Twenty-three essays that document the intellectual itinerary of the philosopher and cultural historian, one of the most original thinkers in recent times. Friedrich Kittler (1943–2011) combined the study of literature, cinema, technology, and philosophy in a manner sufficiently novel to be recognized as a new field of academic endeavor in his native Germany. “Media studies,” as Kittler conceived it, meant reflecting on how books operate as films, poetry as computer science, and music as military equipment. This volume collects writings from all stages of the author’s prolific career. Exemplary essays illustrate how matters of form and inscription make heterogeneous source material (e.g., literary classics and computer design) interchangeable on the level of function—with far-reaching consequences for our understanding of the humanities and the “hard sciences.” Rich in counterintuitive propositions, sly humor, and vast erudition, Kittler’s work both challenges the assumptions of positivistic cultural history and exposes the over-abstraction and language games of philosophers such as Heidegger and Derrida.

Changing the way we use, develop, and fund technology for social change is possible, and it starts with you. The Tech That Comes Next: How Changemakers, Philanthropists, and Technologists Can Build an Equitable World outlines a vision of a more equitable and just world along with practical steps to creating it, appropriately leveraging technology along the way. In the book, you'll find: Strategies for changing culture and investments inside social impact organizations Ways to change technology development so it incorporates more of society Examples of data, security, and privacy laws and policies that need to change to protect vulnerable populations and advance positive change Ideal for nonprofit leaders, social activists, policymakers, technologists, entrepreneurs, founders, managers, and other business leaders, The Tech That Comes Next belongs in the libraries of anyone who envisions a world in which technology helps advance, rather than hinders, positive social change.

How do you know when your child is ready for a smartphone? Which apps are the most dangerous for my 13-year-old? What do I do if I catch my child watching porn? How do I get to a place of trusting my kid with social media? How do I spot signs of trouble in my kid from their use of social media? These are questions parents ask every day - parents who are overwhelmed, fearful or ignorant about social media and technology. Parenting in a Tech World is for parents who don't know where to start with addressing the use of technology in their homes. Our book is a comprehensive resource that answers your questions, and provides you with a plan of action for developing a relationship between you, your child and technology. Our families have been adversely affected by technology, just like yours. Whether it's viewing inappropriate material or being unable to focus on anything else. We've felt the tension of needing to use technology and being concerned with what our kids might stumble into online. Also, our families have been positively affected by technology. Whether Facetiming with grandparents, chatting with friends who have moved away, or playing online games among siblings, we've benefitted from the connection that technology and social media can bring. Parenting in a Tech World addresses common tensions surrounding tech, and provides a valuable perspective on how technology can't be ignored, but must be taught to be used responsibly. We break down how to talk to kids about tech, and how to teach them boundaries on social media. With practical tips, real-world advice from fellow parents, and helpful exercises, we walk you through how to nurture a healthy relationship between your kid and technology by the time they leave your house. From hardware to new apps, to new users, to new features, we take a look at what you need to be mindful of when introducing anything to your family's online network. To fully equip you, we share impactful websites that provide tools you can use to inform yourself and develop a tech infrastructure for your family. Though technology isn't inherently good or bad, it can be used either way. Through the use of statistics, we show you what's going on with kids and tech. And we prove exactly how important it is to monitor your child's technology use. Parenting in a Tech World is your guide, from start through finish, to creating a healthy relationship with technology among your family members. The stakes for your child's wellbeing and safety are too high to gloss over the power technology has in our society. If you're looking for where to begin with managing technology in a healthy way, Parenting in a Tech World is that starting line.

To most people, technology has been reduced to computers, consumer goods, and military weapons; we speak of "technological progress" in terms of RAM and CD-ROMs and the flatness of our television screens. In Human-Built World, thankfully, Thomas Hughes restores to technology the conceptual richness and depth it deserves by chronicling the ideas about technology expressed by influential Western thinkers who not only understood its multifaceted character but who also explored its creative potential. Hughes draws on an enormous range of literature, art, and architecture to explore what technology has brought to society and culture, and to explain how we might begin to develop an "ecotechnology" that works with, not against, ecological systems. From the "Creator" model of development of the sixteenth century to the "big science" of the 1940s and 1950s to the architecture of Frank Gehry, Hughes nimbly charts the myriad ways that technology has been woven into the social and cultural fabric of different eras and the promises and problems it has offered. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, optimistically hoped that technology could be combined with nature to create an Edenic environment; Lewis Mumford, two centuries later, warned of the increasing mechanization of American life. Such divergent views, Hughes shows, have existed side by side, demonstrating the fundamental idea that "in its variety, technology is full of contradictions, laden with human folly, saved by occasional benign deeds, and rich with unintended consequences." In Human-Built World, he offers the highly engaging history of these contradictions, follies, and consequences, a history that resurrects technology, rightfully, as more than gadgetry; it is in fact no less than an embodiment of human values.