Showing titles in Technology & Society

We may imagine the digital cloud as placeless, mute, ethereal, and unmediated. Yet the reality of the cloud is embodied in thousands of massive data centers, any one of which can use as much electricity as a midsized town. Even all these data centers are only one small part of the cloud. Behind that cloud-shaped icon on our screens is a whole universe of technologies and cultural norms, all working to keep us from noticing their existence.

We used to know how to know. We got our answers from books or experts. We'd nail down the facts and move on. But in the Internet age, knowledge has moved onto networks. There's more knowledge than ever, of course, but it's different. Topics have no boundaries, and nobody agrees on anything.Yet this is the greatest time in history to be a knowledge seeker - if you know how.

Former physicist Andrew Maynard threads together his love of science-fiction movies with his expertise on emerging technologies to engage, entertain, and make you think about the relationship between technology and society. Through the imagination and creativity of science-fiction movies, Maynard introduces listeners to the profound capabilities presented by new and emerging technologies, and the complex personal and societal challenges they present.

As the speed and complexity of the world increases, governments and nonprofit organizations need new ways to effectively tackle the critical challenges of our time-from pandemics and global warming to social media warfare. In Power to the Public, Tara Dawson McGuinness and Hana Schank describe a revolutionary new approach - public interest technology - that has the potential to transform the way governments and nonprofits around the world solve problems.

A revelatory examination of why you’re feeling so worn out—and practical daily strategies to change your relationship with your devices. Unplugging is not a long-term solution for the stress caused by technology. If you want to keep your job, participate in society, and maintain meaningful...

How the rich and powerful use math to exploit you, and what you can do to beat them at their own game Everything we do today is recorded as data that's sold to the highest bidder. Plugging our personal data into impersonal algorithms has made government agencies more efficient and tech companies...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Celebrated futurist Ray Kurzweil presents an “elaborate, smart, and persuasive” (The Boston Globe) view of the future course of human development. “Artfully envisions a breathtakingly better world.”—Los Angeles Times “Startling in scope and bravado...

Communication has always been at the heart of human progress. From smoke signals on mountaintops to the invisible Wi-Fi networks that surround us today, every leap forward has reshaped how we share ideas, stay safe, build relationships, and understand the world. From Morse Code to Wi-Fi is a clear, captivating journey through the ten biggest breakthroughs that transformed human connection forever.

Brought to you by Penguin. In 2013, former Hollywood director Beeban Kidron made a ground-breaking documentary about the lives of children online. She uncovered a shocking story of exploitation and greed that changed everything – and ignited her relentless crusade to hold the tech giants...

The metaverse is no longer a distant idea—it's unfolding now, powered by AI, big data, and immersive digital ecosystems. It's changing how we work, interact, and create value, offering unparalleled opportunities but also competitive pressures. In Building a Thriving Future, Harvard researcher and AI strategist Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio delivers the first strategy-driven guide for business leaders, policymakers, and decision-makers navigating this transformation. This book moves beyond hype, offering a data-backed, actionable roadmap to help organizations adapt and lead in the metaverse economy.

A meditation on race, technology, and the fight for equitable education Educated citizens are the lifeforce of democracy. Across all aspects of modern life, and especially in education, AI is raising existential questions. Like any new technology, it is both transformative and problematic. In...

A searing investigation into the child influencer industry and the perils of childhood internet fame, Like, Follow, Subscribe is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the costs of internet fame, and the ethics of online content. What is it like to grow up with a camera in your face...

From the New York Times bestselling authors of Abundance, Bold, and The Future Is Faster Than You Think comes a bold exploration of what it means to stay human in a world where technology has granted us godlike power. In 1968, Stewart Brand declared: “We are as gods—and we might as well get...

A New York Times Notable Book Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award An Instant New York Times Bestseller Named a Best Book of the Year by Smithsonian, Scientific American, and Elle Porchlight 2025 Business Book Award Winner “A bestselling page-turner that has made...

If you can't trust those in charge, who can you trust? From government to business, banks to media, trust in institutions is at an all-time low. But this isn't the age of distrust -- far from it. In this revolutionary book, world-renowned trust expert Rachel Botsman reveals that we are at the...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful general-purpose technology that is reshaping the modern economy, but misperceptions about AI stand in the way of harnessing it for the betterment of humanity. In Thrive, Ravi Bapna and Anindya Ghose counter the backlash by showcasing how AI is positively influencing the aspects of our daily lives that we care about most: our health and wellness, relationships, education, the workplace, and domestic life.

Rosenberger brings together ideas from philosophy and cognitive science to leverage a postphenomenological perspective that reveals how our smartphones make us such bad drivers. Reviewing decades of empirical studies in cognitive science, he shows that we have developed habits of perception regarding our compulsive technology use—habits that may wrest our attention away from the road.

International bestselling author and optimistic internet thinker Jeff Jarvis examines the way the Internet has changed the way we form communities, create identities, engage in commerce, and live our lives. A visionary and optimistic thinker examines the tension between privacy and publicness...

Democratic Delusions explores the potential of our media and tech systems to be democratic and contribute to a just and transformative democracy. This is only possible, Natalie Fenton argues, by first situating our political systems and mediated worlds within global capitalism. By interrogating different media and their relationship to seven key elements of democracy—power, participation, freedom, equality, public good, trust, and hope—the book asks: What is the response of society when the ability of news media to speak truth to power has been restricted by corporate logic?

Welcome to "2024 Technology Inventions and Ideas", a microlearning book that will keep you up to date with tech innovation. Whether you need to for work or are simply curious, understanding how technology is changing has become increasingly interesting and important to many of us. This book can be your guide to understanding the most exciting and engaging technologies of 2024. We’ve presented it in a way that’s easy to digest and apply to your everyday life.