Out Of Control Book Review ##HOT##

Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World (.mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"\"""\"""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation:targetbackground-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133).mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat.mw-parser-output .cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;color:#d33.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorcolor:#d33.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-rightpadding-right:0.2em.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflinkfont-weight:inheritISBN 978-0201483406) is a 1992 book by Kevin Kelly. Major themes in Out of Control are cybernetics, emergence, self-organization, complex systems, negentropy and chaos theory and it can be seen as a work of techno-utopianism.[citation needed]

out of control book review

The central theme of the book is that several fields of contemporary science and philosophy point in the same direction: intelligence is not organized in a centralized structure but much more like a bee-hive of small simple components.[1] Kelly applies this view to bureaucratic organizations, intelligent computers as well as to the human brain.

The book was not widely reviewed when first released in 1992, but got visibly reviewed and extensively cited during the next several years.[2] Reviews often discussed Kelly's hive-mind analogy as a metaphor for the New Economy.[3]

One common trait in current technologies and machines is that they all demand intense control and supervision by humans. But as we begin to merge the artificial and the biological, we will come to find that we humans must begin to relinquish our control.

In order to take advantage of similarly efficient natural processes, we must be willing to relinquish our control. Instead of acting as iron-fisted managers, we must instead consider ourselves shepherds who do better by guiding the flock as a whole in a general direction rather than trying to control every single individual sheep.

The artificial evolution explained in the previous book summary is a tantalizing prospect not only because it could result in artificial intelligence, but also because it could teach us a lot about how our own evolution happened.

As technology advances, the natural and the artificial will intermingle and merge into networks and systems that will greatly affect the fate of society and humanity. It is crucial that humans learn to relinquish control in these developments.

In this memoir Dr Patrick Mbaya, a consultant psychiatrist, gives a personal account of his diagnosis, treatment and recovery from a brain abscess and its complications including depression. What makes the book especially valuable is that it is written from the perspective of both a patient and a psychiatrist. It is divided into short chapters, each 1 to 3 pages in length. Dr Mbaya frankly describes the impact of his illness on himself and his family. Medical concepts are explained using language and a style that is easy for a layperson to follow. For example, he explains how the position of his brain abscess led to the particular neurological symptoms he experienced, that depression has been linked to reduced levels of noradrenaline and serotonin in the brain and how some drugs, in his case antibiotics, can occasionally cause liver damage and a low white blood cell count.

After three days in hospital, a brain abscess was diagnosed and he was urgently transferred to a regional neurosurgery unit where he was an inpatient for four weeks. In his book, Dr Mbaya explains that a brain abscess (also termed a cerebral abscess) is a collection of infected material within the brain. It can arise as a complication of a nearby or a distant infection in the body, for example an ear infection or a chest infection respectively. It can also be a complication of a skull fracture but in about 10% of cases, as with himself, the source of the infection is never identified. Even with modern treatment about one out of ten people with a brain abscess die and some of those who survive are left with a disability. The day after his transfer, he underwent an operation to reduce raised intracranial pressure, drain the abscess and identify the bacteria involved. For the first two weeks after surgery he could hardly speak, could not write and needed to communicate by texting with his non-dominant hand. His recovery after surgery was not straightforward. He developed a low white blood cell count and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), side effects from two different intravenous antibiotics that he received.

Immediately prior to his operation, Dr Mbaya realised that he was suffering from depression. He experienced low mood, tearfulness, low self-confidence and negative thinking, even worrying at one point that through his illness he had disgraced his family. These symptoms were worse in the mornings. His mental state improved significantly following surgery but his mood remained low. He considered antidepressant treatment but instead opted to manage his depression through distraction, including listening to music and visiting a hospital garden, trying to think positively and where possible gain a sense of control over his situation.

Following discharge, he gradually recovered despite setbacks and frustrations. His speech and energy levels slowly improved. He kept a daily record of events after his operation. He found writing therapeutic as it gave him a purposeful activity and helped him to channel his emotions. Later he referred to these notes when writing his book. After five months, he returned to work on a graded basis but looking back reflects that this was probably too soon. Driving regulations require that anyone who has had a brain abscess must inform the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of their condition and not drive for a minimum of 12 months. Regaining his driving license was an important milestone as it gave him greater independence. He concludes that he was very fortunate to eventually make a full recovery. A strong theme is how the support of others, primarily his wife and two grown up children, helped him. It is also clear that despite his condition being potentially life threatening, he maintained a positive outlook and a determination to recover throughout.

I sure found out how little I am in control these past two weeks with Florence as well. My husband became critically ill while on vacation in Myrtle Beach and then we were stuck alone in ICU in Charleston throughout the Hurricane and evacuation. He died last Sunday so I everything seems out of control in my life now. Would love a copy of this book.

This book sounds like it could help so many women, including myself ! Our women need to know they are needed. Not just to do jobs around the church but to walk in the gift God gave them. This brings a joy that can only come from being who we are in Christ. I love the sentence below that comes out of the book:

oh boy, control. Yes definitely a struggle. My friend and I know ask each other if we were there when God created the world. I thought I was doing well until both my boys graduated and one is living on his own, the other is figure stuff out. Then I felt my control freak thing kick in. My older son lives in Myrtle Beach, with every hurricane in the Atlantic I have to fight to hold onto peace and trust that whatever comes God has is and is working all things for His glory and my good. I believe it but living it can be challenging.

Drs Debra Safer, Sarah Adler, and Philip Masson remedied this issue. They developed aself-help resource book that guides the patient to overcome binge eating using astep-by-step approach to learn and practice (DBT). The book is well written and easy tounderstand; it is intended for patients who have never studied or practiced (DBT).

The main themes of DBT, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance areexplained in the 13 chapters of the book. A specific set of skills is addressed in eachchapter, followed by exercises and homework assignments to guide the reader to think andabsorb the material they learned in the chapter. The exercises and homework assignmentsare followed by feedback from ex-patients after they completed those exercises andhomework assignments. This approach is helpful as it allows the reader to compare his orher experience in completing the assignments to those who have successfully completedthe self-help program.