on the Biotech century. It is mainstream conviction that genes determine an individual's behavior rather than the environments, individuals find themselves in. Finally it seems that the genetic era decided the battle between nature and nurture in favor of nature - in fact genes. Thus for example, the Minnesota Center for Twin and Adoption Research provides evidence that most of the traits are primarily hereditarily determined. Some researchers even claim that a per-son's fate is "inscribed" in the genetic code - astrology is finally obsolete. In the "perfect world" that we live in, technology is regarded the key to fix shortcomings in each respect. Thus one might easily conclude that genetic engineering will be used to alter genetic information in order to create "healthy" human beings. However, what is health? It is nothing else than a matter of definition. A commentary by Dr. Le Vay, who raises the question whether homosexuality is a "biological predisposition, social preference, an illness, a simple deviation from the norm, or a normal variation of sexuality" speaks for itself. When uniformity and the "norm" are prerequisites for "our personal and collective well-being" and deviations from the norm are thus "undesired" - what does this imply for minorities? What proponents of the Third Reich and supremacist thought in general did to humanity, could thus be accomplished without much recognition through genetic engineering - homosexuality only serving as one example out of many others.
In order to draw a bigger picture, Rifkin also turns to cosmology - a society's understanding of nature. The Biotech century, ground shaking as it is, demands for a new cosmology. As our concepts of nature are linked to their societies, they tend to justify the circumstances, a society creates. This interdependence between societies and their cosmologies leads to a fostering of injustices within societies. Everything is in its natural order, as for example can be demonstrated with Thomas of Aquin's philosophy. This new era with all its implications will replace the Darwinist cosmology with its own, where genetic engineering simply is part of the natural order. The future "Darwinian entity" will be able to gather information in order to adapt to its environment. In this context genetic engineering makes sense: in anticipating the future from genetic data and altering it, biotechnology serves the common gain. This is dangerous grounds in terms of ethics, when considering the pretext. When life is information, the Darwinist "survival of the fittest" is replaced with the "survival of the best informed" and this raises the issue of access to information. In terms of an understanding of humanity, this postmodern paradigm shift is major as human beings become creators and designers of themselves as well as of their environment.
 A Real Disappointment January 11, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
The Author, Jeremey Rifkin, sets the stage for this disapointment from the beginning when he laments the agricultural and industrial revolutions. He clearly longs for some pristine time in the past, when life was better and simpler. Certainly a common sentiment, but one that lacks the maturity to consider the brief life spans of that time and the social order in which the strong preyed upon the weak.
Rather than bore you with details, let me make clear that Rifkin makes his living by writing so as to scare his readers. Always under the guise of educating and serving to simply raise potential concerns and issues, but the message is always the same - industry/biotech/America is bad, Jeremy Rifkin is good.
 O brave new world are you going to kill our humanity? January 24, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book surveys the latest developments in biotechnology, and suggests future directions, trends and developments. While not downplaying the many positive benefits which can come to society from the new developments Rifkin's real task here is to warn of possible dangers. These dangers are various, though one clear point of emphasis is his fear that commercial forces will monopolize important technologies discriminating against poorer populations, and ascerbating current inequalities in society.
Among the developments the book suggests may take place are:" Food and fiber may be grown indoors in giant bacteria baths, partially eliminating the farmer and the soil for the first time in history. Animal and human cloning could be commmonplace with ' replication' increasingly replacing ' reproduction'.Millions of people could obtain a genetic readout of themselves , allowing them to gaze into their own biological futures and plan their lives in ways never before possible . Parents may choose to have their parents gestated in artificial wombs outside the human body. Genetic changes could made in human fetuses to correct deadly diseases and disorders and enhance mood, behavior, intelligence, physical traits."
Rifkin is concerned about the consequences of such developments for the global economy and society' He is worried about the kinds of utopian efforts which might come from trying to create perfect human beings. And above all he seems disturbed on the way the 'genetic information' will be owned.
This book raises very great questions, questions which will be more and more relevant in the years to come.
It provides a great deal of thought and insight about these questions. And is certainly a valuable help in giving each one of some better sense of how we can understand the brave new world which is to come.
False facts, uninformed, waste o' dough August 18, 2004
5 out of 22 found this review helpful
If you want to believe an illusion, go for it. Some readers say he is well informed. Whoa. This guy talks about science without any credentials to do so.
If it makes you feel good to believe that the US is bad, the environment is collapsing, and we need socialism to survive, then this is the book for you.
If you are open minded but want truthful facts to make your own opinion, find another source.
Waste of money.
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