Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity Hardcover

Against the Machine, a New York Times bestseller, tells the story of how a force that is difficult to name but that we all feel is reshaping the meaning of humanity. The astonishingly talented novelist, poet, and writer (per The Washington Post) Paul Kingsnorth offers an original and terrifying account of the technological and cultural ecosystem that surrounds us all. With insight into the spiritual and economic roots of techno-capitalism, Kingsnorth reveals how, in the name of progress, machine has stifled Western civilization, how it is destroying the Earth itself, and how it is remaking us in its image. From the first industrial revolution to the rise of artificial intelligence, he shows how the hollowing out of humanity has been a long-term process, and how your very soul is under threat. It takes a lot of effort to remain a real human in the machine age. Writing in the footsteps of Wendell Berry, Jacques Ellul, and Simone Weil, Kingsnorth reminds us of what humanity needs: a healthy skepticism of established authority; A connection to land, nature and heritage; And a deep interest in the affairs of the soul. With prophetic vision, poetry, and intellectual depth, Against the Machine is a spiritual guide for dissenters in the technological age.