The New Technology State : How Our Digital Dreams Became Societal Nightmares -- and What We Can Do about It

This book is about society -- how it has changed and what technology is enabling us to do to ourselves. Sixty years ago, legendary economist John Kenneth Galbraith issued a grim prophecy that the global elite would harness the potential of the burgeoning computing revolution to accumulate even more wealth and power. His masterwork The New Industrial State redefined our perception of ourselves and our society. The computing revolution has turned his predictions into a reality that triggered conversations between technology pioneer Bill Raduchel (a former colleague of Galbraith''s at Harvard) and British Army officer turned MP Tom Tugendhat. The New Technology State recounts their discussions and reveals how the wealthy and powerful have used the incredible technological advances of the past half-century to gain unprecedented advantages and what we can do to reclaim control of our future.