In Defense of Luddites

“Luddite” is a cudgel to batter technology skeptics. It might be applied to a friend without a smartphone, a grandparent who refuses to use a computer, or a neighbor who hangs their laundry on a line. The protest of eighteenth-century weavers has been misunderstood as a stand against new technology. Their smashing of mechanical looms … More In Defense of Luddites

New Book — Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail?

Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail? is a new book that explores the rise and fall of complex, large-scale societies in the ancient world and what lessons we can take from these past experiments in sustainability. Scott Johnson, the book’s author, is the founder of the Low Technology Institute and the current host of the podcast. … More New Book — Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail?