From the author hailed by the New York Times Book Review for his “drive-by brilliance” and dubbed by the New York Times Magazine as “one of the country’s most eloquent and acid-tongued critics” comes a ruthless challenge to the conventional wisdom about the most consequential cultural development of our time: the Internet.
Of course the Internet is not one thing or another; if anything, its boosters claim, the Web is everything at once. It’s become not only our primary medium for communication and information but also the place we go to shop, to play, to debate, to find love. Lee Siegel argues that our ever-deepening immersion in life online doesn’t just reshape the ordinary rhythms of our days; it also reshapes our minds and culture, in ways with which we haven’t yet reckoned. The web and its cultural correlatives and by-products—such as the dominance of reality television and the rise of the “bourgeois bohemian”—have turned privacy into performance, play into commerce, and confused “self-expression” with art. And even as technology gurus ply their trade using the language of freedom and democracy, we cede more and more control of our freedom and individuality to the needs of the machine—that confluence of business and technology whose boundaries now stretch to encompass almost all human activity.
Siegel’s argument isn’t a Luddite intervention against the Internet itself but rather a bracing appeal for us to contend with how it is transforming us all. Dazzlingly erudite, full of startlingly original insights, and buoyed by sharp wit, Against the Machine will force you to see our culture—for better and worse—in an entirely new way.
Against the Machine
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||
New! Introducing the tech.book(store), a hub for Software Developers and Architects, Networking Administrators, TPMs, and other technology professionals to find highly-rated and highly-relevant career resources. Shop books on programming and big data, or read this week's blog posts by authors and thought-leaders in the tech industry. > Shop now |
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Siegel, a controversial former NewRepublic.com blogger and past Slate.com art critic, provides a fascinating look at how the Internet is reshaping the way we think about ourselves and the world. Siegel explores how the Internet affects culture and social life, particularly the psychological, emotional and social cost of high-tech solitude. Arguing that the Internet's widespread anonymity eliminates boundaries, Siegel discusses the half-fantasy, half-realism of online personas. Internet pornography, Siegel intones, collapses public and private, transforming others into the instrument of the viewer's will. By experiencing virtual selves rather than other individuals, a danger arises: people run the risk of being reduced to personas that other Internet users manipulate toward their own ends. Insightful and well written with convincing evidence to support Siegel's polemic, this book is a welcome addition to the debate on the personal ramifications of living in a wired world. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
Acclaim for Lee Siegel
“Mr. Siegel is a zigzagging cultural omnivore…a confrontational enthusiast… an expert demolisher of critical group-think.”
--New York Observer
“One of the country’s most eloquent and acid-tongued cultural critics.”
-Deborah Solomon, New York Times
“To read him is to be reminded of what criticism used to aspire to in terms of range, learning, high standards, and good writing and--dare one say it?--values.”
-- David Rieff
“Savor his vigorous prose, and prepare to be surprised.”
--Pete Hamill
“In every case, Siegel is wildly and satisfyingly unpredictable.”
--Janet Malcolm
"One of the heroic few."
-- The Guardian
“Mr. Siegel is a zigzagging cultural omnivore…a confrontational enthusiast… an expert demolisher of critical group-think.”
--New York Observer
“One of the country’s most eloquent and acid-tongued cultural critics.”
-Deborah Solomon, New York Times
“To read him is to be reminded of what criticism used to aspire to in terms of range, learning, high standards, and good writing and--dare one say it?--values.”
-- David Rieff
“Savor his vigorous prose, and prepare to be surprised.”
--Pete Hamill
“In every case, Siegel is wildly and satisfyingly unpredictable.”
--Janet Malcolm
"One of the heroic few."
-- The Guardian
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Share your thoughts with other customers
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 48 people found the following review helpful
By Roy E. Perry
Format:Hardcover
In Against the Machine, Lee Siegel has written a devastating critique of the Internet--its destructive side and how it is adversely reshaping our thoughts about ourselves, other people, and the world around us.
In "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: "Alas, the time of the most despicable man is coming. The earth has become small, and on it hops the last man, who makes everything small. His race is as ineradicable as the flea, Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse. . . . 'We have invented happiness,' say the last men, and they blink."
Siegel believes this "brave new world" is now: On the Internet, he asserts, "you must sound more like everyone else than anyone else is able to sound like everyone else." Such a vapid transvaluation of values, he asserts, has disastrous effects on our culture, our politics, and our psyches.
