Technology and Culture: A Historical Romance

by Barry M. Katz

Karz looks at many "tales of technology's role in the human quest for knowledge and power. Wielding the historical record like an archaeologist's pick, Katz excavates a field spanning five thousand years and stretching from the Tower of Babel to the Eiffel Tower. Readers will encounter skeptics and visionaries, metalsmiths and magicians, as Katz sifts through fragments of shattered texts, unearths bones of contention, and reconstructs the attitudes with which the art of practical invention has contended throughout history." (excerpt from backcover copy)

Genres: History

156 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

Reviews

[David Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid primer on the philosophical ideas and historical moments that have defined our relationships to technology. Nothing you won’t be surprised by, but a good reminder that we, as a species, have been dealing with the conundrum and consequences of technology for a long time. If you’re looking for a book to help prod your thinking about our relationship with tech “these days,” I recommend this as a good starting point.