Book
Why things bite back : technology and the revenge of unintended consequences
Record details
- ISBN: 0679425632
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Physical Description:
print
xiv, 431 p ; 21 cm. - Edition: 1st ed.
- Publisher: New York : Knopf, 1996.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (p. 279-329) and index. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Technology -- Social aspects Technology -- Economic aspects |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Legislative Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative Library, Vaughan Street | T 14.5 Ten (Text) | 36970000018665 | General Collection | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Book News : Book News Reviews
Tenner (Princeton U.) examines the unintended consequences of mechanical, chemical, biological, and medical advances in the 20th century. He looks at aspects of a pattern of paradox and "revenge effects," detailing phenomenon such as low-tar cigarettes that discourage quitting, and the occurrence of the Chernobyl meltdown during a safety test. Of interest to technophiles, technophobes, and general readers. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. - Choice Reviews : Choice Reviews 1996 November
An axiom of the history of technology is that major innovations have unexpected (and usually, but not invariably, adverse) side effects. Tenner includes 275 pages of examples--from medicine, environmental engineering, business computer hardware and software, and sports--and attempts to introduce plants and animals into new environments. "Revenge effects" arise unexpectedly when a problem-solving technology induces (usually human) behaviors that preclude the technology from achieving its intended goals. Tenner contends that technology typically concentrates on acute problems but instead of solving them, spreads them out in space and time, creating new long-term chronic problems. No antitechnological polemicist, Tenner is cautiously optimistic, seeing the long-term impact of revenge effects as potentially positive. His argument is not totally effective; the middle chapters lack focus and spend more time on "how" our cleverness is often turned against us than on the "why" of the title. Nonetheless, the book represents the broadest and most systematic description available of this frustrating process. Especially thought-provoking for medical and computer science students, and for engineers. Brief but useful "further reading" list; extensive notes on sources. General; undergraduates; faculty; professionals. Copyright 1999 American Library Association - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 1996 April
~ What do football helmets and laser printers have in common? According to Tenner, they exemplify a new sort of technological backlash that turns the promise of progress on its head. Tenner, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, argues that progress in numerous fields of endeavor has been undercut by unanticipated ``revenge effects,'' which he describes as ``ironic unintended consequences'' of human ingenuity. Examples are myriad: antibiotics that promise the cure of age-old disease but end up breeding resistant microorganisms; imported wildlife that competes too successfully with native species; computer printers that create better-looking documents--and force everyone to desktop-publish memos that would convey the same information if handwritten. The examples are organized under several headings, from medicine and environmental disasters to pests (both animal and vegetable), computerization, and sports (which, interestingly enough, offers some of the best evidence of the thesis). The football helmet, designed to reduce injuries, actually encourages a more violent style of play, creating a new and more serious kind of injury. While Tenner claims to be neither pro- nor anti-technology, he often seems to press his thesis beyond useful limits, as in his observation that those who dwell near wooded areas must now be on guard against tick bites; this is neither a new phenomenon nor an effect of technology. He has clearly done an impressive amount of research, but his footnotes (which attempt to cover whole paragraphs in one sweep) do not let the reader easily follow his research; often an interesting and provocative quote will go unattributed. And a convoluted style often forces a reader to reread an argument that could have been more simply stated. Tenner's subject is undoubtedly interesting, and his examples will strike close to home for many readers; the book would be even better if he had not tried to inflate his useful observations into universal truths. Copyright 1999 Kirkus Reviews - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 1996 May
Believers in Murphy's Law-"if something can go wrong, it will"-might think this book proves it. Historian of science Tenner, who holds a visiting research appointment at Princeton University's Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences, describes the "revenge effect," an adverse consequence occurring when "new structures, devices, and organisms react with real people in real situations in ways we could not foresee." There are innumerable examples, e.g., sophisticated medical procedures save lives but are expensive and leave patients vulnerable to other unpleasant complications, technologies to improve agricultural yield inadvertently lead to erosion, and office computerization has fostered a new epidemic of carpal tunnel syndrome. Tenner chronicles dozens of such cases, which are seen as almost inevitable owing to the complexity of many systems. With hindsight, some of his examples seem obvious-for example, traffic jams resulted from the mass production of automobiles-and Tenner's point is clear by the third chapter. Still, his conclusion that we must recognize revenge effects and act earlier to avert them is worth heeding. For general science collections.-Gregg Sapp, Univ. of Miami Lib. Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 1996 April #3
Even when used to better the world, technology fosters unforeseen, often unpleasant consequences that Tenner calls "revenge effects." For example, air-conditioned subways raise platform temperatures by as much as 10 degrees F; some computer users get painful, wrist-numbing carpal tunnel syndrome; flood control systems encourage settlement of flood-prone areas, inviting disaster; 6% of all hospital patients become infected with microbes they encounter during their stay. In a thought-provoking study, Tenner, a historian of science and visiting researcher at Princeton, looks at revenge effects that pop up in medicine, sports, the computerized office and the environment. Oil spills, erosion of beaches, back injuries, athletes' illegal use of steroids and mass extermination of bird species on the world's islands by ship-hopping rats mark this saga of bewildering, often frustrating change. Tenner's cautionary conclusion: revenge effects demand ingenuity and brainpower as technology continues to replace life-threatening problems with slower-acting, more persistent ones. (May) Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 1997 June #2
and often unpleasant consequences, which PW called "thought-provoking." (July) Copyright 1998 Publishers Weekly Reviews
