Turning away from technology

the long version

What is the real impact of technology on our cultural and political lives? Are the proponents of megatechnology and the global economy correct to assume that there will always be newer technological solutions to all the world's problems? Fifty visionary environmentalists, scientists, scholars, and social critics grapple with these questions and expose the links between the character of megatechnology and the social and ecological crises of our time. Stephanie Mills presents the ideas and opinions of many of the world's most important critics of biotechnology, free trade, corporate colonialism, the proliferation of military technologies, and technological means of social control in a fascinating and lively survey of the proceedings of two historic conferences. Refusing to offer superficial solutions to our current environmental and social problems, participants from Europe, North America, and Asia maintain that technology is never neutral, but that the totality of a given technology's effects, not just its intended benefits, must be taken into account. Turning Away From Technology is an invaluable conceptual tool because it offers a probing analysis of the big technological picture and describes a realistic, humane, and sustainable future.