Spirit of America Bookstore
visionary Jaron Lanier
[born 1960]
 | short profile |
"It is impossible to work in information technology without also engaging in social engineering."
"Encapsulation is what allows for the possibility of testing and feedback that enables a quest for excellence.
To be constantly diffused in a global mush is to embrace mundanity."
— Jaron Lanier
B I O
t e x t
h e r e
Jaron Zepel Lanier [born May 3, 1960] is a visionary American polymath
Honorary doctorate from New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2006
named one of TIME Magazine's Time 100 as one of the most influential thinkers in 2010
Honorary doctorate from Franklin & Marshall College in 2012
Jaron Lanier official website
Jaron Lanier entry at Wikipedia
browse books at the Jaron Lanier Store at Amazon
Jaron Lanier credits [since 1991] at Internet Movie Database
Primary Works
browse books at the Jaron Lanier Store at Amazon
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"Information Is An Alienated Experience" [1999]
Basic Books pb [11/99] out of print/scarce
Basic Books pb [11/99] out of print/scarce
text of article "One-Half of A Manifesto" in Wired Magazine (Dec 2000)
online essay "Digital Maoism: The Hazards of The New Online Collectivism" in Edge Magazine (May 2006)
article entry at Wikipedia
read full article on the Edge website
archived link to TIME Magazine text on Edge.org website
broken link to text on TIME Magazine website
 | "You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto" [2009] by Jaron Lanier "Encapsulation is what allows for the possibility of testing and feedback that enables a quest for excellence. To be constantly diffused in a global mush is to embrace mundanity." — Jaron Lanier Kindle Edition from Vintage [12/2009] for $13.99 Vintage 8x5¼ pb [2/2011] for $10.75 Alfred A. Knopf 8¼x5½ deckle-edge hardcover [1/2010] for $11.91 "Gadget: Voce Nao e Um Aplicativo!" Portuguese/Brasil edition [2010] Saraiva 9x6¼ pb [2010] out of print/used "Gadget: Warum die Zukunft Uns Noch Braucht (Why The Future Still Needs Us)" [2010] German edition Suhrkamp Verlag AG mass pb [1/2012] out of print/used German edition Suhrkamp Verlag AG 8½x5½ hardcover [2010] out of print/used "Tu Non Sei Un Gadget (You Are Not A Gadget)" Italian edition [2010] Mondadori 8¼x6 pb [9/2010] import/scarce "Contra el Rebaρo Digital: Un Manifiesto (Against The Digital Herd: A Manifesto)" [2011] Spanish edition Kindle Edition from Debate Editorial [11/2011] for $8.99 Spanish edition Debate Editorial mass pb [5/2014] out of print/scarce |
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"Who Owns The Future?" [2013]
greeen + maroon + yellow Kindle Edition from ... [9/00] for $0.00 PUB pb [8/00] for $0.00 hardcover [8/00] for $0.00 out of print/used "[Simon & Schuster, Allen Lane, ] ISBN 978-1-846145223)
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"Dawn of The New Everything: Encounters With Reality and Virtual Reality" [Henry Holt & Co., 2017] ISBN 9781627794091
Dawn of the New Everything: A Journey Through Virtual Reality
 | "Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts - Right Now" [2018] by visionary Jaron Lanier Kindle Edition from Henry Holt/Macmillan [5/2018] for $9.99 Henry Holt & Co. 8½x5¾ hardcover [5/2018] for $12.32 |
"What My Musical Instruments Have Taught Me" July 2023 article by Jaron Lanier
Ive spent my life working on virtual reality - but my instruments have revealed the real world
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/what-my-musical-instruments-have-taught-me
Other Works
 | "Programmers At Work: Interviews With 19 Programmers Who Shaped The Computer Industry" [1986] by Susan M. Lammers 19 interviewees include Bill Gates (Microsoft), Andy Hertzfield (Macintosh OS), Jaron Lanier, C. Wayne Ratcliff (dBASE), and John Warnock (Postscript) Tempus Books pb [7/89] out of print/used Harper & Row pb [1986] out of print/used available as free online flip-book at Internet Archive Chinese-language Kindle Edition from Posts & Telecom Press [2012] for $7.19 |
 | "Digerati: Encounters With The Cyber Elite" [1996] by science writer John Brockman
