Sex Robots and Vegan Meat:
Adventures at the Frontier of Birth, Food, Sex and Death
byJenny Kleeman (Goodreads Author)
really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 626 ratings · 118 reviews
What if we could have babies without having to bear children, eat meat without killing animals, have the perfect sexual relationship without compromise or choose the time of our painless death?
To find out, Jenny Kleeman has interviewed a sex robot, eaten a priceless lab-grown chicken nugget, watched foetuses growing in plastic bags and attended members-only meetings where people learn how to kill themselves.
Many of the people Kleeman has met say they are finding solutions to problems that have always defined and constricted humankind. But what truly motivates them? What kind of person devotes their life to building a death machine? What kind of customer is desperate to buy an artificially intelligent sex doll – and why? Who is campaigning against these advances, and how are they trying to stop them? And what about the many unintended consequences such inventions will inevitably unleash?
Sex Robots & Vegan Meat is not science fiction. It’s not about what might happen one day – it’s about what is happening right now, and who is making it happen. In the end, it asks a simple question: are we about to change what it means to be human . . . for ever? (less)
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Review
Thoughtful and diverting . . . Kleeman’s sceptical, humane instincts help her to unpack the possibilities of frontier tech . . . Even if it doesn’t have the answers, this elegantly written and eye-opening book poses the right questions -- Ed Cumming ― inews.co.uk
Mesmerising ― Daily Mail
Kleeman’s entertaining survey of the latest advances in life sciences . . . a little like Louis Theroux channelling Margaret Atwood. She is an accomplished storyteller -- Johanna Thomas-Corr ― New Statesman
A pleasingly sceptical investigation into the innovations that could change the way we eat, have sex and die . . . Reading [Kleeman's] book, you are left dismayed not so much by what lies ahead as by the current reality of the men with planet-sized egos vying with one another to control birth, food, sex and death. It’s a habit that’s as old as the hills -- Fiona Sturges ― Guardian
Sex Robots and Vegan Meat is a tour of the lurid fringes of the tech world, which will appeal to fans of Mark O’Connell’s To Be a Machine. Kleeman is an acerbic guide, whose understated common sense contrasts with the grandiosity of her interviewees. ― The Times
Fascinating . . . an epic exercise in concision – all four of these sprawling chapters could have run to books on their own, and at times I wish they had' -- Eleanor Halls ― Daily Telegraph
The real treat is Kleeman’s insatiable curiosity, pushing her to ask the difficult questions, even when conversations take an awkward turn (as they so often do) . . . A moreish page-turner of a book that will leave you feeling informed and ready for the next dinner party. ― Press Association
Kleeman goes behind-the-scenes of some of the most futuristic creations out there . . . a fascinating look at what the future holds and what it means to be human ― Dazed
This eye-opening debut is a compelling investigation into the implications of the cutting-edge technologies that aim to deliver the perfect partner, the perfect gestation, the perfect meat and the perfect death. The sceptical Kleeman makes a witty and tenacious guide -- Caroline Sanderson ― The Bookseller, Editor's Choice
A fascinating examination of what the future holds, and of what it means to be human. Jenny Kleeman writes with wit and a wealth of knowledge that ensures you will never look at a chicken nugget in quite the same way again. -- Elizabeth Day, author of How to Fail and The Party
The future is a fairly scary place, but there is no better guide to it than Jenny Kleeman. By turns alarming, funny, thought-provoking and fascinating, this is a book that brilliantly shows us where much of our life (and death) is heading. -- Stig Abell
An unforgettable journey into the near future by a fabulously gifted writer -- Will Storr, author of Selfie and The Science of Storytelling
A brilliant, thought-provoking book full of strange details, fascinating people and challenging ideas. A necessary book that wears its wealth of research lightly. As Jenny Kleeman says, this isn't science fiction, and yet some of the images will haunt me for years to come. -- Nell Frizzell, author of The Panic Years
I loved this book. A fascinating and often frightening dispatch from the near future, where we have sex with robots and grow babies in artificial wombs . . . and the craziest thing is that this isn’t decades away, it’s happening right now. Jenny Kleeman writes in such an engaging way – as well as posing big questions about what these developments mean to humanity, we get to know the quirks and obsessions of the individuals driving these huge changes. It’s a very human book about the people who might change humanity forever. -- Marianne Power, author of Help Me!
