CULTURAL CLASSIC SERIES

Thanks to Jim Yount for forwarding this:

The Cultural Classics Series By Ria University Press seeks to reprint and keep in print books deemed to be cultural classics. Your suggestions for future volumes are welcomed. The following volumes in the series have already been published:

The Prospect of Immortality Robert C. W. Ettinger  (Charles Tandy, Ph.D., Editor) ISBN-13: 978-0-9743472-3-3

ISBN-10: 0-9743472-3-X Distributed By Ingram

This 2005 edition contains an exact replica copy of the complete first edition of Robert Ettinger's 1964 cultural classic, The Prospect of Immortality. Additional materials include three original (2005) paper contributions: (1) "Ettinger's 1964 Thesis: Indefinitely Extended And Enhanced Life (Immortality) Is Probably Already Here Via Experimental Long-Term Suspended Animation" (By Charles Tandy); (2) "The State of Cryonics -- 2005" (By Jim Yount); and, (3) "A Brief History of Cryonics" (By R. Michael Perry). (Note: James Bedford began his journey as "the first cryonaut" on January 12, 1967; as of 2005, he and many others remain in cryonic hibernation.)

According to Ettinger, cryonic hibernation (experimental long-term suspended animation) of humans may provide a "door into summer" unlike any season previously known. Such patients (individuals and families in cryonic hibernation) may yet experience the transhuman condition.

Ettinger argues for his belief in "the possibility of limitless life for our generation." We should become aware of the incorrect, distorted, and oversimplified ideas presented in the popular media about cryonics. He believes that the cool logic and scientific evidence he presents should lead us to forget the horror movies and urban legends and embrace great expectations.

Man into Superman The Startling Potential of Human Evolution - And How to Be Part of It  R. C. W. Ettinger

(Charles Tandy, Ph.D., Editor) ISBN-13: 978-0-9743472-4-0 ISBN-10: 0-9743472-4-8  Distributed By Ingram

In the 1960s Ettinger founded the cryonics (cryonic hibernation) movement and authored The Prospect of Immortality. In the 1970s Ettinger helped initiate the transhumanist revolution with his Man into Superman. Ettinger sees "discontinuity in history, with mortality and humanity on one side -- on the other immortality and transhumanity."

Cryonic hibernation (experimental long-term suspended animation) of humans may provide a "door into summer" unlike any season previously known. Such patients (individuals and families in cryonic hibernation) may yet experience the transhuman condition. Ettinger argues for his belief in "the possibility of limitless life for our generation." We should become aware of the incorrect, distorted, and oversimplified ideas presented in the popular media about cryonics and transhumanism. Ettinger believes that the cool logic and scientific evidence he presents should lead us to forget the horror movies and urban legends and embrace great expectations.

This 2005 edition contains an exact replica copy of the complete first edition of Ettinger's 1972 cultural classic, Man into Superman. Additional (2005) materials include comments by others -- "Developments In Transhumanism 1972-2005" -- written especially for this 21st century edition. For example, Dr. Nick Bostrom, a professional philosopher at the University of Oxford (UK) and a founder of the World Transhumanist Association, provides us with "A Short History of Transhumanist Thought."

ABOUT THE DEATH AND ANTI-DEATH SERIES

The Death And Anti-Death Series By Ria University Press discusses issues and controversies related to death, life extension, and anti-death. A variety of differing points of view are presented and argued. The following volumes in the series have been published:

Death And Anti-Death, Volume 1: One Hundred Years After N. F. Fedorov (1829-1903)

Charles Tandy, Ph.D., Editor Volume One ISBN-13: 978-0-9743472-0-2  Volume One ISBN-10: 0-9743472-0-5

Distributed By Ingram

The anthology discusses a number of interdisciplinary cultural, psychological, metaphysical, and moral issues and controversies related to death, life extension, and anti-death. This first volume in the series is in honor of the 19th century Russian philosopher N. F. Fedorov. (Some of the contributions are about Fedorov; most are not.) Each of the 17 chapters includes a selected or short bibliography. The anthology also contains an Introduction and an Index -- as well as an Abstracts section that serves as an extended table of contents.

A variety of differing points of view are presented and argued. Most of the 400-plus pages consists of contributions unique to this volume. Although of interest to the general reader, the anthology functions well as a textbook for university courses in culture studies, death-related controversies, ethics, futuristics, humanities, interdisciplinary studies, life extension issues, metaphysics, and psychology.

