The Future Is Analog cover art

The Future Is Analog

How to Create a More Human World

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The Future Is Analog

By: David Sax
Narrated by: David Sax
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About this listen

The beloved author of The Revenge of Analog lays out a case for a human future--not the false technological utopia we've been living.

For years, consumers have been promised a simple, carefree digital future. We could live, work, learn, and play from the comforts of our homes, and have whatever we desire brought to our door with the flick of a finger. Instant communication would bring us together. Technological convenience would give us more time to focus on what really mattered.

When the pandemic hit, that future transformed into the present, almost overnight. And the reviews aren't great. It turns out that leaving the house is underrated, instant communication spreads anger better than joy, and convenience takes away time rather than giving it to us. Oops.

But as David Sax argues in this insightful book, we've also had our eyes opened. There is nothing about the future that has to be digital, and embracing the reality of human experience doesn't mean resisting change. In chapters exploring work, school, leisure, and more, Sax asks perceptive and pointed questions: what happens to struggling students when they're not in a classroom? If our software is built for productivity, who tends to the social and cultural aspects of our jobs? Can you have religion without community?

For many people, the best parts of quarantine have been the least digital ones: baking bread, playing board games, going hiking. We used our hands and hugged our children and breathed fresh air. This book suggests that if we want a healthy future, we need to choose not convenience but community, not technology but humanity.
Business Development & Entrepreneurship Future Studies History & Culture Small Business Social Sciences Technology & Society Technology

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Critic reviews

“[A]pproachable, witty… [a] deft, colorful discussion."—Kirkus
“David Sax narrates his extended plea for a return to real-life experiences in a world awash in technology. His earnestness is evident in his performance… Listeners will appreciate Sax's affable voice, especially as he conveys truly relatable moments in a never-ending struggle with digital work-life balance.”—Audiofile
All stars
Most relevant
I picked up this book hoping it would share insights about how we can inject more humanity into our inevitable tech future. Instead, it was someone complaining about everything wrong with tech: sharing long lists of non-helpful facts like personal contact makes the author happier than Zoom. If you want to get anything from the book, read the section on education and skip the rest.

A curmudgeon complains about lockdown

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