The Information Bomb - (Radical Thinkers) by Paul Virilio (Paperback)

About the Book

Virilio's exploration of the relationship between technology, speed, war and information technology weaves together a breathtaking worldview of horror, exhilaration and hope.

Book Synopsis

"Civilization or the militarization of science?"

With this typically hyperbolic and provocative question as a starting point, Paul Virilio explores the dominion of techno-science, cyberwar and the new information technologies over our lives ... and deaths. After the era of the atomic bomb, Virilio posits an era of genetic and information bombs which replace the apocalyptic bang of nuclear death with the whimper of a subliminally reinforced eugenics. We are entering the age of euthanasia.

These exhilarating bulletins from the information war extend the range of Virilio's work. The Information Bomb spans everything from Fukuyama to Larry Flynt, the Sensation exhibition of New British Art to space travel, all seen through the optic of Virilio's trenchant and committed theoretical position.

Review Quotes

"Anyone who has ever secretly wished that Foucault would get to the point will relish the sudden hooks and jabs of revealed sense."--New York Times

"Virilio makes his prose do somersaults through flaming conceptual hoops, inventing new words to explain ideas that would be difficult to reach if the trip weren't so much fun."--Metro Santa Cruz

"One of the most original thinkers of our time."--Libération

About the Author

Paul Virilio trained as an artist in stained glass, working with Braque and Matisse, as well as studying philosophy at the Sorbonne. In 1975 he was made director of the Ecole spéciale d'architecture in Paris. He retired from teaching in 1998 and now works with private organizations on projects to house the homeless in Paris. He has written many books, including War and Cinema, Open Sky, and Ground Zero.