God, Human, Animal, Machine

Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning

By: Meghan O'Gieblyn

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

A strikingly original exploration of what it might mean to be authentically human in the age of artificial intelligence, from the author of the critically-acclaimed Interior States. • "At times personal, at times philosophical, with a bracing mixture of openness and skepticism, it speaks thoughtfully and articulately to the most crucial issues awaiting our future."—Phillip Lopate

“[A] truly fantastic book.”—Ezra Klein

For most of human history the world was a magical and enchanted place ruled by forces beyond our understanding. The rise of science and Descartes's division of mind from world made materialism our ruling paradigm, in the process asking whether our own consciousness—i.e., souls—might be illusions. Now the inexorable rise of technology, with artificial intelligences that surpass our comprehension and control, and the spread of digital metaphors for self-understanding, the core questions of existence—identity, knowledge, the very nature and purpose of life itself—urgently require rethinking.

Meghan O'Gieblyn tackles this challenge with philosophical rigor, intellectual reach, essayistic verve, refreshing originality, and an ironic sense of contradiction. She draws deeply and sometimes humorously from her own personal experience as a formerly religious believer still haunted by questions of faith, and she serves as the best possible guide to navigating the territory we are all entering.

©2021 Meghan O'Gieblyn (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

Recipient of the Benjamin Hadley Danks Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters

Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science & Technology

Featured on the New York Times Book Review’s Paperback Row

“O’Gieblyn’s loosely linked and rigorously thoughtful meditations on technology, humanity and religion mount a convincing and occasionally moving apologia for that ineliminable wrench in the system, the element that not only browses and buys but feels: the embattled, anachronistic and indispensable self. God, Human, Animal, Machine is a hybrid beast, a remarkably erudite work of history, criticism and philosophy, but it is also, crucially, a memoir.”—The New York Times

“Meghan O’Gieblyn’s essays are 'personal' in that they are portraits of the private thoughts, curiosities, and uncertainties that thrive in O’Gieblyn’s mind about selfhood, meaning, moral responsibility, and faith. There's nowhere her avid intellect won't go in its quest to find, if not 'meaning,' then the available modern tools we might use, today, as humans, to create it. O’Gieblyn is a brilliant and humble philosopher, and her book is an explosively thought-provoking, candidly personal ride I wished never to end. This book is such an original synthesis of ideas and disclosures. It introduces what will soon be called the O’Gieblyn genre of essay writing.”—Heidi Julavits, author of The Folded Clock

"A fascinating exploration of our enchantment with technology."—Eula Biss, author of Having and Being Had

Fantastic

This book is a slow build with circular seeding of ideas throughout the chapters. The last couple of chapters are really amazing. Highly recommend.

Insightful and cleared eyed

Everything that’s old is new again. A comprehensive synthesis of religion and technology thinking that points to the blind spots in both systems. An uplifting ode to humanism.

Brilliant insights and unique storytelling

O’Gieblyn provides a deep dive into consciousness, technology, spirituality and theology while maintaining a unique personal voice and original writing that expands both the mind and the heart.

Excellent Philosophical Exploration

Excellent exploration of the intricacies between theology and technology, and the metaphors and questions that apply to each. Will be listening again!

Exploring what it means to be human

Woah! One of the most thought-provoking reads. It's deep and out there but so good. Exploring what it means to be human, the relationship between humans, technology and AI through the lens of religion and spirituality. Think humanity, transhumanism, uploading your mind to the cloud and the singularity... prompting questions about whether machines can possess a soul or consciousness. Aspects of data, patterns and how we are evolving. Highly recommend.

What a beautiful production!

This is one of those audio books that leave me wanting more, but frustrating, because there is nothing else like it. The narrator is truly wonderful, and the writer and her slightly esoteric world view is now on my radar, and I will follow her work wherever she decides to take me. A very special book that I highly recommend. There are not enough stars in the night sky to rate this book.

anthropomorphic feelings and machines

understanding anthropomorphic feelings and machines and how we see objects ts and systems. the author does a good job explaining her vision of what is life?

Brilliant

Meghan has articulated a path through religion, philosophy, technology and artificial intelligence, that pulls together, thought through the ages and ties it too current ideas of consciousness. Amazing.

Terrific!

This is an outstanding and thought provoking discourse on AI and its impact on our lives. My only quibble is with the pronunciation of Max Weber’s name. He was German and it should have been pronounced properly. Otherwise, the book was fascinating from beginning to end.

Utterly Fantastic

This is the best thing I've read this year! I've already bought 2 copies for friends