SHRINKING THE TECHNOSPHERE

Over the past two centuries, we have witnessed a wholesale replacement of most previous methods of conducting business and daily life with new, technologically advanced, more efficient methods.

What is progressive or efficient about this new arrangement is hardly ever examined in depth. If the new ways of doing things are so much better, we must lead relaxed, stress-free, enjoyable lives with plenty of free time to devote to art and leisure activities. But a more careful look at these changes shows us that many of these advances are not weighing favorably in a harm/benefit comparison. The harm to the environment, society, and even our personalities, on an individual level, is plain to see but is brushed off with hollow claims about efficiency and progress.

Shrinking the Technosphere guides readers through bringing technology down to a manageable number of carefully chosen, essential, well-understood, and controllable elements. It is about regaining the freedom to use technology for our benefit and is critical reading for all who seek to get back to a point where technologies assist us, not control us.