Byron Reese, Speaker, Author, Entrepreneur
BOOKS

We Are Agora

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"This book is mostly about science — what we can observe and know about cells, life, intelligence, emergence, and how superorganisms such as beehives and anthills operate. But it is also about metaphysics, because it deals with mind, being, consciousness, and the nature of self. So it straddles that fuzzy line as it tackles the question of whether there is an actual entity which all of humanity is a part of that I call Agora."
- Byron Reese

Could humans unknowingly be a part of a larger superorganism—one with its own motivations and goals, one that is alive, and conscious, and has the power to shape the future of our species? In his most recent book, “We Are Agora,” Byron looks at superorganisms and considers if humans could also be part of a superorganism. He asks, are we unknowingly parts of the inner workings of a larger being? And, if so what implications does that have for our future? As our cells fail to understand us, are we also unaware of what compels our behavior?

This book, however, is also about metaphysics, dealing with mind, being, consciousness, and the nature of self. It is here Byron asks a number of hugely profound questions relating to the very nature of humanity: Are we, each and every one of us, part of a larger living organism? Not metaphorically, but literally? Are we cells in a larger creature? What can be observed and known about cells, life, intelligence, emergence, and how superorganisms such as beehives and anthills operate? Could Agora be a metaphor for how people work together to accomplish what no individual can, or could it be an actual thing, a system, like an automobile, that can function, break, or be destroyed? Could it be a living, thinking entity, with a will and purpose, and perhaps even consciousness? Could we perceive Agora if we were part of it? Or can we discern its shape by the shadow that it casts? Can an understanding of Agora help us understand why there is poverty or why civilization exists? In his fifth book, Byron takes readers to places none of his book have gone before, as it tackles the question of whether there is an actual entity, which all of humanity is a part of.

This book, however, is also about metaphysics, dealing with mind, being, consciousness, and the nature of self. It is here Byron asks a number of hugely profound questions relating to the very nature of humanity: 

Are we, each and every one of us, part of a larger living organism? Not metaphorically, but literally? 

Are we cells in a larger creature? What can be observed and known about cells, life, intelligence, emergence, and how superorganisms such as beehives and anthills operate?

Could Agora be a metaphor for how people work together to accomplish what no individual can, or could it be an actual thing, a system, like an automobile, that can function, break, or be destroyed? 

Could it be a living, thinking entity, with a will and purpose, and perhaps even consciousness? 

Could we perceive Agora if we were part of it? Or can we discern its shape by the shadow that it casts? Can an understanding of Agora help us understand why there is poverty or why civilization exists?

In his fifth book, Byron takes readers to places none of his books have gone before, tackling the question of whether an actual entity exists, which all of humanity is a part of.

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We Are Agora

How Humanity Functions as a Single Superorganism That Shapes Our World and Our Future

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Interview on C-SPAN about Byron’s book: The Fourth Age
The Fourth Age
The Fourth AgeThe New York Times
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“Entertaining and Engaging”
The Fourth Age
The Fourth AgeJ.p. Morgan
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“A must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, society and work, The Fourth Age examines the crucial questions we need to consider as new developments gain momentum and take hold.”
Stories, Dice, & Rocks That Think
Stories, Dice, & Rocks That ThinkMidwest Book Review
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“. . . Byron Reese gets to the heart of what makes humans different from all others.”
The Fourth Age
The Fourth AgePublisher's Weekly
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“Explores the next stage of humanity’s evolution—the age of artificial intelligence and its potentially “species-changing” implications.”
The Fourth Age
The Fourth AgeJohn Mackey, co-founder and CEO, Whole Foods Market
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“If you only read just one book about the AI revolution, make it this one.”
Stories, Dice & Rocks That Think
Stories, Dice & Rocks That ThinkAnders Jonsson / Chief of the Innovation Policy section at the UN Economic Commission for Europe.
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“Mind-blowing read. A kind of perspective that makes you see continuity in discontinuity whatever you think about.”

How Humans Learned to See the Future - and Shape it

How we Squander Time, Money, and Natural Resources - and What we can do about it

Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity

How the Internet and Technology Will End Ignorance, Disease, Poverty, Hunger, and War

Contemporary Dance

Masterclass

with

Lori Nelson