Nonfiction

Ways of Being

Ways of Being

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  • Create Date：2023-04-07 07:52:55
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：James Bridle
  • ISBN：0141994266
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Summary

'Heady， exhilarating， often astonishing' New York Times

'Iridescently original， deeply disorientating and yet somehow radically hopeful 。。。 worth reading and rereading' Brian Eno

'Be prepared to re-evaluate your relationship with the amazing life forms with whom we share the planet。 Fascinating， innovative and thought provoking: I thoroughly recommend Ways of Being' Dr Jane Goodall， DBE

Recent years have seen rapid advances in 'artificial' intelligence， which increasingly appears to be something stranger than we ever imagined。 At the same time， we are becoming more aware of the other intelligences which have been with us all along， unrecognized。 These other beings are the animals， plants， and natural systems that surround us， and are slowly revealing their complexity and knowledge - just as the new technologies we've built are threatening to cause their extinction， and ours。

In Ways of Being， writer and artist James Bridle considers the fascinating， uncanny and multiple ways of existing on earth。 What can we learn from these other forms of intelligence and personhood， and how can we change our societies to live more equitably with one another and the non-human world？ From Greek oracles to octopuses， forests to satellites， Bridle tells a radical new story about ecology， technology and intelligence。 We must， they argue， expand our definition of these terms to build a meaningful and free relationship with the non-human， one based on solidarity and cognitive diversity。 We have so much to learn， and many worlds to gain。

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Reviews

Roy Kenagy ，

DMPL HOLD 2023_04_04 AMAZON RECOMENDATION

Shelly Buchanan ，

Blew my mind。 Completely。 Need another go after my brain recovers from all the demands of the first round。

Dakshayini Suresh ，

A deeply pedagogical book that put words to some of my most fundamental feelings about the world。 Something generous and generative and resilient about the world we live in and the potential of life itself that is not captured in a lot of the discourse around social/societal change or technological change。 I hope these sentiments if not this specific knowledge can change something about how I inhabit the space around me。 That said， have read with copious highlights and hope to do my own followin A deeply pedagogical book that put words to some of my most fundamental feelings about the world。 Something generous and generative and resilient about the world we live in and the potential of life itself that is not captured in a lot of the discourse around social/societal change or technological change。 I hope these sentiments if not this specific knowledge can change something about how I inhabit the space around me。 That said， have read with copious highlights and hope to do my own following up on the specific tidbits of knowledge that this book is packed with。 。。。more

Levan ，

“Ways of Being: Animals， Plants， Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence” is a brilliant and provocative book that challenges our conventional notions of intelligence and invites us to look beyond our human-centric perspective。 James Bridle explores the different kinds of intelligence that exist in the world， from plants and animals to machines and natural systems。 He argues that these intelligences are not separate or isolated， but connected and entangled in complex and surprising way “Ways of Being: Animals， Plants， Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence” is a brilliant and provocative book that challenges our conventional notions of intelligence and invites us to look beyond our human-centric perspective。 James Bridle explores the different kinds of intelligence that exist in the world， from plants and animals to machines and natural systems。 He argues that these intelligences are not separate or isolated， but connected and entangled in complex and surprising ways。 He also exposes the problems with today's society and technology， which are driven by a narrow and destructive vision of intelligence that ignores the diversity and richness of life on Earth。 Bridle proposes a new way of thinking and living with technology， one that respects and learns from the other intelligences that share our planet。 He calls for a planetary intelligence， a collective and collaborative effort to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all beings。This book is a fascinating and inspiring read that will make you rethink your assumptions and open your mind to new possibilities。 Bridle writes with clarity， passion， and humor， drawing on his own experiences as well as scientific research， historical anecdotes， and cultural references。 He offers both a critique and a hope for our troubled times， showing us how we can use technology as a tool for understanding and caring for ourselves and others。 Ways of Being is a must-read for anyone who wants to expand their horizons and join the search for a planetary intelligence。 。。。more