The Internet, says Siegel, creates a surreal virtual reality "where the rhetoric of democracy, freedom, and access is often a fig leaf for antidemocratic and coercive rhetoric; where commercial ambitions dress up in the sheep's clothing of humanistic values; and were, ironically, technology has turned back the clock from disinterested enjoyment of high and popular art to a primitive culture of crude, grasping self-interest."
In this strange, upside-down world, talent, expertise, and originality have been replaced by popularity, genuine knowledge has been crowded out by information overload, and true democracy has been undermined by the creation of solipsistic egos isolated from social and political structures and vulnerable to demagogic lies and deceit. Thus is fulfilled Nietzsche's prophecy of the advent of the mob-self who denigrates excellence and elevates the ephemeral, the trivial, the banal, and the mediocre.
Against the Machine is a smash-mouth, no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners cautionary tale about the dark side of the Internet. Refusing to be intimidated by pollyannish Internet boosterism, this provocative book dares cry out that the "imperial" Internet has no clothes. In other words, it's "unsafe at any speed."
Siegel's thesis may seem exaggerated, but his hyperbole serves as a needed, and courageous, warning against soceity's increasing reliance upon the Internet.
Lee Siegel is the author of the essay collections Falling Upwards and Not Remotely Controlled. In 2002 he received the National Magazine Award for Reviews and Criticism. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.
In "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: "Alas, the time of the most despicable man is coming. The earth has become small, and on it hops the last man, who makes everything small. His race is as ineradicable as the flea, Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse. . . . 'We have invented happiness,' say the last men, and they blink."
Siegel believes this "brave new world" is now: On the Internet, he asserts, "you must sound more like everyone else than anyone else is able to sound like everyone else." Such a vapid transvaluation of values, he asserts, has disastrous effects on our culture, our politics, and our psyches.
The Internet, says Siegel, creates a surreal virtual reality "where the rhetoric of democracy, freedom, and access is often a fig leaf for antidemocratic and coercive rhetoric; where commercial ambitions dress up in the sheep's clothing of humanistic values; and were, ironically, technology has turned back the clock from disinterested enjoyment of high and popular art to a primitive culture of crude, grasping self-interest."
In this strange, upside-down world, talent, expertise, and originality have been replaced by popularity, genuine knowledge has been crowded out by information overload, and true democracy has been undermined by the creation of solipsistic egos isolated from social and political structures and vulnerable to demagogic lies and deceit. Thus is fulfilled Nietzsche's prophecy of the advent of the mob-self who denigrates excellence and elevates the ephemeral, the trivial, the banal, and the mediocre.
Against the Machine is a smash-mouth, no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners cautionary tale about the dark side of the Internet. Refusing to be intimidated by pollyannish Internet boosterism, this provocative book dares cry out that the "imperial" Internet has no clothes. In other words, it's "unsafe at any speed."
Siegel's thesis may seem exaggerated, but his hyperbole serves as a needed, and courageous, warning against soceity's increasing reliance upon the Internet.
Lee Siegel is the author of the essay collections Falling Upwards and Not Remotely Controlled. In 2002 he received the National Magazine Award for Reviews and Criticism. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.
33 of 39 people found the following review helpful
By TSP
Format:Hardcover
What are the impacts of Internet technologies on culture and sociality? This weighty and timely question is the one this book attempts to address, but it falls short of being a considered, balanced and serious examination of this topic.
The overall tone of this book by disgraced former New Republic editor and blogger Lee Siegel is of a personal critique against the twinning of digital environments and commerce. Some of its best points are made when Siegel demonstrates his capacity to think deeply on the issues he is concerned about. Sadly, these parts of the book are rare and for this reason, among others, this book is not for use by serious scholars of digital ontology or of the consequences of the digitization of human life.
The book raises interesting points about the performance of privacy online, the rise of the importance of information for its own sake and the popularity contest that is the blogosphere. However, the often snarky tone and rather blatant one-sided presentations leech Mr. Siegel's arguments of their ability to make a difference in the discourse of what the Internet's impacts are now and for the future. The most egregious problem the book has is its reification of its topic center. Mr. Siegel writes about "The Internet" as if the global digital network were a single person, with independent volition and agency. He blames the Internet for several consequences of 21st century life, forgetting as he does so that the larger western culture is the real root and agent of those issues. At several points and most notably in part two, he presents arguments about mass culture, high and low culture, the rise of rationalized individuality, etcetera that suggest that the cultural and social impoverishment and bastardization he speaks of are new to modern life and that the Internet is to blame. He does not exhibit any awareness of the large cadre of philosphers and scholars who have written about these topics for the last few hundred years, since the dawn of industrialization (Theodor Adorno comes to mind as just one example).
