With the heated debates revolving around the emerging new AI (artificial Intelligence) technologies especially AI generators (such as AI art generators and AI writers), Calestous Juma’ s book Innovation and Its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technologies, seems to be a fitting read. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in learning why people resist new technologies. Read this short summary of Innovation and Its Enemies to have an initial idea about what the book is all about.
In Innovation and Its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technologies, Calestous Juma examines how people have resisted a variety of technological innovations throughout history. He looks at the introduction of coffee in Europe, the printing of the Koran, margarine production, farm mechanization, electricity, mechanical refrigeration, recorded sound, and transgenic crops, as well as the recently developed AquAdvantage salmon.
He also discusses strategies for overcoming resistance to innovation and how to turn potential enemies of progress into supporters of new technologies. Innovation and Its Enemies provides readers with a deeper understanding of why people resist new technologies and offers useful insights on how to help society make the transition from traditional tactics to embracing and benefiting from new ideas.
With its comprehensive approach, Innovation and Its Enemies is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the challenges surrounding the implementation of new technologies.
Teachers can use this book to educate students about different kinds of resistance to technological advancements, and how these can be overcome. Innovation and Its Enemies provides a comprehensive overview of the topic that is well-researched and engaging, making it an excellent resource for students looking to learn more about why people resist new technologies and how this resistance can be managed.
Throughout the book, Calestous Juma backs up his arguments with well-supported evidence, making the book a valuable resource for anyone looking to make informed decisions when considering the implementation of technological innovations. What I like especially about the book is that it is accessible to a general audience, while still providing detailed information and analysis.
I hope you find this summary of Enemies of Innovation helpful.
The book’s table of contents:
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1. Gales of Creative Destruction
- 2. Brewing Trouble: Coffee
- 3. Stop the Presses: Printing the Koran
- 4. Smear Campaigns: Margarine
- 5. Gaining Traction: Farm Mechanization
- 6. Charged Arguments: Electricity
- 7. Cool Reception: Mechanical Refrigeration
- 8. Facing the Music: Recorded Sound
- 9. Taking Root: Transgenic Crops
- 10. Swimming against the Current: AquAdvantage Salmon
- 11. Oiling the Wheels of Novelty