Why Things Bite Back : Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences

Rating:
Summary: Technologies unitended consequenses!
Review: This raises the idea that sometimes we, i.e., the common man has to be a bit weary with new inventions. DDT was seen at first as a god send. This product turned out to be the most lethal pesticide evr made and almost killed of the bald eagle.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting book, but it fell short of the goal
Review: While Tenner presents a large number of cases that fall under the umbrella of his subject, he does not spend enough time examining lessons; what, beyond the obvious, was learned from each situation. I would rather have had been exposed to fewer incidents, and read more about what has (or has not) been done to keep these sorts of situations from reoccuring. On the postive side, Tenner's writing does allow readers to easily understand complex situations, and his prose lends itself to easy visualization of each occurence

Rating:
Summary: Technology is not your friend
Review: Why is it that any step forward seems to be followed by three steps back ? This guy knows, he also knows why:

* Bigger roads lead to more traffic jams
* New "cheaper" technique for gallbladder operations actually increased the expenditures (more operations performed).
* Introduction of PC's in the office did not actually lead to an overall productivity increase.
* Mandatory use of gloves in professional boxing actually multiplied cumulative, chronic damage.

Covering a broad variety of subjects like antibiotics, killer bees, DDT, computers and zebra mussels.
Exceptionally well researched, did you know for example that good old Murphy was a captain at Edwards Air Force Base ? or that during the American War of Independence, 75% of American troops treated in hospitals did not survive (disease, often not related to wounds caused nine out of ten casualties) ?
In his mission, the author occasionally (well, no make that often) loses the concept of common sense: any flaw in any invention or technological advance is made to be bigger than life. Something along the line of: since airconditioning equipment raises the temperature outside, the net effect is zero, duh.
If more thinkers like this man would be around, we certainly wouldn't use cars, hospitals or pain killers and certainly would not want kids.
Notwithstanding the pessimistic tone, this definitely gives you something to ponder.

Rating:
Summary: Sheesh! Of course the world is screwed up, but...
Review: Why not ignore the parts of the world that you dislike and enjoy the parts that are agreeable? There are enough people who complain, dare to be different. Our computers are fantastic! Never have we had more toys to play with!