Robert Aunger received his Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA. He has taught at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Cambridge. He was until recently a Research Fellow at King's College, Cambridge, and is currently affiliated with the Department of Biological Anthropology at the same university. He organized the first academic conference dedicated to memes, which resulted in his book Darwinizing Culture: The Status of Memetics as a Science. He lives in Cambridge, England.
""The Electric Meme" is not only a critical, detailed and coherent
development of the meme idea, it also improves our understanding of
genes, prions, computer viruses, information theory and
neurophysiology as well. Aunger even asks the most fundamental
question of all -- do we have memes or do our memes have
us?"--David L. Hull, Northwestern University, author of The
Metaphysics of Evolution
"Sometimes it can take a generation for a simple concept to be
clearly articulated...This is without question the most erudite and
penetrating book yet written on memes. Potentially, it heralds the
beginning of a new science."--Terrence W. Deacon, Boston
University, author of The Symbolic Species
"Unlike others who write about cultural evolution, Robert Aunger
has actually studied it in the field as a practicing
anthropologist. He is also an accomplished evolutionary theorist.
This makes him uniquely qualified to write about memes. In this
clear, well-written, and challenging book, he addresses the
important and difficult issues of memetics with ease, and puts
forward novel ideas that are sure to stir great interest and also
controversy."--Dan Sperber, French National Center for Scientific
Research, coauthor of Relevance; author of Explaining Culture
"What makes "The Electric Meme" a welcome addition is that Aunger
takes a serious crack at turning memetics into a more rigorous
science, one that can uncover, like a microbiologist looking at a
virus, both the structure and transmission of memes. Be warned,
however: your memes may never be the same again."--Marc D. Hauser,
Harvard University, author of Wild Minds
"What more, one might ask, needed to be said about memes? The
answer turns out to be plenty, and Robert Aunger says it clearly,
intelligently and entertainingly."--Richard Dawkins, Oxford
University, author of The Selfish Gene
"With good examples and lively prose, Aunger explores the question:
just how tangible are the units of cultural replication that we
call memes? His far-reaching answers will surprise and stimulate
readers."--Kevin Padian, Department of Integrative Biology,
University of California, Berkeley
"With this book, Robert Aunger puts memetics decisively on the
intellectual map. "The Electric Meme" will eclipse the field as the
inaugural book of a whole new school of social science and cultural
history."--Daniel Dennett, Tufts University, author of
Consciousness Explained and Darwin's Dangerous Idea
Dan Sperber French National Center for Scientific Research,
coauthor of "Relevance;" author of "Explaining Culture" Unlike
others who write about cultural evolution, Robert Aunger has
actually studied it in the field as a practicing anthropologist. He
is also an accomplished evolutionary theorist. This makes him
uniquely qualified to write about memes. In this clear,
well-written, and challenging book, he addresses the important and
difficult issues of memetics with ease, and puts forward novel
ideas that are sure to stir great interest and also
controversy.
Daniel Dennett Tufts University, author of "Consciousness
Explained" and "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" With this book, Robert
Aunger puts memetics decisively on the intellectual map. "The
Electric Meme" will eclipse the field as the inaugural book of a
whole new school of social science and cultural history.
David L. Hull Northwestern University, author of "The Metaphysics
of Evolution""The Electric Meme" is not only a critical, detailed
and coherent development of the meme idea, it also improves our
understanding of genes, prions, computer viruses, information
theory and neurophysiology as well. Aunger even asks the most
fundamental question of all -- do we have memes or do our memes
have us?
Kevin Padian Department of Integrative Biology, University of
California, Berkeley With good examples and lively prose, Aunger
explores the question: just how tangible are the units of cultural
replication that we call memes? His far-reaching answers will
surprise and stimulate readers.
Marc D. Hauser Harvard University, author of "Wild Minds" What
makes "The Electric Meme" a welcome addition is that Aunger takes a
serious crack at turning memetics into a more rigorous science, one
that can uncover, like a microbiologist looking at a virus, both
the structure and transmission of memes. Be warned, however: your
memes may never be the same again.
Richard Dawkins Oxford University, author of "The Selfish Gene"
What more, one might ask, needed to be said about memes? The answer
turns out to be plenty, and Robert Aunger says it clearly,
intelligently and entertainingly.
Terrence W. Deacon Boston University, author of "The Symbolic
Species" Sometimes it can take a generation for a simple concept to
be clearly articulated...This is without question the most erudite
and penetrating book yet written on memes. Potentially, it heralds
the beginning of a new science.
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