Really cool concept. I happened to pick up this edition at a used book sale. My favorite essays:

“My Bionic Quest for Boléro” - Follows someone who lost their hearing and their ability to appreciate their favorite piece of music, then slowly gained it back as they moved to better and better hearing aids.

• “The Curse of Akkad” - Explores the possible role of climate change (e.g. drought) in the fall of ancient civilizations.
• “The Coming Death Shortage” - Speculates on possible consequences for society as life expectancy continues to increase.
• “Mighty White of You” - Discusses controversial evidence of Europeans who possibly reached the Americas before anyone crossed Beringea (evidence mostly gathered by white people).

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