While this book is supposed to be a single cohesive book, at times it reads more like an edited collection of opinion essays written at different periods in Mr. Siegel's career, with the tone switching from personal and casual, with self-references and contractions, to third person and serious. Admittedly, if one knows Mr. Siegel's past history of digital participation, the slant in the book becomes glaringly obvious and the reader is left to wonder if the tone and overarching message would have been different if the blogosphere had been kinder to the man? Do read this book if you are interested in the impacts of digital culture on humanity, but expect to be more entertained then enlightened. And given Mr. Siegel's diatribes against exactly this outcome in modern public culture, one is left to wonder if this is deliberate on his part? An ultimate proving of his point?
The overall tone of this book by disgraced former New Republic editor and blogger Lee Siegel is of a personal critique against the twinning of digital environments and commerce. Some of its best points are made when Siegel demonstrates his capacity to think deeply on the issues he is concerned about. Sadly, these parts of the book are rare and for this reason, among others, this book is not for use by serious scholars of digital ontology or of the consequences of the digitization of human life.
The book raises interesting points about the performance of privacy online, the rise of the importance of information for its own sake and the popularity contest that is the blogosphere. However, the often snarky tone and rather blatant one-sided presentations leech Mr. Siegel's arguments of their ability to make a difference in the discourse of what the Internet's impacts are now and for the future. The most egregious problem the book has is its reification of its topic center. Mr. Siegel writes about "The Internet" as if the global digital network were a single person, with independent volition and agency. He blames the Internet for several consequences of 21st century life, forgetting as he does so that the larger western culture is the real root and agent of those issues. At several points and most notably in part two, he presents arguments about mass culture, high and low culture, the rise of rationalized individuality, etcetera that suggest that the cultural and social impoverishment and bastardization he speaks of are new to modern life and that the Internet is to blame. He does not exhibit any awareness of the large cadre of philosphers and scholars who have written about these topics for the last few hundred years, since the dawn of industrialization (Theodor Adorno comes to mind as just one example).
While this book is supposed to be a single cohesive book, at times it reads more like an edited collection of opinion essays written at different periods in Mr. Siegel's career, with the tone switching from personal and casual, with self-references and contractions, to third person and serious. Admittedly, if one knows Mr. Siegel's past history of digital participation, the slant in the book becomes glaringly obvious and the reader is left to wonder if the tone and overarching message would have been different if the blogosphere had been kinder to the man? Do read this book if you are interested in the impacts of digital culture on humanity, but expect to be more entertained then enlightened. And given Mr. Siegel's diatribes against exactly this outcome in modern public culture, one is left to wonder if this is deliberate on his part? An ultimate proving of his point?
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book, as the title suggests, is about the negative and destructive aspects of the Internet. Many of us, even true believers, have always felt instinctively that it was not all good. From the outset it should be noted that cultural critic Lee Siegel is keenly aware of its power. He writes that "the Internet is possibly the most radical transformation of private and public life in the history of humankind." He likens the Internet to the automobile in the 1950's in that it is considered a symbol and an instrument of "freedom, democracy, choice, and access." It was not until the 1960's that the shortcomings and the dangers of the automobile were exposed by Ralph Nadar. Lee Siegel has taken it upon himself to be the Ralph Nadar of the Internet. Although we've heard many of his arguments before, he delivers them with a certain anger, a "rage against the machine."
Siegel opens his discussion with a scene in Starbucks where everyone is sitting speechless - if not on cellphone - in front of their laptops. Everyone is trying to achieve "connectivity" with the World Wide Web. What Siegel sees is disconnectedness and isolation. Social-networking sites, for example, are a contradiction in terms. They are asocial and atomizing. How can members of Facebook and MySpace have thousands of "friends." What are the consequences for real friendships? Siegel asks all the pertinent questions, even though he doesn't have all the answers.
Siegel has a special axe to grind with Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point. He charges that Gladwell has made popularity the sole criterion for success. The Internet is keeping us at the level of high school, where popularity or "page views" is more important than originality or creativity. Webheads strive to be more like everyone else than anyone else. He cites "American Idol" as another example of contemporary mindlessness. The most successful performers are the best imitators.
Siegel wonders what effect 50,000 new blogs daily (presumably this one included) has on our culture. With the shear volume of information, knowledge becomes elusive. It becomes more difficult to separate rumor from truth. Reality shows are staged, some documentaries are staged, how long before the news is staged? Siegel argues that the blogosphere has a deteriorating effect on "fairness, honesty, and accuracy." Webheads will find that many of his arguments are difficult to refute.
