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." |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 69
Page 62
... original purpose of ritual was to create order and meaning where none existed ; to affirm them when they had been ... original creation of meaning by a repetitive act , and the later erosion or displacement of meaning by mechanical ...
... original purpose of ritual was to create order and meaning where none existed ; to affirm them when they had been ... original creation of meaning by a repetitive act , and the later erosion or displacement of meaning by mechanical ...
Page 141
... original model , that fruit , too , came within woman's province . Protection , storage , enclosure , accumulation , continuity - these con- tributions of neolithic culture largely stem from woman and woman's vocations . In our current ...
... original model , that fruit , too , came within woman's province . Protection , storage , enclosure , accumulation , continuity - these con- tributions of neolithic culture largely stem from woman and woman's vocations . In our current ...
Page 246
... original , were made in China , India , and Persia - inventions that help account for their dazzling performances in sculpture and architecture . But it is doubtful if the series of mechanical improvements that were introduced into ...
... original , were made in China , India , and Persia - inventions that help account for their dazzling performances in sculpture and architecture . But it is doubtful if the series of mechanical improvements that were introduced into ...
Contents
PROLOGUE | 3 |
THE MINDFULNESS OF MAN | 14 |
IN THE DREAMTIME LONG AGO | 48 |
Copyright | |
12 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
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