What Technology Wants

By: Kevin Kelly

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

This provocative book introduces a brand-new view of technology. It suggests that technology as a whole is not a jumble of wires and metal but a living, evolving organism that has its own unconscious needs and tendencies. Kevin Kelly looks out through the eyes of this global technological system to discover "what it wants." He uses vivid examples from the past to trace technology's long course and then follows a dozen trajectories of technology into the near future to project where technology is headed.

This new theory of technology offers three practical lessons: By listening to what technology wants, we can better prepare ourselves and our children for the inevitable technologies to come; by adopting the principles of proaction and engagement, we can steer technologies into their best roles; and by aligning ourselves with the long-term imperatives of this near-living system, we can capture its full gifts.

Written in intelligent and accessible language, this is a fascinating, innovative, and optimistic look at how humanity and technology join to produce increasing opportunities in the world and how technology can give our lives greater meaning.

©2010 Kevin Kelly (P)2010 Tantor

Important to understand

What did you love best about What Technology Wants?

This book provides a basic understanding of what technology is and where it's going. In terms of impact on my thinking, it rates in the top dozen books I've read and my personal business library exceeds 800 books at this point. If you are a thinking person who wonders where humanity is going in the short term as well as the long term, I think you'll enjoy this book.

Brilliant ideas, extravagant conclusions

There are many thought-provoking insights that are mind-expanding, unfortunately, these all get extrapolated into an almost preachy defense of why this must all be correct. It is a well thought-out theory that could have been better articulated in about half the time. The author is perpetually taking the long way around and in the final chapter you understand that he is more emotionally invested in his concepts than academically critical. Everything you would expect from a futurist, but the writing just drags on and on somewhat pretentiously defensive.

Fascinating and thorough!

The best take I have encountered on technology outside of Marshall McLuhan (but much easier to understand!)

is the technium the evolution of evolution?

What made the experience of listening to What Technology Wants the most enjoyable?

The perspective in this book is very unique. Kelly is able to give a clear indication of what direction we are going. He is honest about the possible pit falls of our obsession with technology but also realistic about all that it has give us and will give us.

What other book might you compare What Technology Wants to and why?

I was prompted to read this book from Creating a Mind, Abundance and Better Angels. These books cite many of the same sources and draw some of the same conclusions.

What about Paul Boehmer’s performance did you like?

Paul Boehmer gives a lot to the material by getting out of the way.

Disappointed

While his insight on technology is a must, I don't understand why he had to talk about freewill. His theory on the subject of freewill is not just weird but also delusional.

Thought Provoking

I read widely in the areas of technology, innovation, and the social aspects of networking. Kevin Kelly’s “What Technology Wants” took me by surprise. It took me at least into the proverbial “deep end of the pool.” Easy to understand and follow, Kelly approaches technology from the perspective of the “technium”. Technium is the label he attaches to the globalized, interconnected stage of technological development. He approaches technology and innovation, then from this unusual perspective. If I follow, Kelly suggests that technology (technium) is the sum total of man’s progress – the thousands of years of progress. He also broadly defines technology in terms of nonhuman species as well. This is a very thought provoking book with many implications. It is well written though the listener may want to review sections periodically. It is approachable by anyone with a passing interest and nontechnical background. The narration of Paul Boehmer is very good as well. Audible fans may want to couple Kelly’s book with Steven Johnson’s “Where Good Ideas Come From” and Clay Shirky’s “Cognitive Surplus.” Both of those books consider parallel issues. In sum, Kelly has provided Audible listeners a great service with “What Technology Wants.” I look forward to seeing more from him in the future.

An important read

As a technology professional, I found this book to one of the more important books I had read (Steven Pinker, Malcolm Gladwell, Nassim Taleb). It provides an extrapolation of the speed, the pattern, and the vision of humanity future (albeit not a good one).
I will take the blue pill...

Outstanding book

Really well put together and thoughtful look at our world, our lives, and our technology. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

It should be Required Reading for Everyone

The book presents information that is essential for one to understand what is happening. It puts everything (or almost everything) into perspective.

Great book, terrible reader.

I think the reader was a robot. It was very difficult not to be continually distracted by all the inappropriate pauses, weird emphasis on arbitrary words, and what i can only describe as "Speaking in italics". Kelly's book is fantastic though. Go get it in paper and you will love it. So much great food for thought about so many Big Picture topics. It is one of my very favorite books and Kevin Kelly is my favourite thinker alive today.