Slow Tech: Manifesto for an Overwound World

by Andrew Price

From the destruction of New Orleans to the loss of the world's fish-stocks and intractable problems such as MRSA, this title demonstrates how the reckless pursuit of efficiency and cost-effectiveness frequently backfires. It makes the case for robustness as an equally important measure of performance in various fields.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Dr. Andrew Price is professorial fellow in the Deparment of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick, in England.

He is an advisor and consultant to governments, UN agencies, other international organisations and industry on marine and environmental issues, and a fellow of the Linnean Society.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already agreed with the overall premise before I began reading, which is why I bought the book to being with. That being said, Price provides example after concrete example of how trading robustness of systems, whether ecological, economic, or otherwise, for short-term superficial efficiency, has led to a wasteful society on the brink of collapse. The manifesto is a call to re-examine the presuppositions of the silicon age and take a long view of our progress to see whether we are actually benefiting in the long run, or trading convenience and profit now for disaster and miser later. Techno-optimists might find themselves questioning their faith in technological progress to solve any and all challenges humanity faces today, since even a cursory look will show that it is this same technological progress that led us into our predicament to begin with.