An eye-opening journey into a world of tech visionaries, billionaires, and eccentrics dedicated to nothing less than the salvation of mankind

Transhumanism is a movement pushing the limits of our biology—our senses, intelligence, and lifespans—in the hopes that, with technology, we can become something better, something other, than ourselves. For decades, transhumanism has been quietly exerting its influence, but in the last few years it has achieved critical mass, finding support among Silicon Valley billionaires and some of the world’s biggest businesses.

In To Be a Machine, journalist Mark O'Connell explores the staggering possibilities that present themselves when you of think of your body as an outmoded device. He visits the world's foremost cryonics facility to witness how some have chosen to forestall death. He discovers an underground collective of biohackers, enhancing their senses by implanting electronics under their skin. He meets a team of scientists urgently investigating how to protect mankind from artificial superintelligence.

Where is our obsession with technology leading us? What does the rise of AI mean not only for our offices and homes, but for our humanity? Could the technologies we create to help us eventually bring us to harm? Addressing these questions and more, O'Connell presents a thoughtful, provocative, often hilarious look at a growing movement. In investigating what it means to be a machine, he offers a surprising meditation on what it means to be human.