conversations with 33 of the most important architects and developers of today's cyberspace as recorded by John Brockman from August 1995 thru April 1996: Stewart Alsop, John Perry Barlow, Stewart Brand, David Bunnell, Doug Carlston, Denise Caruso, Steve Case, John C. Dvorak, Esther Dyson, Bill Gates, David Gelernter, Mike Godwin, W. Daniel Hillis, David R. Johnson, Brewster Kahle, Kevin Kelly, Jaron Lanier, Ted Leonsis, John Markoff, John McCrea, Scott McNealy, Jane Metcalfe, Kip Parent, Howard Rheingold, Louis Rossetto, Paul Saffo, Bob Stein, Cliff Stoll, Linda Stone, Lew Tucker, Sherry Turkle, Dave Winer, Richard Saul Wurman TEXERE Publng 8½x6 pb [3/98] out of print/used Hardwired 9½x6½ hardcover [10/96] out of print/used online etext available free at Edge.org website |
 | "Is The Internet Changing The Way [That] You Think?: The Net's Impact On Our Minds and Future" [2011] Edited by science writer John Brockman contributors include: Nicholas Carr, Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett, Jaron Lanier, Steven Pinker, Clay Shirky, Nassim N. Taleb, Frank Wilczek Kindle Edition from HarperCollins e-books [1/2011] for $3.99 Harper Perennial 8x5½ pb [1/2011] for $12.18 Harper Perennial 8x5½ pb [1/2011] for $12.15 | |
 | "Culture: Leading Scientists Explore Civilizations, Art, Networks, Reputation, and The Online Revolution" [2011] Edited by science writer John Brockman contributors include: Stewart Brand, Nicholas Christakis, Jared Diamond, Daniel C. Dennett, Denis Dutton, Brian Eno, W. Daniel Hillis, Jaron Lanier, Evgeny Morozov, Douglas Rushkoff, Clay Shirky Kindle Edition from HarperPerennial/HarperCollins [8/2011] for $7.99 HarperPerennial 8x5¼ pb [8/2011] for $12.56 | |
 | "Close To The Machine: Technophilia and Its Discontents" [1997 & 2012] by Ellen Ullman, 2012 Introduction by Jaron Lanier, new 2022 Introduction by Anna Wiener Memoir of the author's life as a software engineer when it was spinning out of control . . . Kindle Edition from Picador [2/2012] for $11.99 Picador Paper 8¼x5½ pb [12/2022] for $11.31 Picador 8½x5½ pb [2/2012] for $9.46 City Lights Publrs 8½x5½ hardcover [2001] out of print/used | |
 | "The Best American Science Writing 2012" Edited by Dr. Michio Kaku "enthralling and eye-opening essays about the latest developments in biochemistry, physics, astronomy, genetics, evolutionary theory, cognition, and more"; contributors include Rivka Galchen, Jaron Lanier, P.J. O'Rourke Ecco 8x5¼ pb [9/2012] for $11.20 Ecco pb [9/2012] out of print/used |
 | "Surveillance Nation: Critical Reflections on Privacy and Its Threats - Articles From The Nation Magazine, 1931-2014" [2014] Edited by Richard Kreitner, Introduction by David Cole 34 essays and articles by: Kai Bird & Max Holland; David Burnham; David Cole; Fred Cook on the F.B.I.; Frank Donner on terrorism (+1); Laura Flanders on public libraries; Sally Fly; Eric Foner; C. Hartley Grattan; Michael Harrington; Christopher Hayes on secret government; Christopher Hitchens; Jameel Jaffer & Patrick C. Toomey; Penn Kimball; Naomi Klein; Jaron Lanier on metadata; Edward V. Long; Joseph R. Lundy; Victor Navasky on the F.B.I.; Kenneth OReilly; Christian Parenti; Anthony Prisendorf; Jonathan Schell on dissidence (+2); Herman Schwartz on F.I.S.A.; Tim Shorrock; Athan G. Theoharis on wiretapping; Diana Trilling (1949 review of Orwell's "1984"); Alan F. Westin on wiretapping; Patricia J. Williams on Alberto Gonzales (+1); and H.H. Wilson on the F.B.I. Kindle Edition from The Nation Magazine [6/2014] for $9.99 |
Movies, Plays, Other Media
"Cyberpunk" documentary [1990]
"Computerbilleder: Udfordring Til Virkeligheden" Danish TV documentary [1992]
(in English: "Computer Pictures: A Challenge To Reality")
"Synthetic Pleasures" documentary [1995]
"Closer To Truth" TV series [est. 2000]
official series website
series credits at IMDb
series entry at Wikipedia
list of episodes at Wikipedia
Series One: "Closer To Truth" 28 episodes [2000]
Series Two: "Closer To Truth: Science, Meaning and The Future" 15 episodes [2003]
Series Three: "Closer To Truth: Cosmos. Consciousness. God." 208 episodes [2008-2023]
Co-creator-producer-director Peter Getzels; co-creator-producer-host Robert Lawrence Kuhn; well-known guests include Octavia Butler, Sean Carroll,
David Chalmers, Deepak Chopra, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Daniel Dennett, David Deutsch, Jared Diamond, Freeman Dyson, Alison Gopnik,
astrophysicist Sabine Hossenfelder (4), Michio Kaku (13), visionary Jaron Lanier (4 as below), Leonard Mlodinow of Cambridge, Roger Penrose
of Cambridge, Lisa Randall, John Searle, K.S. 'Kip' Thorne of CalTech, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (5)
Series Episode 81 / Season 7, Episode 3: "What Is The Meaning of Consciousness?"
