Culture and Technology: A Primer

by Jennifer Daryl Slack, J. Macgregor Wise

From genetically modified food to weapons of mass destruction, we live in an age of intense debate about technology’s place in our culture. While the technologies have changed, these debates go back hundreds of years, and their assumptions have become deeply entrenched in our culture.
Culture and Technology is an essential guide to the fascinating history of these debates, and offers new perspectives that give readers the tools they need to make informed decisions about the role of technology in our lives. In clear and compelling language, Slack and Wise untangle and expose the cultural assumptions that underlie our thinking about technology, stories so deeply held we often don’t recognize their influence. The book considers the perceived inevitability of technological advance and our myths about progress. It also looks at sources of resistance to these stories from the Luddites of the 19th century to the Unabomber in our own time. Slack and Wise help readers sift through the confusions about culture and technology that arise in their own everyday lives.
This book is a must read for anyone who cares about the place of technology in our lives. It is a primer for beginners, and an invaluable resource for those who have pondered these issues before.

Genres: Technology, Nonfiction

226 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2005

Reviews

[Ayesha Tahir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading Slack and Wise’s books for classes, they’re genuinely interesting to read and so detailed. If you’re interested in theories behind communication and technologies, they’re literally the best. Interesting books but also super informative and clear

[Mark Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for those who are curious about how technology is changing our world, and are looking for a variety of avenues to explore this further. I personally found this book to be helpful as a student because it quickly broke down the foundation to many of my assumptions (e.g. I realized I only understood technological culture from the viewpoint of a consumer of tech)

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book for those who would like a fresh and easy way to understand the relationship between culture and technology.
Inspired by cultural studies and the history of technology.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this for a Communication Technology and Society class... pretty good stuff.

[Matt Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

damn academics . . the (good, though perhaps obvious) main idea can be said in a paragraph, but oh no . . we need a whole super-smart-sounding book to say it