Rachel Loh ，

I found this book by chance in the library and am so glad I picked it up！ What a beautifully written book。 It was read at a time I felt afraid of technology and AI， reading this book was so helpful in changing my mind and made me feel hopeful that we could use technology in a good way for us to become better humans who can share this earth with everyone and everything else。 This book is definitely a keeper。

Sonya ，

I really liked all the interesting examples the author drew from， many of them things I hadn’t heard or thought about。 I really enjoyed the way he talked about different intelligences and how we might learn from other intelligences if we seek to accept rather than fully understand / dominate。 The author manages to instill a sense of urgency while also being hopeful and even sprinkling in humor。 I like that the author also gave many hopeful examples of how technology could be used。 He also cited I really liked all the interesting examples the author drew from， many of them things I hadn’t heard or thought about。 I really enjoyed the way he talked about different intelligences and how we might learn from other intelligences if we seek to accept rather than fully understand / dominate。 The author manages to instill a sense of urgency while also being hopeful and even sprinkling in humor。 I like that the author also gave many hopeful examples of how technology could be used。 He also cited several books I enjoy and applied them in ways I hadn’t previously thought about。I find it pretty impressive that the author was able to draw from so many different varied examples and apply them in a way that was easy to connect the dots。 。。。more

Isa ♡ ，

»Die unfassbare Vielfalt des Seins - Jenseits menschlicher Intelligenz« des Autors und Künstlers James Bridle beschäftigt sich intensiv mit Intelligenz - menschlicher， tierischer und künstlicher Intelligenz🧠🤖 und fordert ein Umdenken der engen Begriffsdefinition von ‚Intelligenz‘。 Er unterscheidet in verschiedene Arten der Intelligenz und stellt diese intensiv und anhand von Beispielen dar。 Darüber hinaus plädiert er für ein Umdenken der Menschen basierend auf der Begrenztheit des Anthopozän， de »Die unfassbare Vielfalt des Seins - Jenseits menschlicher Intelligenz« des Autors und Künstlers James Bridle beschäftigt sich intensiv mit Intelligenz - menschlicher， tierischer und künstlicher Intelligenz🧠🤖 und fordert ein Umdenken der engen Begriffsdefinition von ‚Intelligenz‘。 Er unterscheidet in verschiedene Arten der Intelligenz und stellt diese intensiv und anhand von Beispielen dar。 Darüber hinaus plädiert er für ein Umdenken der Menschen basierend auf der Begrenztheit des Anthopozän， der mehr-als-menschliche Welt und -Intelligenz sowie der Natur。 Ein sehr interessantes und wissenschaftliches Buch， das ich allen Interessierten von Intelligenz und KI 🤖 sehr empfehlen kann。 _______________________🇬🇧⬇️_______________________»Ways of Being — Beyond Human Intelligence« by author and artist James Bridle deals intensively with intelligence - human， animal and artificial intelligence and calls for a rethink of the narrow definition of 'intelligence'。 He distinguishes between different types of intelligence and presents them intensively and with examples。 Furthermore， he pleads for a rethinking of humans based on the limitations of the Anthopocene， the more-than-human world and intelligence as well as nature。 A very interesting and scientific book that I highly recommend to anyone interested in intelligence and AI 🤖。 。。。more

Tyler ，

I love the author's brain。 The book covers a lot of area and uses broad concepts to make an argument for an overwhelming connectedness between beings of all types， some surprising。 The critiques of contemporary technology and culture feel a little bit cliche and strained at times but maybe that is unavoidable。 Overall an interesting read and at times provocative。 I love the author's brain。 The book covers a lot of area and uses broad concepts to make an argument for an overwhelming connectedness between beings of all types， some surprising。 The critiques of contemporary technology and culture feel a little bit cliche and strained at times but maybe that is unavoidable。 Overall an interesting read and at times provocative。 。。。more