Ned Block, Marvin Minsky, Alva Noe, Jaron Lanier, Colin McGinn
Series Episode 108 / Season 9, Episode 4: "What Would Alien Intelligences Mean?"
Martin Rees, Frank Drake, Lawrence Krauss, Greg Benford, Jaron Lanier
Series Episode 114 / Season 9, Episode 10: "Do Humans Have Free Will?"
Ned Block, David Gross, Stephen Wolfram, Nancey Murphy, JP Moreland, Jaron Lanier
Series Episode 194 / Season 15, Episode 12: "Does Dualism Explain Consciousness?"
Yujin Nagasawa, Richard Swinburne, Jaron Lanier, Bede Rundle, Peter Forrest
 | "Closer To Truth: Cosmos" [2015] 13 episodes featuring Sean Carroll, Alan H. Guth, Roger Penrose, Martin Rees, Steven Weinberg, and other notable thinkers color DVD [5/2015] 4 disks for $39.95 {via producer on Amazon} "Closer To Truth: Consciousness" [2015] 13 episodes featuring Susan Blackmore, David Chalmers, Daniel Dennett, Raymond Kurzweil, Marvin Minsky, and other notable thinkers color DVD [5/2015] 4 disks for $39.95 {via producer on Amazon} "Closer To Truth: Meaning" [2015] 13 episodes featuring William Lane Craig, Peter van Inwagen, Alvin Plantinga, Michael Shermer, Richard Swinburne, and other notable thinkers color DVD [5/2015] for $39.95 {via producer on Amazon} "Closer To Truth: The Complete Collection - with Robert Lawrence Kuhn" [2015] A mere 39 episodes, the three DVD sets just above packaged together DVD [5/2015] 12 disks for $99.95 {via producer on Amazon} | |
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"Closer To Truth: Challenging Current Belief" [2000] full episode transcripts, commentary by Kuhn, additional dialogue & 'out-takes' not available on TV, and bios placing each contributor into the 'big picture' context McGraw-Hill Companies 9½x7¾ hardcover [5/2000] out of print/40+ used "Closer To Truth: Science, Meaning, and The Future" [2007] full episode transcripts, commentary by Kuhn, additional dialogue & 'out-takes' not available on TV, and bios placing each contributor into the 'big picture' context Praeger 9¼x6½ hardcover [2/2007] for $55.00 |
Lanier was credited as one of the miscellaneous crew for the 2002 film Minority Report.
In 2001, he advised the writers of "Minority Report", Steven Spielbergs film about a dystopian future.
