An Interview with Professor Michael Bess

Abstract

Dr. Michael Bess, Chancellor's Professor of History at Vanderbilt University, is one of the leading scholars in his field. He is a specialist 20th- and 21st-century Europe, with a particular interest in the social and cultural impacts of technological change. His most recent book, Our Grandchildren Redesigned: Life in the Bioengineered Society of the Near Future, is a manifesto of biotechnology and its ability to create "superhuman" traits in future generations of human beings. The Editorial Board of the Vanderbilt Historical Review conducted an interview with Professor Bess to learn more about his research and teachings.