When Nick Inman's bank asked him to identify himself he realized he had an interesting problem. Who was he really? How did he know who he was? And how on earth could he prove it beyond doubt that the person inside his head was the same as the person outside, as detailed on his documentation? Moving like a detective story, this book pieces together the formula or recipe for a complete human being, listing ingredients from the prosaic to the surprising. On the way it addresses some intriguing conundrums. Can science offer a complete description of an individual or do we need to look beyond it? Are we in danger of losing ourselves as we are taken over by our virtual identities? Is technology (biometrics) the best way to decide between friend and foe? And what will the future be like for us when machines become "people" too?

Author Biography

Nick Inman is a writer, a photographer and a translator. He is the author, coauthor and editor of more than 30 books, including Eyewitness Spain, The Optimist's Handbook and the Road Less Traveled: Amazing Places Off the Tourist Trail.