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Peter 2.0
The extraordinary true story of the man who chose to live forever.
Peter has Motor Neurone Disease, a condition universally considered by doctors to be terminal. It will destroy his nerve cells and he is told that within an average of two years, it will take his life too.
But, face-to-face with death, he decides there is another way. Using his background in science and technology, he navigates a new path, one that will enable him not just to survive, but to thrive.
This is the astonishing true story of the man who will become the first person to combine his very humanity with artificial intelligence and robotics to become a full Cyborg. His discovery means that his terminal diagnosis is negotiable, something that will rewrite the future. And change the world.
By embracing love, life and hope rather than fear, tragedy and despair he will become Peter 2.0.
Peter has Motor Neurone Disease, a condition universally considered by doctors to be terminal. It will destroy his nerve cells and he is told that within an average of two years, it will take his life too.
But, face-to-face with death, he decides there is another way. Using his background in science and technology, he navigates a new path, one that will enable him not just to survive, but to thrive.
This is the astonishing true story of the man who will become the first person to combine his very humanity with artificial intelligence and robotics to become a full Cyborg. His discovery means that his terminal diagnosis is negotiable, something that will rewrite the future. And change the world.
By embracing love, life and hope rather than fear, tragedy and despair he will become Peter 2.0.
- GenresNonfictionMemoir
320 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2022
17 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 20, 2023
Povestea autorului a fost cât se poate de emoționantă, venind și cu o mare doză de speranță în privința viitorului.
Am știut foarte puține detalii despre ea și cred că am făcut bine că nu am căutat mai multe pentru că probabil m-aș fi așteptat la altceva.
Practic, cartea urmărește viața lui Peter din adolescență până în prezent, alternând între timpuri.
Accentul este pus pe perioadele de dinainte de a se fi transformat în cyborg, deci avem foarte puține pagini despre noul el dacă pot să zic așa - este un lucru este important de reținut.
Ce pot să zic despre ce am citit?
Nu este neapărat o lectură plăcută prin pricina faptului că vine cu o mare încărcătură emoțională date fiind condițiile. De asemenea, punându-se în discuție și inteligența artificială, a fost și puțin deranjantă întrucât e un domeniu care poate duce în multe direcții, nu toate bune.
Am avut și lacrimi în ochi de câte ori. Alteori, m-am topit de drag. A avut și momente amuzante, dar și mici ironii. A venit așadar cu mai multe emoții la pachet, lucru de apreciat.
Mai apoi, situația autorului a fost cu două "tăișuri": dureroasă și foarte sensibilă, dar plină de speranță. I-am adorat curajul, tăria și asumarea, dar cel mai mult am iubit dorința lui de a schimba în bine ceva ce poate fi schimbat dacă doar am avea inspirație și implicare. Pentru acest lucru și pentru binele făcut, merită mii de felicitări.
Am avut de multe ori senzația că vorbesc cu un prieten, astfel că am realizat și o scurtă căutare despre dânsul pentru că voiam să văd cum se prezintă situația sa în prezent. Probabil nu ar fi trebuit decât la final să caut totuși.
În ceea ce privește scrierea în sine, în mare a fost ok. Totuși, au fost momente în care m-au pierdut anumiți termeni medicali pentru că au fost destul de mulți deodată. Nici unor povestiri nu le-am găsit neapărat rostul, iar despre final nu prea știu ce să zic (am apreciat mesajul, dar parcă aș fi vrut altceva). Dar, pentru că este autobiografie, mi s-ar părea greșit să scad din notă pentru astfel de aspecte. Scopul ei nu este, până la urmă, de a impresiona prin cum a fost scrisă, ci prin cele povestite.
În concluzie, a fost o surpriză cât se poate de mare pentru mine, dar a reprezentat și o lecție de viață. Și, oricum ar fi, este un titlu care m-a impresionat și care mi-a intrat în suflet.
Am știut foarte puține detalii despre ea și cred că am făcut bine că nu am căutat mai multe pentru că probabil m-aș fi așteptat la altceva.
Practic, cartea urmărește viața lui Peter din adolescență până în prezent, alternând între timpuri.
Accentul este pus pe perioadele de dinainte de a se fi transformat în cyborg, deci avem foarte puține pagini despre noul el dacă pot să zic așa - este un lucru este important de reținut.
Ce pot să zic despre ce am citit?
Nu este neapărat o lectură plăcută prin pricina faptului că vine cu o mare încărcătură emoțională date fiind condițiile. De asemenea, punându-se în discuție și inteligența artificială, a fost și puțin deranjantă întrucât e un domeniu care poate duce în multe direcții, nu toate bune.
Am avut și lacrimi în ochi de câte ori. Alteori, m-am topit de drag. A avut și momente amuzante, dar și mici ironii. A venit așadar cu mai multe emoții la pachet, lucru de apreciat.
Mai apoi, situația autorului a fost cu două "tăișuri": dureroasă și foarte sensibilă, dar plină de speranță. I-am adorat curajul, tăria și asumarea, dar cel mai mult am iubit dorința lui de a schimba în bine ceva ce poate fi schimbat dacă doar am avea inspirație și implicare. Pentru acest lucru și pentru binele făcut, merită mii de felicitări.
