Reviews from Amazon

Eternity

As a species we tend to be very short term in our thinking - we are preoccupied with the way things are now, and find it hard to think that it may be otherwise. In Eternity: Our Next Billion Years Michael Hanlon tries to get away from such parochialism and looks at our prospects for the long term.

Of course some things may not be so easy to change - global warming and the inequalities in wealth, for instance - but it is likely that in a century or so our concerns will be very different. Enhanced health and intellectual life are probable, although Hanlon doesn't think that the 'simgularity' particularly likely. Hanlon worries about what will happen to other species on our planet, as well as the loss of linguistic diversity. There's also a running theme throughout the book looking at what might happen if machines really did take over. The final chapter looks at the likely state of the earth in a billion years time.

I didn't think that the book was particularly deep - Hanlon is giving an broad overview of possible futures, rather going into detail of what the technology might be like or trying to argue for one particular path. However, it is an entertaining read, and has some thought provoking ideas.

Amazon.com info

Hardcover 280 pages
ISBN: 0230219314
Salesrank: 1088345
Weight:0.79 lbs

Published: 2008 Palgrave Macmillan

Amazon price $18.96

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Amazon.co.uk info

Hardcover 280 pages
ISBN: 0230219314
Salesrank: 234460
Weight:0.79 lbs

Published: 2008 Macmillan Science

Amazon price £11.40

Marketplace:New from £0.99:Used from £0.62

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Amazon.ca info

Hardcover 280 pages
ISBN: 0230219314
Salesrank: 326692
Weight:0.79 lbs

Published: 2008 Palgrave Macmillan

Amazon price CDN$ 17.61

Marketplace:New from CDN$ 7.49:Used from CDN$ 7.51

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Product Description
It has become received wisdom that our world is doomed, that we live in the End of Days. Bleak predictions by psychics and scientists alike portend extreme weather, droughts, famines and floods that will overtake humanity within the century, or sooner. If not global warming, then supervolcanoes, meteoric impacts, nuclear war, bioterrorism, or natural plagues will get us. But whatever happens, Michael Hanlon believes that humankind will go on...and on. The shape of things to come will be strange, and somewhat terrifying, but will very likely seem banal to the people who inhabit it in the future. Humankind may be thrown back to the Stone Age on hundreds of occasions and may come close to extinction. But recovery will follow--each time more rapidly than the last. The world of 10,000 years hence, let alone 100,000,000 years hence, will be strange and almost unrecognizable. But no matter how battered and re-born, it will still be our world, populated by us through eternity.

Product Description

It has become received wisdom that our world is doomed, that we live in the End of Days. Bleak predictions by psychics and scientists alike portend extreme weather, droughts, famines and floods that will overtake humanity within the century, or sooner. If not global warming, then supervolcanoes, meteoric impacts, nuclear war, bioterrorism, or natural plagues will get us. But whatever happens, Michael Hanlon believes that humankind will go on...and on. The shape of things to come will be strange, and somewhat terrifying, but will very likely seem banal to the people who inhabit it in the future. Humankind may be thrown back to the Stone Age on hundreds of occasions and may come close to extinction. But recovery will follow--each time more rapidly than the last. The world of 10,000 years hence, let alone 100,000,000 years hence, will be strange and almost unrecognizable. But no matter how battered and re-born, it will still be our world, populated by us through eternity.

Fun read, great dinner discussion with other geeks ****
I thought this book was an incredibly fun read. It's broken into two sections: plausible speculation about the next hundred years, then WILD speculation about the next thousand, ten thousand and million years. The first half of the book is fairly depressing: in short, the rich will likely get richer, the poor will suffer more. On the bright side, Hanlon presents his arguments for why non of our doomsday scenarios will pan out and is very optimistic about our short term survival. The second half is the fun half. It reads like a string of science fiction short stories, spanning topics from machine sentience, human civilization discovering lost relics from our "ancient" society and the social implications, first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence, and more. I've found the topics to be great geek discussion ammunition at dinner or over beers. The book moves at a brisk pace, but is very accessible. I disagree with an earlier review about this book being boring and repetitive. It moves quickly and is an absolute blast to talk about.

Fun read, great dinner discussion with other geeks ****

I thought this book was an incredibly fun read. It's broken into two sections: plausible speculation about the next hundred years, then WILD speculation about the next thousand, ten thousand and million years. The first half of the book is fairly depressing: in short, the rich will likely get richer, the poor will suffer more. On the bright side, Hanlon presents his arguments for why non of our doomsday scenarios will pan out and is very optimistic about our short term survival.

