Nexus

"This exciting debut novel from futurist Ramez Naam is about a group of graduate students who create an incredible new technology called Nexus that allows people to run software in their brains — and even link their minds together like computers in a network. But in Naam’s mildly dystopian future, the US government is trying to shut down any human-enhancement tech that could prove dangerous. Our heroes are in a cat-and-mouse game with government agents, fleeing to Thailand, where they discover that a secret group of Buddhist monks and scientists has plans for Nexus that could usher in a new era of empathy and peace – or generate brainwashed soldiers who do nothing but obey. This is a fascinating look at an all-too-plausible future."