A review by josiahdegraaf
The Glass Cage: Automation and Us by Nicholas Carr
4.0
A fascinating book that looks at many different areas where fields have been automated with technology and there have been unexpected negative consequences. At times it felt a bit eclectic and in a negative way, as he switched from one topic to another without much transition, but it also helped to show that an overreliance on technology has ill effects in many, if not all fields, and not merely a couple. My main takeaway: technology is not the panacea to man's problems, and the rush to automate everything, while good at the outset, often has hidden dangers.
Some noteworthy points:
The importance of the embodiment of our thinking, and the fact that we are not minds alone, but minds and bodies together.
When we assume that humans are weaker than technology, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.
It's possible to create human-centered technology, and not just tech-centered technology
Once good tech was viewed as a means to an better end; now it's just viewed as an end
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Very Good)
Some noteworthy points:
The importance of the embodiment of our thinking, and the fact that we are not minds alone, but minds and bodies together.
When we assume that humans are weaker than technology, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.
It's possible to create human-centered technology, and not just tech-centered technology
Once good tech was viewed as a means to an better end; now it's just viewed as an end
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Very Good)