"Rage Against The Machines" TV documentary [2004]
"The Circle" [S.T.X./EuropaCorp April 2017]
 | "Knowing is good. Knowing everything is better." Filmed around San Francisco, California and around Los Angeles, California; a young girl lands a dream job at a powerful tech company, only to uncover a nefarious agenda that will affect the lives of her friends, family, and that of humanity Co-produced, co-written & directed by James Ponsoldt; co‑written by Dave Eggers, based on his novel; music by Danny Elfman; technical consultant Jaron Lanier; starring Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Glenne Headly, Bill Paxton, Ellar Coltrane, Patton Oswalt, musician Beck, Nate Corddry, Mamoudou Athie
DVD/Blu-ray not yet available full credits at IMDb official movie site movie entry at Wikipedia watch official trailers online at YouTube: 12/2016 trailer #1 [1:50] 2/2017 trailer #2 [2:40] |
"The Social Dilemma" documentary [Exposure Labs/Argent Pictures/Netflix streaming Sept 2020]
 | Explores the dangerous human impact of social networking; tech experts sound the alarm on their own creations Co-written & directed by Jeff Orlowski-Yang; co-written by Vickie Curtis & Davis Coombe; music by Mark A. Crawford; featuring Tristan Harris (ex-Google, Center for Humane Technology), serial tech entrepreneur Jeff Seibert, Bailey Richardson (Instagram), Joe Toscano (ex-Google), Sandy Parakilas (ex-Facebook, ex-Uber), Guillaume Chaslot (ex-YouTube, IntuitiveAI CEO), Lynn Fox (ex-Apple, ex-Google), Aza Raskin (ex-Firefox & Mozilla Labs, Center for Humane Technology), Alex Roetter (ex-Twitter), Tim Kendall (ex-Facebook, ex-Pinterest), Justin Rosenstein (ex-Facebook, ex-Google), Randima 'Randy' Fernando (ex-NVIDIA, Center for Humane Technology), virtual reality computer scientist Jaron Lanier, venture capitalist Roger McNamee, Shoshana Zuboff PhD (professor emeritus Harvard Business School), Dr. Anna Lembke (Stanford University School of Medicine), James Fetter, Mary Fetter, Jonathan Haidt PhD (NYU Stern School of Business), Data Scientist Cathy O'Neil PhD, Rashida Richardson (NYU School of Law, A.I. Now Institute), Renee DiResta (Stanford Internet Observatory), Cynthia M. Wong (Human Rights Watch), Skyler Gisondo, Kara Hayward, Vincent Kartheiser, Sophia Hammons, Barbara Gehring, Chris Grundy, Sergio Villarreal, Catalina Garayoa, Sheevani Ignasinski Desai, Emi Zerr, Vic Alejandro, Oner Asir, Kristina Fountaine, Carlos Leos, Adam S. Ford, Jade Ryin, and body doubles Skye Folsom, Richard Lucchese, Reza Nosrati; film won two Emmy Awards and won Webby Award
full credits at IMDb official movie site Netflix official movie homepage movie entry at Wikipedia DVD/Blu-ray not available watch 8/2020 official trailer [2:34] online at YouTube watch full movie [9/2020 upload; 1:15:18] online at YouTube |
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"Dawn of The New Everything: An Evening Lecture by Jaron Lanier" [June 2018]
Time Summit lecture series sponsored by Bridge Alternative Investments [est. 2014] of Illinois
watch 6/2018 lecture [1:10:41] online at YouTube
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"The Concept of A.I. Harms The Technologies Created Under Its Banner" [Nov 2018]
Jaron Lanier lecture at the 'Dawn or Doom Conference' lecture footage/audio on the Purdue University YouTube channel is not available (2024) Oct 2018 press release text 1/2019 review/commentary by Prof. Aleshia Hayes audio CD was produced by Lanier Media but is no longer available (2024) |
Jaron Lanier: "There's No Such Thing As Artificial 'Intelligence'" [5/2024]
listen to 5/2024 audio podcast [1:09:54] at Substack
Quotations of Jaron Lanier
"Information is alienated experience." (1999)
"We're losing track of the vastness of the potential for computer science. We really have to revive
the beautiful intellectual joy of it, as opposed to the business potential."
"Books are really, really hard to write. They represent a kind of summit of grappling with what one really has to say."
"Humans change themselves through technology."
"People try to treat technology as an object, and it can't be. It can only be a channel."
"It is impossible to work in information technology without also engaging in social engineering."
"Moore's Law means that more and more things can be done practically for free, if only it weren't for
those people who want to be paid."
"If we allow our self-congratulatory adoration of technology to distract us from our own contact with each other,
then somehow the original agenda has been lost."
"Writing and thinking is not economically sustainable."
"I do real paintings, you know. I'm a bit messy in the studio, so I'm a bit of a danger. But I just adore it."
"The most important thing about a technology is how it changes people."
"The concept of using computers to control humans is older than computers."
Works About Jaron Lanier
named one of TIME Magazine's Time 100 as one of the most influential thinkers in 2010
Edge Magazine / Third Culture's Jaron Lanier Bio Page (circa 2014)
Image Gallery
Family & Friends
Jaron Zepel Lanier was born May 1960 in New York City
wife Lena --- Lanier []
daughter []
not to be confused with photographer Jason Lanier of Southern California
L i n k s
Lanier Media Video Production Services [est. 1995] of Charlotte, NC { website given up }
here on the Jaron Lanier Page at Spirit of America Bookstore
top of page short profile primary works other works works about Jaron Lanier movies, plays, other media
image gallery family & friends links
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