Kleeman approaches the future as a reporter firmly grounded in the present; her method is to journey to the frontier and take a long look around . . . Kleeman’s capacious curiosity opens up a kaleidoscopic view of an issue . . . her insights feel earned . . . Kleeman recognizes that technology has the power to shape human life, of course, but she is also interested in interrogating that power, and understanding who exactly gets to wield it. -- Amanda Hess ― New York Times
Jul 27, 2020Sencer Berrak rated it it was amazing
Incredibly well written thought provoking book. The selection of sex, food, birth and death allows a perfect flow. The characters were very engaging and the I absolutely loved the core message of the book which you should definitely find out for yourself. I immediately started reading her articles on Guardian after the book and those are also highly recommended.
Sep 28, 2020Sea_otter rated it it was ok
The book deals with interesting topics that should be discussed: sex robots, cultured meat, euthanasia machines and growing babies outside of the womb. By reading the book you learn about the recent developments in these fields which for me made it worth the read. However, I struggled to read the book through and found it very frustrating because of the irritating author. Her shtick is to be cynical and negative, which is annoying enough, but she also talks way too much about herself. She seems to take particular pleasure in detailing her negative impressions about people she meets and the critical questions she asks them. Her criticisms, however, are so basic they aren't worth reading about. An example: "Then she talks about Paro, a fluffy, white, AI-enhanced robotic seal pup from Japan [...] There is something so terribly sad about people in nursing homes having robotic pets when what they really need is human contact". For each of the topics she takes the most prejudiced, conservative and unreflective stance, and there is never any depth in the conversations about the issues.
She isn't able to reflect on the topics touched, rather, there are the interviews with the people she meets (who she takes to be mostly ridiculous, evil or money hungry tech enthusiasts), followed by her strongly worded, little reflected opinion as if it was the final word. She has simply decided that sex robots, cultured meat and euthanasia machines are wrong, and she uses the cheapest tricks to convince the reader about that. (less)
Jan 10, 2021Sarah rated it it was ok
There’s interesting stuff here, but ultimately I couldn’t stand the author’s snarky persona and doomsday speculations. Her main complaint about vegan meat, for example, seems to be that it will give corporations too much power over our food supply—which made me wonder where she thinks we get our food now. It would be fascinating to learn more about the same topics from a different, more thoughtful, journalist.
Sep 08, 2020Dramatika rated it it was amazing
One of those books that stay with you makes you think for some time afterwards. A pure pleasure to read of exciting new things that soon will change our world as we know it.
Some sections were more interesting and new to me than others. I've heard a lot of the sex dolls for men (99% of the merchandise are female models), but never thought of ethical staff regarding its use, especially in the context of possible creation of child like models. I must say that women are more pragmatic fully understanding that various devices are never meant to substitute real life people.
The section on meat was quiet educational as well. I've been vegetarian since the age of 15, even tried veganism for two years (found it too restricting and unsustainable in the long run). Now I'm vegetarian most of the time but do eat fish and even very lean meat occasionally). My experience with vegetarianism was easy except for forgoing fish and seafood. I love the idea that one day we might enjoy real grown up food resembling fish, so far the most difficult meat to imitate!
Did I mention that this wonderful book is written by a woman? I must say that the most exciting staff is in the middle of the book with the truly pioneering science of artificial wombs! As a school girl I was traumatized by the lesson of the child birth and never even could contemplate the barbaric idea of pregnancy and giving birth myself. One of the reasons I started thinking of never having kids was this horror that is still with me. I don't know if I would have kids otherwise (numerous other reasons for being child free are still there) but the idea of never having to go through this torture for the body is very very intriguing! I feel envious for the future generation of women!
The part on the pain free hassle free easy way to end the hell that each and all of us are forced to endure is the wonderful ending to this book. Nothing so far as easy and no idea when it would be thanks to the sadistic regulations in most countries so far. Too bad.