Dom ，

Will probably read this 11 more times。

Debby ，

On Being - pod cast was impetus to read。

Taylor ，

Fabulously interesting book that I will continue to sit with and go back to as I try to imagine how we can radically change the way technology works and what we use it for。 In addition to learning about a lot of projects that invite new ideas about the nature of computers and machines—as in， thinking about them not just something we create but maybe something that has its own way of being and purpose and is not necessarily binary or deterministic—this book also is making me reflect on what exact Fabulously interesting book that I will continue to sit with and go back to as I try to imagine how we can radically change the way technology works and what we use it for。 In addition to learning about a lot of projects that invite new ideas about the nature of computers and machines—as in， thinking about them not just something we create but maybe something that has its own way of being and purpose and is not necessarily binary or deterministic—this book also is making me reflect on what exactly “intelligence” is， what liberty/liberation looks like for nonhuman animals and plants， and how we might begin to tune ourselves in to the more than human world （likely by way of different technologies） without losing the respect for its eternal mystery。 。。。more

Sai Prasanna ，

A breathtaking dive exploring our relationship with nature and technology James pulls off a judo move of using various examples in technology as a tool to help us rethink our place in nature & reconnect with the （beyond human） world。 He weaves a fascinating tale with myriads of threads such as Cybernetics， Neural Nets， Internet， Random Numbers， Analog computers， Slime molds， Sortition vs Voting， Mycelium， Mysticism in animals， Turing machines， Personhood of non-humans etc

Linda ，

Good book on the integration of humans， animals， & computers。

Russell Blickhan ，

eeeyeah this was not for me。 didn't ever really feel like it was making a cohesive argument and I knew a lot of the examples already 🤷‍♀️ eeeyeah this was not for me。 didn't ever really feel like it was making a cohesive argument and I knew a lot of the examples already 🤷‍♀️ 。。。more

Elias Parker ，

A great general-interest book about artificial intelligence and our world。 Super interesting read so far （I'm up to chapter 3） and I feel like Bridle has a different take on things。 Again only 3 chapters in but I love the writing and storytelling， though this so far feels more like a for-pleasure new perspective book than a practical book。 A great general-interest book about artificial intelligence and our world。 Super interesting read so far （I'm up to chapter 3） and I feel like Bridle has a different take on things。 Again only 3 chapters in but I love the writing and storytelling， though this so far feels more like a for-pleasure new perspective book than a practical book。 。。。more

Erin Bucchin ，

my mind is blown。。。。 definitely parts I didn't agree with， but I learned so much and I didn't want it to end （also crops that make metal？？？？ what！！！） my mind is blown。。。。 definitely parts I didn't agree with， but I learned so much and I didn't want it to end （also crops that make metal？？？？ what！！！） 。。。more

Tricia ，

Some very interesting examples of intelligence in the natural world and the responsibility humans *should* have towards respecting that in our choices as a species on this planet。 However， I think it definitely could have used some editing。 The examples were extensive and sometimes I struggled to connect things back to the central thesis。 Glad to have learned a lot of the information though， but could have been better organized。

Kelly Dombroski ，

Fascinating book， bringing together wide ranging contemporary ideas about being and intelligence。 The only thing I would say is that I would like to see Bridle pay as much attention to citations and pointing to others for ideas as he does facts --as more-than-human theorizing has been around for some time。 But I assume it's his science training coming through， and of course clogging with citations makes something unreadable for many。 Fascinating book， bringing together wide ranging contemporary ideas about being and intelligence。 The only thing I would say is that I would like to see Bridle pay as much attention to citations and pointing to others for ideas as he does facts --as more-than-human theorizing has been around for some time。 But I assume it's his science training coming through， and of course clogging with citations makes something unreadable for many。 。。。more

