Books › The real world of technology
The real world of technology
209 pages
A prescient, deeply humanist exploration of how the systems we build end up building us.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting in a lecture hall with a brilliant, deeply compassionate professor who is patiently explaining the invisible architecture of our modern lives. The pace is steady and deliberate, allowing complex ideas about prescriptive versus holistic technologies to sink in without overwhelming the reader. Franklin's prose is remarkably accessible, stripped of academic jargon but rich with profound, sobering insights that feel startlingly prescient today. The mood is contemplative and urgent, leaving you with a lingering awareness of how the pursuit of efficiency often comes at the cost of human agency. It will delight thoughtful skeptics, digital ethicists, and anyone who suspects that our everyday tools are quietly reshaping our social fabric and collective future.
- Mood
- contemplative
- sobering
- intellectually stimulating
- grounded
- Tone
- authoritative
- humanist
- prescient
- analytical
- conversational
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- technology as social practice · the human cost of efficiency · erosion of the public sphere · systemic control · illusion of progress
- The writing
- Clear, accessible, and conversational, reflecting its origins as a public lecture series while maintaining rigorous intellectual depth.
- The arc
- Moves from a foundational curiosity about historical shifts to a sobering, urgent call for human-centric values in an increasingly automated world.
- Who it's for
- Thoughtful skeptics and digital ethicists who want to understand the philosophical and social underpinnings of our tech-driven world without getting bogged down in jargon.
Content notes
- systemic inequality
- surveillance
- corporate overreach
About the book
"In this expanded edition of her bestselling 1989 CBC Massey Lectures, renowned Canadian scientist and humanitarian Ursula M. Franklin examines the impact of technology upon our lives and addresses the extraordinary changes in the bit sphere since The Real World of Technology was first published. In four new chapters, Franklin tackles contentious issues, such as the dilution of privacy and intellectual property rights, the impact of the current technology on government and governance, the shift from consumer capitalism to investment capitalism, and the influence of the Internet upon the craft of writing." --Cover.
Description from Open Library.
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