Questioning Technology: Tool, Toy or Tyrant [Hardcover]

John Zerzan (Author), Alice Carnes (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This collection, first published in London in 1988, aims to shock the reader into becoming more critical of technology in our lives. The role and influence of technology is assessed in a set of ten questions that serve as chapter headings (e.g., "What is the future of human culture with respect to technology?"). Excerpts from articles and books (the most recent of which was published in 1985) by over 30 authors (whose subject background is omitted) serve as examples of socioeconomic interpretations of the encroachment and dangers of technology. Although the questions stated are large, the amount of space and size of the selections are inadequate to give context to such major issues. The larger framework of the literature on technology, such as that discussed in A Guide to the Culture of Science, Technology, and Medicine , edited by Paul T. Durbin ( LJ 8/80), is neither cited nor mentioned here. A better choice for libraries is Arnold Pacey's The Culture of Technology ( LJ 2/15/84).
-Christopher R. Jocius, Illinois Mathematics & Science Acad., Aurora
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: New Society Pub (March 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865712042
• ISBN-13: 978-0865712041
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,956,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential book on technology, October 10, 2010

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Ben Brucato "bbrucato" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Questioning Technology: A Critical Anthology (Paperback)

Zerzan and Carnes had assembled some of the most important critical appraisals of technology written to the date of its publication in 1991 with this book. Lewis Mumford, Jacques Ellul, Langdon Winner, Joseph Weizenbaum, Carolyn Merchant, Morris Berman, George Bradford, Jerry Mander, Stanley Diamond, Russel Means and many others offer a searing indictment of technology and its catastrophic social effects. Almost all of these essays or excerpts have appeared elsewhere, but this single text has collected many of the essential topics and critiques levied from some of the greatest critics of technoculture.

One word of advice: while the concern of the publishers at New Society Publishers is noble, they have hand-written edits into the manuscript every time the word "man" is used to represent "humans" or "mankind" represents "humankind," with the intention of calling attention to the gendered use and nature of the English language. The result, however, is a text that is difficult to read. This represents one of the more annoying and silly attempts to address the influence of patriarchy in language. They may as well have poured etching solution on the printing plates before printing the book to challenge the technology of the printing press. Try to find the Freedom Press edition of this book to avoid this irritating and ineffective display of politics.