The Myth of the Machine, Volume 1An in-depth look at the forces that have shaped modern technology since prehistoric times. Mumford criticizes the modern trend of technology, which emphasizes constant, unrestricted expansion, production, and replacement. He contends that these goals work against technical perfection, durability, social efficiency, and overall human satisfaction. Modern technology fails to produce lasting, quality products by using devices such as consumer credit, installment buying, non-functioning and defective designs, built-in fragility, and frequent superficial "fashion" changes. "Without constant enticement by advertising," he writes, "production would slow down and level off to normal replacement demand. Otherwise many products could reach a plateau of efficient design which would call for only minimal changes from year to year." |
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Page 137
... neolithic ad- vances in domestication . But there is one aspect of neolithic tool - making that throws a significant light upon every other aspect of the culture . And this is the fact that , apart from the early development of the ...
... neolithic ad- vances in domestication . But there is one aspect of neolithic tool - making that throws a significant light upon every other aspect of the culture . And this is the fact that , apart from the early development of the ...
Page 145
... neolithic contribution . From Indonesia , where tropical horticulture probably first arose , a whole series of neolithic inventions based on bamboo might have spread over a large part of the world , even if clay and stone and metal had ...
... neolithic contribution . From Indonesia , where tropical horticulture probably first arose , a whole series of neolithic inventions based on bamboo might have spread over a large part of the world , even if clay and stone and metal had ...
Page 330
... neolithic ex- pression of , 155 Fertile Crescent , 155 Fertility cult , 155 Fertility gods , 204 Fertilization , 147 Festivals , neolithic , 158 Feudal privileges , renunci- ation of , 214 Field culture , 144 ' Fields , Factories , and ...
... neolithic ex- pression of , 155 Fertile Crescent , 155 Fertility cult , 155 Fertility gods , 204 Fertilization , 147 Festivals , neolithic , 158 Feudal privileges , renunci- ation of , 214 Field culture , 144 ' Fields , Factories , and ...
Contents
PROLOGUE | 3 |
THE MINDFULNESS OF MAN | 14 |
IN THE DREAMTIME LONG AGO | 48 |
Copyright | |
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abstract achieved activities agriculture ancestors ancient animal Aurignacian became beginning Benedictine Bertrand Gille brain Bushmen Çatal Hüyük cave cave paintings century cities civilization command complex consciousness cosmic creature cultivation divine domestication dream earliest economy economy of abundance effective effort Egypt Egyptian environment established esthetic evidence existence fact functions gods Homo sapiens human culture hunter hunting images institution interpretation Iron Age king kingship labor language later Leonardo London machine Magdalenian magic means megamachine ment merely mesolithic Mesopotamia military mind mode modern myth nature needed neolithic Oakes Ames observation once organization original paintings paleolithic paleolithic art pattern performed physical plants play possible practice primitive production rational religion ritual royal sacred sacrifice sexual significant social society species speech stone Sumer Sumerian survival symbolic technical thousand tion tool-making traits village watermill weapons whole words York