Death And Anti-Death, Volume 2: Two Hundred Years After Kant, Fifty Years After Turing

Charles Tandy, Ph.D., Editor Volume Two ISBN-13: 978-0-9743472-2-6

Volume Two ISBN-10: 0-9743472-2-1 Distributed By Ingram

The following contributions are original to this volume of the Death And Anti-Death Series By Ria University Press:

·         Is The Universe Immortal?: Is Cosmic Evolution Never-Ending? (By Charles Tandy)

·         Death As Metaphor (By Lawrence Kimmel)

·         Fantasies Of Immortality (By Werner J. Wagner)

·         What Will The Immortals Eat? (By George M. Young)

·         Cultural Death Understanding (By Anthony S. Dawber)

·         Death And Immortality: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas And Descartes On The Soul (By Carol O’Brien)

·         Against The Immortality Of The Soul (By Matt McCormick)

·         Why Death Is (Probably) Bad For You: A Common Sense Approach (By R.C.W. Ettinger)

·         Resurrecting Kant's Postulate Of Immortality (By Scott R. Stroud)

·         Immortality and Finitude: Kant's Moral Argument Reconsidered (By Douglas Burnham)

·         Death, Harm, And The Deprivation Theory (By Jack Li) (Author now known as Jack Lee)

·         To Be Or Not To Be: The Zombie In The Computer (By R.C.W. Ettinger)

·         The Future Of Human Evolution (By Nick Bostrom)

·         Earthlings Get Off Your Ass Now!: Becoming Person, Learning Community (By Charles Tandy)

Death And Anti-Death, Volume 3: Fifty Years After Einstein, One Hundred Fifty Years After Kierkegaard

Charles Tandy, Ph.D., Editor Volume Three ISBN-13: 978-0-9743472-6-4 Volume Three ISBN-10: 0-9743472-6-4

Distributed By Ingram

All books published by Ria University Press are distributed by the major book distributor Ingram and thus are available from most all bookstores. This includes Amazon.com and BN.com and many others. The ACS bookstore is Amazon.com connected, so this makes it all very easy. You may search via ISBN:PofI: 097434723X MintoS: 0974347248 Each is offered by Amazon.com at 34% OFF and "usually ships in 24 hours."

Volume Three in the Death And Anti-Death Series By Ria University Press is in honor of Albert Einstein and Soren Kierkegaard. The chapters do not necessarily mention Einstein or Kierkegaard. The 17 chapters (by professional philosophers and other professional scholars) are directed to issues related to death, life extension, and anti-death. Most of the 400-plus pages consists of scholarship unique to this volume. Includes index.

The titles of the 17 chapters are as follows:

·         Death And Life Support Systems: A Novel Cultural Exploration by Giorgio Baruchello

·         Recent Developments In The Ethics, Science, And Politics Of Life-Extension by Nick Bostrom

·         Life, And The Concept Of A Relativistic Field In Kant by Douglas Burnham

·         Towards An Ethics Of Ontogeny by Anthony S. Dawber

·         An Easy Death by Mikhail Epstein

·         Fear Of Death And Muddled Thinking – It Is So Much Worse Than You Think by Robin Hanson

·         The Illusiveness Of Immortality by James J. Hughes

·         A Question Of Endings by Lawrence Kimmel

·         What Is Left After Death? by Jack Lee

·         Life Extension And Pleasure: Can The Prolongation Of (Self) Consciousness Deliver Greater Pleasure Or Happiness? by Carol O’Brien

·         Raising The Dead Scientifically: Fedorov's Project In A Modern Form by R. Michael Perry

·         The Emulation Argument: A Modification Of Bostrom's Simulation Argument by Charles Tandy

·         Managing The Consequences Of Rapid Social Change by Natasha Vita-More

·         Eros And Thanatos – The Establishment Of Individuality by Werner J. Wagner

·         Universal Superlongevity: Is It Inevitable And Is It Good? by Mark Walker

·         Return To A Pristine Ecosphere Via Molecular Nanotechnology by Sinclair T. Wang

·         Fedorov's Legacy: The Cosmist View Of Man's Role In The Universe by George M. Young

 Charles Tandy, Ph.D.

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