Cliff M ，

This should be a really interesting book， maybe even an important book， touching as it does on artificial intelligence and how it compares to the intelligence of humans， animals and plants。 These can be fascinating topics （eg the ‘wood-wide-web first described by Dr Suzanne Simmard in 1990）。 But I listened to the audiobook being read by the author on Audible， and he comes across as a know-all， TED-talker reading a series of Wikipedia pages on his chosen subjects。 When he touches on a subject you This should be a really interesting book， maybe even an important book， touching as it does on artificial intelligence and how it compares to the intelligence of humans， animals and plants。 These can be fascinating topics （eg the ‘wood-wide-web first described by Dr Suzanne Simmard in 1990）。 But I listened to the audiobook being read by the author on Audible， and he comes across as a know-all， TED-talker reading a series of Wikipedia pages on his chosen subjects。 When he touches on a subject you know something about it feels that you his knowledge comes only from book-reading （it will never catch on！） rather than from lived experience （for a great example of the latter in a popular science book - and a great antidote / comparison to James Bridle’s book - try The Hidden Life of Trees by forester Peter Wohlleben）。 Even worse is when Bridle drops his ‘Guardian reader’ opinions into the text， often out of context and always as ‘facts’ rather than what they are - his personal opinions （NB the Guardian newspaper acts as the script for upper-middle class， champagne-socialist dinner parties in North London）。 The last chapter is particularly egregious in this regard， but it happens throughout。 In that last chapter we get his highly critical comments about the use of immigration detention centres in Australia and the building of West Bank （security） Wall in Israel dropped into the text from nowhere， completely out of nowhere， and （as I said）， as facts。 The issues isn’t whether I agree or disagree with his opinions。 The issue is that a book that claims to be about science commits the biggest sin of any first year undergraduate science essay - presenting unsupported / unexplained arguments。 This is either a science book or it isn’t - even if it is ‘only’ popular science - and trendy James Bridle is not science。 In his way， he is a posh， liberal， Jeremy Clarkson （sorry， that will take too long to explain， if you haven’t experienced JC）。I could say ‘give this one a miss’ but that would be arrogant on my part。 The ratings system tells me that lots of people love this book， and you might do so as well。 But， perhaps check the one and two star reviews as well as the rest。 。。。more

Don Rea ，

Bridle's basic message is one that I fully believe in， but not because of their book。 Either I'm getting a lot grumpier and more demanding as I get older， or writers on the subjects I'm coming to find most interesting are getting worse， because this is another example of a passionate preacher preaching to the choir。 Readers who are already sympathetic to the message may find it convincing; the truly skeptical will find few reasons to consider making up their minds。Their message， as best I can su Bridle's basic message is one that I fully believe in， but not because of their book。 Either I'm getting a lot grumpier and more demanding as I get older， or writers on the subjects I'm coming to find most interesting are getting worse， because this is another example of a passionate preacher preaching to the choir。 Readers who are already sympathetic to the message may find it convincing; the truly skeptical will find few reasons to consider making up their minds。Their message， as best I can sum it up， is that the late capitalist mind set that dominates the western （at least） world and evaluates every decision in terms of short-term wealth gain and individual benefit， regardless of shared cost， is not sustainable。 We are at a point in history where we should be able to turn our knowledge and technology to the project of moving forward together， where "together" includes animals， plants， and artificial minds。 We must， says Bridle， begin to redefine our concepts of intelligence to center active intelligence， figuring things out by doing them together， rather than Cartesian/Enlightenment concepts that center on individual genius。 What they do weakly， in my estimation， is fail to make actual arguments。 They will often assert something with one or two examples and no consideration of alternative views， and then in subsequent chapters refer to that assertion as an accepted conclusion， already dealt with。Possibly I am being unfair。 It's very provoking when a writer makes a point one agrees with entirely， badly。 I am giving it four stars anyway because I am sure I will often refer back to its bibliography， so I have to admit I will pick it up again。 。。。more