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I really wanted to enjoy this - the subjects are really interesting - but the writing style just didn't suit me at all. My issue, not the book's, I'm sure other people will enjoy it very much. These subjects really are important and they're interesting to learn about. Just maybe from another book, for me personally. (less)
Jun 26, 2021Kaitlin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
*I was sent this by the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
I found this book thoroughly fascinating, right from the first sight of the cover, through to the epilogue which discussed in detail all the things Kleeman explores in the book, it was cutting-edge, thought-provoking and sometimes hard to believe. The technologies and advances discussed in the book feel as though they are things which would be found in sci fi novels. The crazy reality where these things exist on the market is hard to believe, yet we're already in that world!
In this book Kleeman gives a solid overview of some of the upcoming technologies for four key areas of life: birth, death, sex and food. She explores all over the world to uncover the leaders in these technologies, and see what their driving motives and hopes for their products are. It's a down-to-earth book but with so much insight to offer and Kleeman also expands with her own views on the hard topics; she doesn't shy away when conversation gets tough.
Honestly, this is one of the best non fiction reads I've picked up and it's relevant to everyone right now as these technologies are coming. I'd highly recommend it and gave it 5*s. (less)
I found this book thoroughly fascinating, right from the first sight of the cover, through to the epilogue which discussed in detail all the things Kleeman explores in the book, it was cutting-edge, thought-provoking and sometimes hard to believe. The technologies and advances discussed in the book feel as though they are things which would be found in sci fi novels. The crazy reality where these things exist on the market is hard to believe, yet we're already in that world!
In this book Kleeman gives a solid overview of some of the upcoming technologies for four key areas of life: birth, death, sex and food. She explores all over the world to uncover the leaders in these technologies, and see what their driving motives and hopes for their products are. It's a down-to-earth book but with so much insight to offer and Kleeman also expands with her own views on the hard topics; she doesn't shy away when conversation gets tough.
Honestly, this is one of the best non fiction reads I've picked up and it's relevant to everyone right now as these technologies are coming. I'd highly recommend it and gave it 5*s. (less)
Oct 31, 2020lola rated it did not like it
I don't like writing negative reviews but Jesus her cruel shamey editorializing about the people giving her their time for free...I had to put it down before I made it to the end of the sex dolls chapter. (less)
Nov 09, 2020Jamie Klingler rated it it was amazing
Am fascinated by the ethical questions raised during every part of the book. Really enjoyed the way each section posed questions about the technology and who would benefit and who would suffer. It raised lots of questions for me, especially around surrogacy and the women whose womb’s are being taken for granted because of their socio economic status and choosing dignified death. I gave three copies of the book to friends, just because I want to keep talking about it. Really recommend.
Absolutely loved this book. Incredibly well written and researched- it raises ethical questions about how much we want technology involved with our lives, birth, death and food.
I found it challenged me in places to think about aspects of this I hadn’t previously. I loved it.
I found it challenged me in places to think about aspects of this I hadn’t previously. I loved it.
Apr 18, 2021Toria rated it it was amazing
Things are changing, fast. This is a book that deals with a lot of subjects about things that seem to be from a Sci fi novel but is actually in the process right now and might be available in the future. What if you could have a baby that isn't born from a human body, what if we could still eat meat but at the same time not kill animals and so on. I found this to be very interesting and thought provoking and I thought it was well down. Talking about the up sides and downsides and how much of a c ...more
Mar 10, 2020Heather rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This is very exactly my area of interest, and as a fan of Jenny Kleeman's reporting, I've been waiting a while for this book. The section on vegan meat is particularly excellent, and the birth section was almost completely new (and fascinating) information to me. While I wish the sex robot section had included more of a critical look at the claims of the industry, with regards to both their market value and the tech they claim they will be able to create, this is still the sort of work you can't ...more
Jul 05, 2020Catherine McCafferty Chambers rated it it was amazing
This book arrived yesterday and I couldn't put it down. Felt that Kleeman was generous with all individuals interviewed and humanised the technology really well. The main dichotomy throughout the book is between technological solutions versus behaviour change. Kleeman asks each entrepreneur, "wouldn't it be better for people/culture to change?" and that is at the heart of her skepticism. All four chapters (sex, food, birth, death) explore the gender imbalance in the development of these technologies... Designed by men, but overwhelming impacting women. The book is funny, kind, thoughtful provoking and cautious. I really enjoyed it. Only glaring omission for me was the lack of voices from within the sex working community on the attitudes towards sex robots, which are predominantly owned and used by men. It would have been good to have more exploration on whether this development could be good or bad for sex workers. Of course, the book is a fun, insightful exploration of tech but I would have loved more space for the "what if we changed our behaviour instead?" discussion. Hopefully that is a whole other book! (less)
Jun 16, 2020Stephanie rated it it was amazing
This book was provided free of charge for the purposes of this review,the following is my review and is not in any way influenced by the fact it was provided free of charge,.
