Virus of the Mind The New Science of the Meme

by Brodie, Richard

• ISBN13: 9781401924690
• ISBN10: 1401924697
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-02-15
• Publisher: Hay House Inc.

Summary

If you've ever wondered how and why people become robotically enslaved by advertising, religion or cults, this is the book for you. It's all because of 'mind viruses,' or 'memes,' and those who understand how to plant them into other's minds. Virus of the Mind is the first truly accessible book devoted To The science of memetics, a controversial new field that transcends psychology, biology, anthropology, and cognitive science. Memetics is the science of memes, The invisible but very real DNA of human society. Richard Brodie builds on the work of scientists Richard Dawkins, Douglas Hofstadter, Daniel Dennett and others who have become fascinated with memes and their potential impact on our lives. But Richard goes beyond science and dives into the meat of the issue: Is the emergence of this new science going to have an impact on our lives like the emergence of atomic physics did in the Cold War? He would say the impact will be at least as great. While atomic bombs affect everybody's life, viruses of the mind touch lives in a more personal and more pernicious way. Mind viruses have already infected governments, educational systems and inner cities, leading to some of the most pervasive and troublesome problems of society today: youth gangs, The welfare cycle, The deterioration of public schools and ever growing government bureaucracy. Viruses of the mind are not a future worry: they are here with us now and are evolving to become better and better at their job of infecting us. The recent explosion of mass media And The internet has made the earth a prime breeding ground for viruses of the mind. Will there be a mental plague? Will only some of us survive with our free will intact? Richard Brodie weaves together science, ethics and current events as he raises these and other very disturbing questions about memes.

Author Biography

Richard Brodie is best known as the original author of Microsoft Word. His self-help book, Getting Past OK, is an international bestseller. An accomplished speaker, Brodie has appeared on dozens of television and radio shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show. He continues to pursue wide and varied interests, which he occasionally blogs about at: www.liontales.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Crisis of the Mind	p. xiii
Memes	p. 1
Mind and Behavior	p. 17
Viruses	p. 35
Evolution	p. 47
The Evolution of Memes	p. 65
Sex: The Root of All Evolution	p. 89
Survival and Fear	p. 111
How We Get Programmed	p. 125
Cultural Viruses	p. 147
The Memetics of Religion	p. 181
Designer Viruses (How to Start a Cult)	p. 195
Disinfection	p. 211
Recommended Reading	p. 231
Acknowledgments	p. 235
Index	p. 237
About the Author	p. 249
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