A brand new batch of books have arrived in the Opelika library. One of the interesting books we received is Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took on a World at War by Deborah Cohen. This looks like a fascinating read about the American reporters who covered the events and leaders leading up to World War II. These reporters traveled the world, covering not just the European theater, but also the struggles in India that resulted in the Indian Independence Act of 1947. They interviewed some of the 20th century's most famous people (such as Gandi) and were themselves talked about by people such as Virginia Woolf. One published an article on secret Nazi funds that led to a press conference by an angry Goebbels. You'll have to come look at the book to find out who that reporter was. Last Call is on display in the Opelika library.
Here’s a phrase I’m not sure I’ve heard before: “cognitive liberty.” We speak about other types of liberty often enough: freedom of speech and freedom of religion to name two. But what about “the right to self-determination over our brains and mental experiences” (Introduction, p. 8)? Before you think I’m going to tell you about a new science fiction novel we received (which I’m not), you should recognize that current advances in neurotechnology is making this a valid, indeed an urgent, concept for us to consider today. Nita A. Farahany’s 2023 book, The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology, discusses important questions such as the following pulled from the “Introduction”:
Should we—or will we want to—directly track information gleaned from our own brains, or have that information filtered for us by a trusted intermediary instead, much as we count on medical doctors to make sense of an MRI or CT?
…
Does freedom of thought protect us from government tracking our brains and mental processes? (Introduction, pp. 7-8)
The introduction alone is enough to make me wonder if we’re living in the stages leading up to some of our most popular dystopian stories. In fact, the author provides an example of an event reminiscent of The Minority Report. Neurotechnology is here to stay. In many ways it can provide needed assistance and improve lives. Farahany wants us to think about how it will change us, our society, and what we can do “to protect our freedom of thought and rumination, mental privacy, and self-determination over our brains and mental experiences” as the technology continues to advance (Introduction, p. 11). These are important concepts for each of us to consider in our increasingly connected world.
The book is currently on the New Book display in the Opelika LRC. Come by and see some of the other interesting resources we’ve received!
Farahany, N. A. (2023). The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. St. Martin’s Press. [RC 343 .F37 2023]
So, I may be biased, but I think we get some really interesting books in the library. We received some more last week and I confess, it was hard to pick one to highlight! There is the 15th edition of The Copyright Handbook which, while maybe not quite so interesting, does include information on “the emerging rules around copyright and AI.” Very timely if you are doing any writing.
Then there is Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement from Cubits to Quantum Constants by James Vincent. I certainly never gave too much thought to the “political consequences of measurement.” This looks like an interesting blend of “science and social history.” And, I learned what a “collop” is.
Finally, there is Great Short Works: A Year of Reading—Briefly by Kenneth C. Davis. This “guide to great short novels” has reminded me of some great short novels I’ve read and introduced me to some I’d like to read. Davis gives you the first few lines of the novel, a plot summary, a biographical sketch of the novel’s author, and some other things to read.
Come see us in Opelika, and find out what other interesting titles we have!
We just received some new books in the Opelika library, including several British history books and resources within the social sciences. One in particular stood out to me this month: How the World Ran Out of Everything: Inside the Global Supply Chain by Peter S. Goodman.
It was not very long ago that toilet paper was in short supply. And how was it that parents had trouble finding baby formula in the stores? Global economics correspondent for the New York Times, Goodman investigates the recent problems with our supply chain and argues for the need to reform it.
This is just one of our new books available for check out on our new book display. See the complete list of April's new books in the Opelika library organized by Library of Congress categories.
Heather Gideon