Sally Kong ，

Thoughtful survey of ideas on intelligence， ecology， politics and technology

Cheryl ，

“All the inhabitants of the earth – animals， plants and diverse others – are， whether they care about classical music or not， whether we even notice it or not， buffeted by the same vibrations in the atmosphere。 By dispensing with the fallacy of one world for all， we come to the awareness of a greater multiplicity of worlds which are held in common。 This is a far richer cosmology than the solipsism of one world; it is an acknowledgement of communal being and experience。 We share a world。 We hear， “All the inhabitants of the earth – animals， plants and diverse others – are， whether they care about classical music or not， whether we even notice it or not， buffeted by the same vibrations in the atmosphere。 By dispensing with the fallacy of one world for all， we come to the awareness of a greater multiplicity of worlds which are held in common。 This is a far richer cosmology than the solipsism of one world; it is an acknowledgement of communal being and experience。 We share a world。 We hear， plants hear; we all hear together。 We all feel the same sun， breathe the same air， drink the same water。 Whether we hear the same sounds in the same way， whether they are meaningful to us in the same way， is beside the point。 We exist， together， in the shared experience and creation of the more-than-human world。”I initially dismissed the book from the inclusion of “technology” in the title， but am glad I gave it a chance， expanding my worldview and acceptance of my reliance and happiness with technology。 It is just not something I like to read about normally， but the author has a fascinating viewpoint to learn from。 Krista Tippett （On Being） did a contemplative reading exercise with this book also， which enriched my own reading。 I may have invented contemplative reading back with my first book club group， but am okay with others vastly overachieving the concept。 It is engaging in a text with an open， curious mind and not to give a report or only a review。 There were surprisingly interesting chapters， and a few boring ones， but a lot to think about。 As the author builds his case or experience with AI， he compares them to corporations， so that we have an entity in the here and now that we can practice and innovate how we regulate and interact with any future AI that becomes more powerful or independent。 In the last few years， I have given talks at conferences and spoken on panels about the social impacts of new technology， and as a result I am sometimes asked when ‘real’ AI will arrive – meaning the era of super-intelligent machines， capable of transcending human abilities and superseding us。 When this happens， I often answer: it’s already here。 It’s corporations。 This usually gets an uncertain half-laugh， so I explain further。 We tend to imagine AI as embodied in something like a robot， or a computer， but it can really be instantiated as anything。 Imagine a system with clearly defined goals， sensors and effectors for reading and interacting with the world， the resources to carry out its will， and the legal and social standing to see that its needs are catered for， even respected。 That’s a description of an AI – it’s also a description of a modern corporation。 For this ‘corporate AI’， pleasure is growth and profitability， and pain is lawsuits and drops in shareholder value。The author ties in the concept of the “more-than-human world，” by David Abrams， who once wrote that living in a hand made wood cabin was like living in a grove of wise trees， that he felt the support and guidance of how to live。 It is the essential teaching of indigenous peoples who are writing and sharing their lessons with the world， that we have to stop thinking of nature “out there” and humans as separate。 We breathe air。 So far， no one breathes man made air except for temporarily in planes or space stations。 We drink water。 So far， no one has been able to make water in large amounts so that we can be independent of the water cycle。 Even for non tree huggers， or urban folks who like life indoors， they breathe。 And drink water。 Artificial food is a little more common but even that is based on nature made ingredients。 It is the essential thing we have lost， and that we have to regain if we want our planet to sustain us， and the human peoples to remain healthy on it。 And the others that share the planet with us from the other animals to plants。 We are nature。 Nature is us。 Both scientific and popular thought tend towards the conclusion that there are ultimately single answers to single questions。 What is intelligence？ Who possesses it？ Where do they fit into our rigid structures and hierarchies of thought and dominion？ Perhaps – whisper it – this just isn’t how the world works。 The closer we examine and the more forcefully we interrogate and attempt to classify the world， the more complex and unclassifiable it becomes。 Taxonomy after taxonomy breaks down and falls apart。 In part this is a result of our own innate limitations， the possibly insuperable problem of our own umwelt and human ways-of-being。 But it is also a problem of entanglement: the fact that in the more-than-human world， everything is hitched to everything else， and there are no hierarchies: no ‘higher’ or ‘lower’; none more， or less， evolved。 Everything is intelligent。 Now what？This decentring， an admission that the human race is not the only game in town， does not correspond to any reduction of our world。 Rather， as when we extend the virtue of intelligence to other beings， the addition of plant worlds to our own enriches both。For a long time we have been unheeding of the more-than-human intelligences which surround us， as we have been deaf to the frequency of electrons， and blind to the ultraviolet light that soaks the plants around us。 But these intelligences have been here all along， and are becoming undeniable， just at the moment when the new-found sophistication of our own technologies threatens to supersede us。 A new Copernican trauma looms， wherein we find ourselves standing upon a ruined planet， not smart enough to save ourselves， and no longer by any stretch of the imagination the smartest living things around。 