The second half is the fun half. It reads like a string of science fiction short stories, spanning topics from machine sentience, human civilization discovering lost relics from our "ancient" society and the social implications, first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence, and more. I've found the topics to be great geek discussion ammunition at dinner or over beers.

The book moves at a brisk pace, but is very accessible. I disagree with an earlier review about this book being boring and repetitive. It moves quickly and is an absolute blast to talk about.

Great Idea *****
I haven't read this book, nor do I plan to. (Although I might give it a skim should I come across it in a library or bookstore by accident.) Even so, I give this book five stars...not because of its content, which probably is superficial, repetitive, and banal, as mentioned elsewhere...but because of the power of the concept, which comes through loud and clear even just from the book summary. I give credit to the author for a great idea for a book, even if he himself was not up to the task of its realization. Without a doubt, future authors will at least see the title, and become inspired themselves to produce more convincing works expanding on the concept of placing humankind's journey in the context of the history of the universe.

Great Idea *****

I haven't read this book, nor do I plan to. (Although I might give it a skim should I come across it in a library or bookstore by accident.) Even so, I give this book five stars...not because of its content, which probably is superficial, repetitive, and banal, as mentioned elsewhere...but because of the power of the concept, which comes through loud and clear even just from the book summary. I give credit to the author for a great idea for a book, even if he himself was not up to the task of its realization. Without a doubt, future authors will at least see the title, and become inspired themselves to produce more convincing works expanding on the concept of placing humankind's journey in the context of the history of the universe.

Silly and superficial *
This is a very silly book, reptitive and unsatisfying. Does not live up to the hype of the cover. Give it a miss is my recommendation

Silly and superficial *

This is a very silly book, reptitive and unsatisfying. Does not live up to the hype of the cover. Give it a miss is my recommendation

Eternity: Our Next Billion Years ****
Definitely a mind-opener that gives you plenty of food for thought. It would appear that we should start preparing for some seriously long space trips some time soon. However, a lot of things can change in a billion years, but this book is a great read for mind-travelling.

Eternity: Our Next Billion Years ****

Definitely a mind-opener that gives you plenty of food for thought. It would appear that we should start preparing for some seriously long space trips some time soon. However, a lot of things can change in a billion years, but this book is a great read for mind-travelling.

Eternity ****
A very entertaining read, setting the imagination running as to the possibilities of the human race and the Earth. We ain't going to live forever, that's for sure, but this book sets out so many possibilities of what we could achieve. We are still after all wallowing in the swamp on the scale of time we are talking about here, but this book spells out in a very readable and easy-to-grasp way, what our descendants could achieve. Worth reading if our future interests you, but view it only as a possibility.

Eternity ****

A very entertaining read, setting the imagination running as to the possibilities of the human race and the Earth. We ain't going to live forever, that's for sure, but this book sets out so many possibilities of what we could achieve. We are still after all wallowing in the swamp on the scale of time we are talking about here, but this book spells out in a very readable and easy-to-grasp way, what our descendants could achieve. Worth reading if our future interests you, but view it only as a possibility.

Good! ****
Good book, informative and as the previous reviewer states it's very difficult to put down! It raised some very interesting points and theories. However, I did get the impression that the author got a little bored (or rushed) about two thirds of the way through. Which is slightly ironic saying the book is about the next billion years or so.

Good! ****

Good book, informative and as the previous reviewer states it's very difficult to put down! It raised some very interesting points and theories.

However, I did get the impression that the author got a little bored (or rushed) about two thirds of the way through. Which is slightly ironic saying the book is about the next billion years or so.

Fantastic detailed and well-written ****
A difficult book to put down. Combining science fact with detailed and plausible possibilities, this is a detailed and well-researched title which simultaneously praises human achievement and also puts us in our place in the grand scheme of things. The book is set out in three different parts, each interesting and thought-provoking: I) Possible scenarios and challenges that will face us and our planet in the next few centuries. This part is fairly grounded in reality. II) Focuses on our evolving planet and makes educated guesses and assumptions as to what changes we can expect to see over the next few millennia. III) A series of well-written 'future histories', each very different from the last. This is the first book I've read by the author and I am already ordering a second.

Fantastic detailed and well-written ****

A difficult book to put down.

Combining science fact with detailed and plausible possibilities, this is a detailed and well-researched title which simultaneously praises human achievement and also puts us in our place in the grand scheme of things.

The book is set out in three different parts, each interesting and thought-provoking:
I) Possible scenarios and challenges that will face us and our planet in the next few centuries. This part is fairly grounded in reality.
II) Focuses on our evolving planet and makes educated guesses and assumptions as to what changes we can expect to see over the next few millennia.
III) A series of well-written 'future histories', each very different from the last.

This is the first book I've read by the author and I am already ordering a second.