As a professional journalist, Siegel laments the disappearance of the editorial standards of traditional print media, even though they too were imperfect. He also denounces the superficial freedom and democracy that the blogosphere claims for itself. Although his sentiments ring true, there is nothing that can or should be done about the electronic mob from above. Cultural gatekeepers are a thing of the past. We can only hope that the great digital unwashed can sort things out from the bottom up, and that truth and justice prevail.
Siegel opens his discussion with a scene in Starbucks where everyone is sitting speechless - if not on cellphone - in front of their laptops. Everyone is trying to achieve "connectivity" with the World Wide Web. What Siegel sees is disconnectedness and isolation. Social-networking sites, for example, are a contradiction in terms. They are asocial and atomizing. How can members of Facebook and MySpace have thousands of "friends." What are the consequences for real friendships? Siegel asks all the pertinent questions, even though he doesn't have all the answers.
Siegel has a special axe to grind with Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point. He charges that Gladwell has made popularity the sole criterion for success. The Internet is keeping us at the level of high school, where popularity or "page views" is more important than originality or creativity. Webheads strive to be more like everyone else than anyone else. He cites "American Idol" as another example of contemporary mindlessness. The most successful performers are the best imitators.
Siegel wonders what effect 50,000 new blogs daily (presumably this one included) has on our culture. With the shear volume of information, knowledge becomes elusive. It becomes more difficult to separate rumor from truth. Reality shows are staged, some documentaries are staged, how long before the news is staged? Siegel argues that the blogosphere has a deteriorating effect on "fairness, honesty, and accuracy." Webheads will find that many of his arguments are difficult to refute.
As a professional journalist, Siegel laments the disappearance of the editorial standards of traditional print media, even though they too were imperfect. He also denounces the superficial freedom and democracy that the blogosphere claims for itself. Although his sentiments ring true, there is nothing that can or should be done about the electronic mob from above. Cultural gatekeepers are a thing of the past. We can only hope that the great digital unwashed can sort things out from the bottom up, and that truth and justice prevail.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Waste of Time
Before you read this, PLEASE NOTE I only read the first half of the book before I could not afford to waste any more time. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lorenzo M. Vidali
4.0 out of 5 stars
Scathing Critique of the Youniverse
"You must sound more like everyone else than anyone else is able to sound like everyone else."
I feel sheepish writing this review, volunteering my leisure-time to labor... Read more
I feel sheepish writing this review, volunteering my leisure-time to labor... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Evan Tick
2.0 out of 5 stars
The train has left the station
The train has left the station, now that the technology is here to stay, we have to embrace and see how we can use it effectively to our advantage. Read more
Published 5 months ago by rpv
4.0 out of 5 stars
Berglund Center for Internet Studies Review by Jeffrey Barlow
As we study the impact of the Internet in all of its aspects, Siegel is a good balance for the many highly positive and laudatory works available. Read more
Published on April 19, 2011 by Berglund Center for Internet Studies
2.0 out of 5 stars
Garbage, burning
Man, I had high hopes for this book. Very high. Siegel had a great piece in the NY Times a few weeks ago, so I ordered Against the Machine thinking I'd get more of his shrewd... Read more
Published on January 20, 2009 by thenextgreatamericannovel.com
1.0 out of 5 stars
A good idea very poorly executed
This book is a quick read - sadly, that is its only virtue. It was a good idea, to examine the hazards of becoming a society of entertainment consumers and not a society of... Read more
Published on December 19, 2008 by Seeker of Truth
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is so good
This book is so good. Siegel is one of the few writers who aren't caught up with all of the hype of Google and Web 2.0. Read more
Published on November 12, 2008 by Henri M.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great message, but could have been covered in one essay or column.
He sold me on the book doing some great interviews while promoting it. Good guy, definitely has the right idea. But the book just seems to be repetitive.
Published on April 5, 2008 by Rob Thomas
4.0 out of 5 stars
Every tool can be good or bad -- it depends on whose hands are using...
I saw an ad for this book in the NYT Sunday Book Review and the subject immediately captivated my attention. Read more
Published on March 31, 2008 by William Capodanno
3.0 out of 5 stars
What makes him an expert?
The author is bothered by the ability of web users to express opinions without being "recognized" experts. Read more
Published on March 8, 2008 by Daniel W. Derrick
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
So You'd Like to...
Look for Similar Items by Category
- Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Management > Culture
- Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science
- Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Communication & Media Studies
- Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Popular Culture
- Books > Science & Math > Technology