Our very survival depends upon our ability to make a new compact with the more-than-human world， one which views the intelligence， the innate being， of all things – animal， vegetable and machine – not as another indication of our own superiority， but as an intimation of our ultimate interdependence， and as an urgent call to humility and careFrom here， the author goes into the deeper mists， the idea of what we don’t know yet， the mysterious， beckoning quantum field， and the concept of intra-action instead of interaction; we know the tree in the forest benefits me with oxygen， colors， shades， food， beauty and perhaps I return the favor by protecting that tree， that forest， that ecosystem， and my carbon dioxide， so we intra-act in a symbiotic way。 And technology allowed us to peek into these mists， as well as the genome sequencing and an exhilarating voyage into an around the archeological and genetic records of human ancestors: We may have all felt when looking at a great ape or other primate the strangeness of recognizing in the eyes of another species the expression of awareness， intelligence and even kinship。 How much stronger must this have been in the eyes of the Neanderthals and the Denisovans: people both culturally and physically different to us， yet sharing our caves and campfires。 And as a result， did we treat them more like colonial subjects， as subhumans， slaves or worse， the way their much later European descendants treated pretty much everyone else？ Or did we exercise compassion， empathy， love and solidarity， in the glacial winters of the Pleistocene？ The genetic record does not yet show indications of the direction of genetic flow; that is， whether pairings favoured one gender – of male humans and Neanderthal/Denisovan women， for example， or vice versa， or some equilibrium。 Such evidence might show us to be – and encourage us to remain – more open-minded。 As our archaeological and biological tools get better， as we unravel the web of life， the result is not an ordered tree， with measurable branches and clear delineations between forms and types， but a whirling dance of encounters and interrelationships。 The species start to fragment and blur; the field， from savannah to tundra and back again， fills up with players。 The mud’s churned up。 The referee can’t keep score any more。 It’s beautiful， this teeming world of ancestors and progeny， this utterly animated free-for-all， this breaking down of boundaries。 This is what the close scrutiny enabled by our technology actually reveals: not a rigid map， but a pattern of interference， all the way down to the quantum dance of the energy field behind everything。 As the author tackles the idea of climate change， they weave the use of technology in again， beautifully acknowledging that as much as we don’t want to know， the only way to the future is through knowing and then acting。 Using all the scopes we have， micro， macro， tele， we are “intra-acting” again， seeing so differently over time， and being open to the lessons that seeing brings。 Being open always， always changes us。 Living at human speed， at animal speed， it’s almost impossible to get my head around the vegetal unfolding of plant migration， an endeavour that takes places at spatial and temporal scales beyond my natural understanding。 And this is our problem。 We humans live in such a narrow slice of time and space that we are incapable of thinking of， or thinking at， the pace and scale of the world， the changes we have wrought in it， and the changes we will have to make to survive them。 Our given minds are insufficient to the task – but we do have tools to hand， technology among them。Viewing inspires awe， but practice generates knowledge and understanding。 The tools of technology， to be effective in producing altered states， require us to be full participants in their revelations， not mere audiences。 This is why it’s so important that we are given access not just to the products of all these wondrous technologies – the beautiful images shot by satellites – but to the technologies themselves。 What must be made available to all is education in their actual use: the knowledge and know-how to design and deploy them critically and thoughtfully， and real access to existing tools and processes。 It is not enough to turn the machines around – to point the satellites outward， rather than at ourselves。 They must also be shared out and placed in the hands of everyone。 The author links this concept to linguistic studies and more， Irish politics， rocky mountain wolves， poetry， biophilia， plant hyperaccumulators， and advances in technology。 It is breathtakingly ambitious and works in an inspiring way。 Like the author sped the time up so we can understand it all， using all the scopes。 The most creative and profound solutions to the most serious， knotty， systemic problems that we face can only be addressed through the application of radical cognitive diversity: the entrainment of the widest possible range of embodied viewpoints and experiences that we can muster… I confess， I’m surprised that one answer to the question， ‘how do we stop technology separating us from the natural world’ turns out to be sticking tiny digital sensors on everything。 But perhaps I shouldn’t be。 After all， if we can tune military radars to observe the migration of birds， or turn spy satellites around to learn about the origins of the universe， then we can put the tools of surveillance to work to build a more-than-human parliament。‘One word: poetry。 That’s what the world has to offer us，’ wrote Wilson in 2020。 ‘A whole series of mysteries， of possible discoveries， of phenomena， of unexpected events， and objects， and things， and living organisms and so on。 An infinitude， almost， on this planet， waiting out there to be enjoyed。 There’s so many of this in the world waiting to be explored， and savored， and described。’20 Wilson calls this hopeful urge ‘biophilia’: the belief that people have an innate affinity for other species。 I call it ‘solidarity’， the word that for me expresses both a deep love for the Earth and everything in it， and a practical politics of mutual respect， aid and support。 。。。more