At first and for around an hour or so into the book I thought that I was reading a sci fi book, I had to check TWICE!..so this is about the here and now ? After using the 'helpfullness' of google it hit me hard !! THIS IS REALITY I never in my wildest dreams though this was all possible, sex dolls that, well, are all together, if you see what i mean, Im saving up already lol, meat that is not meat but is , confused ? I was, babies grown to order and to top it of in bags, the rest well dive in and give it a go, highly reccommended, a good flowing read and eye opener. (less)
At first and for around an hour or so into the book I thought that I was reading a sci fi book, I had to check TWICE!..so this is about the here and now ? After using the 'helpfullness' of google it hit me hard !! THIS IS REALITY I never in my wildest dreams though this was all possible, sex dolls that, well, are all together, if you see what i mean, Im saving up already lol, meat that is not meat but is , confused ? I was, babies grown to order and to top it of in bags, the rest well dive in and give it a go, highly reccommended, a good flowing read and eye opener. (less)
Oct 04, 2020Emily rated it it was amazing
This book is completely overwhelming, in an amazing way. Jenny Kleeman is an entertaining and insightful reporter, but her observations are always based in reality which makes every discovery and interview able to be read with a sense of belief. Everything she uncovers might seem like complete science fiction but because her ideas are grounded in current society and real-world issues, none of it ever feels silly or exaggerated. I couldn’t finish the final chapter (personal reasons made it too hard) but I have no doubt that it is as in-depth and intelligent as the previous three, which brought new ideas to the front of my mind and introduced me to different ways of thinking. Everyone should read this! (less)
Sep 23, 2020Cari rated it really liked it
I enjoyed this book - it read a lot like a documentary on Netflix or an NPR show. Lots of interesting developments, analyzed under Kleeman's practical eye. The insights about feminism in particular caught my attention. (less)
Aug 15, 2021Victoria Jane rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This clever and interesting non-fiction book looks at the technological advances being made in the fields of sex, food, birth and death and the ways that this could change humanity in both the near and distant future.
I really enjoyed this book and I have to admit that I was surprised at how entertaining and easy to read it was!
Kleeman’s style is really engaging and funny in places and she weaves together all of the scientific information with stories from the people at the cutting edge really well.
It was also a reminder of how much of a genius Margaret Atwood is, as many of the things being done now were written about by her in the 70’s/80’s!
It did feel very white, cis, straight and Western centred (one trans voice was included in the Birth section but that was the only time that a non-cis perspective was considered) and the death section felt brief and underdeveloped compared to the other sections but if you are looking for a starting point on the topic, this is a good one.
Content warning for graphic descriptions of animal slaughter, discussions of miscarriage and still births and suicide.
Thanks to Book Break for sending this book my way! (less)
I really enjoyed this book and I have to admit that I was surprised at how entertaining and easy to read it was!
Kleeman’s style is really engaging and funny in places and she weaves together all of the scientific information with stories from the people at the cutting edge really well.
It was also a reminder of how much of a genius Margaret Atwood is, as many of the things being done now were written about by her in the 70’s/80’s!
It did feel very white, cis, straight and Western centred (one trans voice was included in the Birth section but that was the only time that a non-cis perspective was considered) and the death section felt brief and underdeveloped compared to the other sections but if you are looking for a starting point on the topic, this is a good one.
Content warning for graphic descriptions of animal slaughter, discussions of miscarriage and still births and suicide.
Thanks to Book Break for sending this book my way! (less)
Sep 12, 2020Jamie Lee rated it really liked it
I picked this up on a whim at work and I'm glad I did. It's written in such an engaging way that you feel sucked in, I really liked Jenny Kleeman's writing style. Some of the things mentioned in this book are CRAZY and I couldn't believe what I was reading at times, the world is changing so fast and it's incredible and insanely terrifying. This thankfully wasn't too science heavy and didn't get to bogged down in hard to understand language which makes it really each to read. (less)
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