Am avut de multe ori senzația că vorbesc cu un prieten, astfel că am realizat și o scurtă căutare despre dânsul pentru că voiam să văd cum se prezintă situația sa în prezent. Probabil nu ar fi trebuit decât la final să caut totuși.
În ceea ce privește scrierea în sine, în mare a fost ok. Totuși, au fost momente în care m-au pierdut anumiți termeni medicali pentru că au fost destul de mulți deodată. Nici unor povestiri nu le-am găsit neapărat rostul, iar despre final nu prea știu ce să zic (am apreciat mesajul, dar parcă aș fi vrut altceva). Dar, pentru că este autobiografie, mi s-ar părea greșit să scad din notă pentru astfel de aspecte. Scopul ei nu este, până la urmă, de a impresiona prin cum a fost scrisă, ci prin cele povestite.
În concluzie, a fost o surpriză cât se poate de mare pentru mine, dar a reprezentat și o lecție de viață. Și, oricum ar fi, este un titlu care m-a impresionat și care mi-a intrat în suflet.
May 20, 2022
Aren’t public libraries fantastic? At my most recent visit to my local branch, I picked up this book on a whim. I’d never heard of the author, but the story looked intriguing. I doubt I’d have risked £7.99 on it if I’d bought it on Kindle or in Waterstones, but here in the library I could try it for free. I’m so glad I did.
“A remarkable story….you’re left desperate to take nothing for granted”. So states a blurb on the back of the book and I couldn’t have summarised it better myself. “Desperate to take nothing for granted”, is how the book affects you. Not “hopeful” to take nothing for granted, or “determined” to take nothing for granted, or any other adjective, it’s “desperate” that fits. Because you know that you could be struck down with something like Motor Neurone Disease tomorrow, or someone you love could. It’s real, and this book makes it real. As Peter’s illness renders him increasingly immobile and heading toward being "locked in" by the disease, he doesn’t dwell on the horror of it. He looks to a near future where he can meld his mind together with technology and retain a living presence with fellow human beings for as long as his brain and technology can allow.
I found the book very moving, emotional and thought provoking. It highlights how much of life you do take for granted, how privileged you are to get out of bed, see the morning sun, come downstairs, stroke the cat, make a fresh coffee and read a book. Normal life is miraculous, more so than can ever be stated, that’s how this book has made me feel. Even though I found it quite difficult to warm to Peter - and I suspect he wouldn’t care - I cannot say he hasn’t affected me in a positive way, and I suspect he would care about that.
As the book neared its end, I feel it lost its way a little as Peter struggled to give us a glimpse of how an idealised virtual world might work. But, as he closes in on a “locked in” future, his relentless optimism and positivity shines through. His virtual world might not be my cup of tea, but that’s his point. You have one life, and it’s such a privilege, so make it count with yourself and with those you love. This is a powerful book, written by a powerful personality and I left it feeling privileged, lucky and “desperate not to take life for granted”.
“A remarkable story….you’re left desperate to take nothing for granted”. So states a blurb on the back of the book and I couldn’t have summarised it better myself. “Desperate to take nothing for granted”, is how the book affects you. Not “hopeful” to take nothing for granted, or “determined” to take nothing for granted, or any other adjective, it’s “desperate” that fits. Because you know that you could be struck down with something like Motor Neurone Disease tomorrow, or someone you love could. It’s real, and this book makes it real. As Peter’s illness renders him increasingly immobile and heading toward being "locked in" by the disease, he doesn’t dwell on the horror of it. He looks to a near future where he can meld his mind together with technology and retain a living presence with fellow human beings for as long as his brain and technology can allow.
I found the book very moving, emotional and thought provoking. It highlights how much of life you do take for granted, how privileged you are to get out of bed, see the morning sun, come downstairs, stroke the cat, make a fresh coffee and read a book. Normal life is miraculous, more so than can ever be stated, that’s how this book has made me feel. Even though I found it quite difficult to warm to Peter - and I suspect he wouldn’t care - I cannot say he hasn’t affected me in a positive way, and I suspect he would care about that.
As the book neared its end, I feel it lost its way a little as Peter struggled to give us a glimpse of how an idealised virtual world might work. But, as he closes in on a “locked in” future, his relentless optimism and positivity shines through. His virtual world might not be my cup of tea, but that’s his point. You have one life, and it’s such a privilege, so make it count with yourself and with those you love. This is a powerful book, written by a powerful personality and I left it feeling privileged, lucky and “desperate not to take life for granted”.
February 23, 2025
I really admire Peter’s optimism, dedication and bravery. But, in my opinion, this wasn’t really a book about becoming a cyborg or technology or the future, it was a love story, a man’s last written dedication to the man he loved. Francis comes across as an absolute wonder and this feels like Peter’s love song to him, ending with that rather uncomfortable final section at the end, set in his 2040 imagined VR world. But, of course, that bit wasn’t really for us as readers, it was for Francis. And knowing that Peter died in 2022 makes it a lot more poignant.
