In the Belly of the Beast

In the Belly of the Beast: Technology, Nature, and the Human Prospect

Nature Institute Perspectives #3

In this dramatic and compelling group of essays, Steve explores the necessities and trials, the virtues and temptations, of the increasingly sophisticated technological accompaniments of our lives. From “the deceiving virtues” of Odysseus’ techné to the technological sophistication of our own day to the visions of a machine-mediated, transhuman future, this booklet distinguishes the vital from the crippling in our long and continuing relationship with technology.

Contents:

The Deceiving Virtues of Technology. The long journey from Odysseus, “man of many devices,” to the Silicon Valley “man of many gadgets.”

Hold a Blossom to the Light. Lessons from the Amazon and one of the greatest botanists of all time.

Toward an Ecological Conversation. Must we choose between controlling nature and leaving her untouched?

Love and Detachment. Our inescapable separation and even alienation from the world is a prerequisite for our reunion with it.