Luke ，

Where I am right now， after an overlapping decades-long journey through computability， animal and ecological intelligence， finding human humility after capitalism's techno-categorizing-hubris。 Seeking an answer to how technology， how participation in understanding， should adapt to a collaborative-multiple-perspective de-centering of humanity and our binary truths。 This sticks to a deep middle， the claims Bridle makes for "opening up to the more-than-human world" are broad， pointed in good direct Where I am right now， after an overlapping decades-long journey through computability， animal and ecological intelligence， finding human humility after capitalism's techno-categorizing-hubris。 Seeking an answer to how technology， how participation in understanding， should adapt to a collaborative-multiple-perspective de-centering of humanity and our binary truths。 This sticks to a deep middle， the claims Bridle makes for "opening up to the more-than-human world" are broad， pointed in good directions， and avoid anger or hopelessness while staying critical。 My recommendations for adjacent reading would be Frans de Waal's "Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are"， Emma Marris' "Wild Souls"， Richard Power's "The Overstory"， and a lot of Ursula K LeGuin， but the bibliography has a whole stack of new reading lined up for me too。 。。。more

Robert ，

An absolutely excellent book。 I am a large fan of these types of books （travel books through ideas） and this is very well executed。 I listened to the audio version on a long road trip and James proved an able companion-- humorous， informative， far ranging， passionate and always authentic。 He also surprised me-- as he is an unapologetic technologist， I was not expecting this book to share so many values， approaches， and sentiments with myself， an agriculturalist who tends to small， slow， simple， An absolutely excellent book。 I am a large fan of these types of books （travel books through ideas） and this is very well executed。 I listened to the audio version on a long road trip and James proved an able companion-- humorous， informative， far ranging， passionate and always authentic。 He also surprised me-- as he is an unapologetic technologist， I was not expecting this book to share so many values， approaches， and sentiments with myself， an agriculturalist who tends to small， slow， simple， collaborative solutions。 Ways of being was thought provoking， entertaining， and I left its pages with a slightly different view of the world， which is an exceptional thing to have accomplished with 8 hours of listening。 。。。more

Rong Wu ，

I found this book thought-provoking yet provocative; intriguing yet unconvincing; meant well yet a little wishful thinking （at least in the foreseeable future）。 One of very few books that I dislike （but not regreting） having read it。