I found all the contemporary bits fascinating, the effort to make choices unfavourable with the NHS, the highs and the lows of getting the surgeries and support required, and I really liked the back story with his family and Francis (being queer myself, I appreciated him sharing this story). However, the patting-himself-on-the-back bits about how good he was at changing the world, how smart he was, how successful he was, his relentless desire to make his mark on the world, I have to say I found a bit boring and wearisome. However, I suppose this should be considered as Peter’s last chance to get his life down in writing, so it is perhaps understandable.
I would have liked to hear more about the technology, especially his plans for immersion in VR, since I think maybe I misunderstood which bits were technologically new rather than just improved or repurposed. But that’s a likely a reflection on me and doesn’t take away from Peter’s remarkable story and his unshrinking positivity. I hope many people, including those with the power to change people’s lives, are inspired by his story.
I found all the contemporary bits fascinating, the effort to make choices unfavourable with the NHS, the highs and the lows of getting the surgeries and support required, and I really liked the back story with his family and Francis (being queer myself, I appreciated him sharing this story). However, the patting-himself-on-the-back bits about how good he was at changing the world, how smart he was, how successful he was, his relentless desire to make his mark on the world, I have to say I found a bit boring and wearisome. However, I suppose this should be considered as Peter’s last chance to get his life down in writing, so it is perhaps understandable.
I would have liked to hear more about the technology, especially his plans for immersion in VR, since I think maybe I misunderstood which bits were technologically new rather than just improved or repurposed. But that’s a likely a reflection on me and doesn’t take away from Peter’s remarkable story and his unshrinking positivity. I hope many people, including those with the power to change people’s lives, are inspired by his story.
June 5, 2021
The subject matter is excellent and a truly ground-breaking and moving story.
The book itself is not so good. It's strangely structured, a series of long rambling dialogues with the ubiquitous Francis that could never have happened the way it's presented. Interspersed with that is the story of Peter and Francis's meeting and snippets of their life together (with a lot of gaps). There is a lot of material there for a better biography to be assembled at some stage.
The end of the book is rather unsatisfying as well as it feels like the beginning. A sequel is definitely needed in a few years (Peter 2.1 probably!), then maybe Peter 3.0 in a about a decade.
Overall though well worth reading.
The book itself is not so good. It's strangely structured, a series of long rambling dialogues with the ubiquitous Francis that could never have happened the way it's presented. Interspersed with that is the story of Peter and Francis's meeting and snippets of their life together (with a lot of gaps). There is a lot of material there for a better biography to be assembled at some stage.
The end of the book is rather unsatisfying as well as it feels like the beginning. A sequel is definitely needed in a few years (Peter 2.1 probably!), then maybe Peter 3.0 in a about a decade.
Overall though well worth reading.
September 27, 2023
The story is really interesting. I learnt a lot about MND/ALS and I am still trying to process how somebody can take such a diagnosis with that positivity. It was a quick read and Peter's style of narration is not heavy. A few things irked me a bit... the ending was disappointing, his tone at times felt too joke-y or flippant and I didn't feel he thought much about how his decisions were going to affect others. Overall still glad I read it.
February 2, 2022
What a gem. I love that this was not just a straight telling of being a diagnosed by MND and the fight for the right to live instead of fading away. You get all of these brilliant episodes of Peter and Francis’ relationship; how they fell in love and the battles they have fought over the years. This informs you why they started this extraordinarily cyborg journey. Truly inspiring.
February 20, 2022
Fascinating, gripping and groundbreaking. Beyond that and the brilliant subject matter I found something truly wonderful in this book, a love I would give anything to find the equal of.
March 20, 2023
The true story of a man diagnosed with MND, a form of motor-neuron disease, and his astonishing quest to robotically augment himself, to become the first human cyborg. It sounds like Terminator but is a lot more down to earth in reality. His quest is to improve the lives of all those 'locked-in' by this condition by managing speech through AI, projecting an avatar, and providing a quality of life that doesn't exist for sufferers currently. The ending is rather strange, bringing in Peter's long-held fantasy, alternative world where he is free of all physical constraints. But I wanted to know more about what happened in his last days, rather than the escape into an augmented reality.
August 7, 2021
A fascinating and poignant account of this cruel disease. I loved the flashbacks to his past and his loving relationship with Francis. I was horrified by the cruelty and injustice inflicted upon him at his school in Wimbledon. Despite all these challenging setbacks he remains so positive and innovative. I have to confess I struggled a bit with the virtual world, particularly at the end of the book.
May 16, 2021
Got half way then gave up. Too long winded and backwards and forwards
July 28, 2021
Subject matter is amazing but I just got lost with the timelines and some of the rambling of the past. Needed a good editor really.
October 4, 2022
Trei Lifestyle 2021
January 31, 2023
Fascinating, sad, challenging & a bit meandering at the last few chapters. Must look Peter Scott-Morgan up to see how his robotic / human transformation is progressing
January 17, 2026
An admirable account about life with Motor Neuron Disease. The future is A.I.!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews