Unnatural Selection

"Compelling . . . Technology is changing the landscape of society, and Roeder describes how humanity is changing along with it." —Daniel H. Wilson, author of Robopocalypse

Does the geek personify a distinct new phase in human evolution, as the environment shifts to favor their traits? This fascinating book examines the behavioral and genetic traits commonly associated with those who in the past may have been labeled or looked down upon, but have bloomed in today's "digital greenhouse." As an example, think of the competition between Mark Zuckerberg versus the Winklevoss twins, made famous in the movie The Social Network.

Mark Roeder suggests that the rise of the geek is not so much the product of Darwinian natural selection as of man-made—or unnatural—selection, which allows non-neurotypicals to thrive. He explains why geeks have become so phenomenally successful in such a short time, and why the process will further accelerate in the future, driven by breakthroughs in genetic engineering, neuropharmacology, and artificial intelligence. Unnatural Selection offers a fascinating synthesis of the latest trends in these fields and predicts a twenty-first century "cognitive arms race"—in which new technology will enable everyone to become more intelligent and "geek-like."

"A thoughtful, contemplative treatise told with wit and wisdom." —Publishers Weekly