Jim Brown reviewed In the Absence of the Sacred by Jerry Mander
You've heard of Neil Postman, but Mander was there too
15 years ago, I likely would have read this book and rolled my eyes a bit. Now? I'm kinda with Mander:
"Computers, like television, are far more valuable and helpful to the military, to multinational corporations, to international banking, to governments, and institutions of surveillance and control – all of whom use this technology on a scale and with a speed that are beyond our imagining – then they ever will be to you and me." (3)
But beyond this discussion of the damage computers and telecommunications network had done and would do to everyone, Mander is focused on the impact it was having on Indigenous peoples. The effects on Indigenous languages, on traditional storytelling practices, and on communal gathering.
He doesn't get everything right, but This book is worth a read both as a historical document and, honestly, as a way to think about legitimate modes of resistance and …
15 years ago, I likely would have read this book and rolled my eyes a bit. Now? I'm kinda with Mander:
"Computers, like television, are far more valuable and helpful to the military, to multinational corporations, to international banking, to governments, and institutions of surveillance and control – all of whom use this technology on a scale and with a speed that are beyond our imagining – then they ever will be to you and me." (3)
But beyond this discussion of the damage computers and telecommunications network had done and would do to everyone, Mander is focused on the impact it was having on Indigenous peoples. The effects on Indigenous languages, on traditional storytelling practices, and on communal gathering.
He doesn't get everything right, but This book is worth a read both as a historical document and, honestly, as a way to think about legitimate modes of resistance and refusal when it comes to tech.