Roof Beam Reader （Adam） ，

Absolutely fascinating and a little mind-blowing。 Most of this was new information to me， save for bits and pieces here and there about mushrooms， Alan Truing， Plouie the Wolf… but yeah， wow。 There’s a lot to take in， yet the major theme （interconnectedness） resonated to me and was quite clear despite the variety of diverse exploration in these chapters。 Perhaps because I lean toward buddhist I was more open to what’s being posited， here， but I found it stunning and compelling。 I’m looking at th Absolutely fascinating and a little mind-blowing。 Most of this was new information to me， save for bits and pieces here and there about mushrooms， Alan Truing， Plouie the Wolf… but yeah， wow。 There’s a lot to take in， yet the major theme （interconnectedness） resonated to me and was quite clear despite the variety of diverse exploration in these chapters。 Perhaps because I lean toward buddhist I was more open to what’s being posited， here， but I found it stunning and compelling。 I’m looking at the world quite differently。 。。。more

Aileen ，

A bit dense and detailed at points but strong central idea with some beautifully articulated thoughts throughout。 Underlined many a passage

Patricia ，

This is a must-read book for anyone wondering how humans might survive the mess we seem to be sinking into deeper and deeper。 Brindle's writing is engaging and full of surprising information and absolutely amazing connections reveled fluidly and intelligently。 The range of topics expressed in the subtitle is broad， and YES， encompasses so many seemingly divergent ways of being。 But with Bridle's masterful thinking， they weave together into clear possibility and intelligent direction。 Read it！ Yo This is a must-read book for anyone wondering how humans might survive the mess we seem to be sinking into deeper and deeper。 Brindle's writing is engaging and full of surprising information and absolutely amazing connections reveled fluidly and intelligently。 The range of topics expressed in the subtitle is broad， and YES， encompasses so many seemingly divergent ways of being。 But with Bridle's masterful thinking， they weave together into clear possibility and intelligent direction。 Read it！ You won't be sorry。 。。。more

Vivify M ，

This book ultimately provided me with novel ideas and helped me challenge some of my own ways of thinking。 The authors principles seem to align with my own， but I felt that their logic and connections were flawed， compromising much of what was being said， and making me doubt the accuracy of some of what was new to me。

Ryan Seffinger ，

Not nearly as engaging or critically thoughtful as Bridle’s NEW DARK AGE。 I was looking for more analyses of power but Bridle seems to fall back mostly on a “folk politics” of a sort and offers no real suggestions for how that folk politics overcomes real exercised power。

tpg0 ，

As an AI language model， I am not capable of personal opinions or reviews， but I can provide you with information on the book "Ways of Being。" "Ways of Being" is a collection of essays and speeches by Hubert Dreyfus， an American philosopher who specialized in phenomenology and existentialism。 The book explores the nature of human existence through various philosophical perspectives， including but not limited to， Heidegger， Merleau-Ponty， Wittgenstein， and Kierkegaard。 It delves into topics such as the meaning of authenticity， the limits of knowledge， the role of technology in society， and the significance of language。 It has been described as a thought-provoking and insightful read for those interested in philosophy， particularly in existentialism and phenomenology。

tpg1 ，

As an AI language model， I don't have a personal opinion， but I can provide you with some information about the book "Ways of Being。" "Ways of Being" is a book written by Ian Bogost that explores different ways of approaching the world and our relationships with different objects and systems。 The author argues that our way of being shapes how we perceive and interact with the world around us。 The book examines various ways of being， such as machines， animals， humans， and even digital entities like robots and software。 By exploring these different ways of being， the book helps us better understand the complexities of our world and the various factors that shape our interactions with it。 Overall， "Ways of Being" is an insightful and thought-provoking read for anyone interested in philosophy， technology， and the human experience。

tpg2 ，

As an AI language model， I am not capable of having personal preferences or opinions。 However， I can provide general information about the book "Ways of Being。" "Ways of Being" is a philosophical book that explores different ways of understanding being and existence， as well as the relationships between individuals and their environment。 The book is composed of essays written by several philosophers， each offering their unique perspectives on the subject。 The topics covered in the book include phenomenology， existentialism， embodiment， empathy， and ethics。 The book also addresses some of the challenges that arise in trying to understand the nature of being， such as the difficulties of language and the limitations of human perception。 Overall， "Ways of Being" offers a thought-provoking examination of the complexities and nuances of human existence。

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Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Ways of Being

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Ways of Being&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Ways of Being&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0