Editor’s Pick: 9 Books for Understanding Technology
In a nod to the sci-fi classic The Terminator—the 1984 film by James Cameron featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger—one envisions a future where technology could one day rebel. While time-traveling machines remain a work of fiction, it is fascinating to consider how deeply technology has transformed our daily existence. We rave about innovations like air conditioning, life-saving medical treatments, and smartphones that simplify communication. Yet, each technological marvel brings its own set of compromises. Air conditioning can encourage isolation, medical treatments might come with unwanted side effects, and our ever-present smartphones often leave us overstimulated.
Recent discussions among contemporary authors invite us to reflect on how technology subtly influences our thoughts and lifestyles. One such endeavor is the collaborative work Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age, a title that tips its hat to Neil Postman’s influential work from 1985. The aim is to spark a thoughtful dialogue on how digital devices, particularly smartphones, are reshaping our perceptions and interactions. Ultimately, the book challenges us to step away from our screens in order to lead meaningful, spiritually enriching lives.
Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age
Brett McCracken and Ivan Mesa, editors
Published by TGC/Crossway with 256 pages, this work arrives on the 40th anniversary of Postman’s foretelling masterpiece, Amusing Ourselves to Death. Gathering insights from today’s most thoughtful writers, the book examines how modern technology molds our culture. It revisits Postman’s ideas and connects them to the current challenges faced by Christians and society at large. By encouraging readers to disconnect from relentless digital noise, the book advocates for a life rich in faith, reflection, and genuine human connection.
Book Recommendations on the Impact of Technology
Joe Carter
Lewis Dartnell, The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm (Penguin, 2014)
This work provides an imaginative yet practical look at how technology underpins civilization. Dartnell explores the essential skills and knowledge required to rebuild society from the ground up, prompting readers to reconsider our profound reliance on technology. The book is a timely reminder of both humanity’s innate creativity and the vulnerabilities that come with living in an increasingly disconnected digital age.
Collin Hansen
Nicholas Carr, Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart (W. W. Norton, 2025)
Carr explains how sensationalized content on social media captures our attention far more than factual reporting. In a world where machines curate and distribute information, Carr questions whether algorithms might prioritize authentic stories over manufactured ones. He critiques the way digital platforms have turned individuals into competitors in the battle for clicks and views, urging a reconsideration of our digital behaviors.
Samuel James
Hartmut Rosa, The Uncontrollability of the World (Polity, 2020)
Rather than focusing solely on technology, Rosa delves into our broader orientation toward life. He argues that a relentless pursuit of control and optimization can block us from experiencing profound meaning and awe. This thought-provoking work provides a framework for understanding why the digital age, with its emphasis on constant connectivity and curation, often leaves us feeling unfulfilled.
Brett McCracken
Christine Rosen, The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World (W. W. Norton, 2024)
In an era where our lives are dominated by swipes, scrolls, and taps, Rosen documents the gradual shift from physical, sensory interactions to mediated, virtual experiences. She examines the profound effects of this transformation on personal relationships, community bonds, and even spiritual well-being, highlighting what is lost when physical experience gives way to digital surrogates.
Ivan Mesa
Maryanne Wolf, Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World (Harper, 2018)
Wolf, a leading researcher on reading and cognitive science, discusses the impact of the digital age on how we process information, empathize, and reflect. Through a series of reflective letters, she argues for the importance of “deep reading”—a process that goes beyond mere information absorption and fosters wisdom. Despite being written before the rise of generative AI, its insights remain remarkably relevant.
Jen Pollock Michel
Johann Hari, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again (Crown, 2023)
Hari chronicles his personal three-month experiment distancing himself from his devices, describing the early withdrawal challenges and eventual recovery of his ability to focus. His account is both a personal journey and a broader commentary on the consequences of living in a hyper-connected world, emphasizing the value of an attentive, present life.
Patrick Miller
Cal Newport, Deep Work: Rules for Focus in a Distracted World (Grand Central, 2016)
Although not specifically a book on technology, Newport’s work functions as wise counsel in our battle against digital distraction. He offers strategies for achieving sustained focus amidst a plethora of interruptions, echoing the natural order and encouraging a disciplined approach to work. His insights resonate with anyone striving to reclaim the benefits of deep, uninterrupted concentration.
Keith Plummer
Sherry Turkle, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age (Penguin, 2016)
Turkle challenges the prevailing notion that communication via screens is as effective as direct interaction. She explores the reasons behind our retreat from authentic conversations and details its negative impact on family, friendships, romantic relationships, education, and public life. Her work reinforces the importance of genuine, face-to-face dialogue in fostering deep human connection.
Andrew Spencer
Neil Postman, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology (Vintage, 1993)
Serving as a critical complement to Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman’s Technopoly updates his earlier analysis in the context of the early days of the internet. It warns of a future where technology dominates and subtly erodes societal values and institutions if left unchecked. This book is a call to be mindful of how emerging technologies might reshape our culture without our deliberate consent.
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