| Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences Vintage Pbk Edition Contributor(s): Tenner, Edward (Author) |
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ISBN: 0679747567 ISBN-13: 9780679747567 Publisher: Vintage OUR PRICE: $18.00 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: September 1997 Annotation: In this perceptive and provocative look at everything from computer software that requires faster processors and more support staff to antibiotics that breed resistant strains of bacteria, Edward Tenner offers a virtual encyclopedia of what he calls "revenge effects"--the unintended consequences of the mechanical, chemical, biological, and medical forms of ingenuity that have been hallmarks of the progressive, improvement-obsessed modern age. Tenner shows why our confidence in technological solutions may be misplaced, and explores ways in which we can better survive in a world where despite technology's advances--and often because of them--"reality is always gaining on us." For anyone hoping to understand the ways in which society and technology interact, Why Things Bite Back is indispensable reading. "A bracing critique of technological determinism in both its utopian and dystopian forms...No one who wants to think clearly about our high-tech future can afford to ignore this book."--Jackson Lears, "Wilson Quarterly |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Technology & Engineering | Technical Writing - Social Science - Fiction |
| Dewey: 303.48 |
| Physical Information: 0.94" H x 5.2" W x 8" (0.78 lbs) 448 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: In this perceptive and provocative look at everything from computer software that requires faster processors and more support staff to antibiotics that breed resistant strains of bacteria, Edward Tenner offers a virtual encyclopedia of what he calls "revenge effects"--the unintended consequences of the mechanical, chemical, biological, and medical forms of ingenuity that have been hallmarks of the progressive, improvement-obsessed modern age. Tenner shows why our confidence in technological solutions may be misplaced, and explores ways in which we can better survive in a world where despite technology's advances--and often because of them--"reality is always gaining on us." For anyone hoping to understand the ways in which society and technology interact, Why Things Bite Back is indispensable reading. "A bracing critique of technological determinism in both its utopian and dystopian forms...No one who wants to think clearly about our high-tech future can afford to ignore this book."--Jackson Lears, Wilson Quarterly |
