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A review by lindsirae
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power by Shoshana Zuboff
5.0
Lots of mixed feelings here, but I still highly, highly recommend reading this.
Zuboff lays out the mechanics of surveillance capitalism clearly and eloquently. I understand this market form magnitudes better than I did before reading her book. Her ability to identify new phenomena and coin terms for them is incredibly useful. In particular, I found her development of a theory of instrumentariam power to be paradigm-shifting.
My frustration comes with her prognosis. She emphasizes repeatedly that surveillance capitalism is so dangerous because it is unprecedented - yet then recommends reverting to earlier forms of civic action that were used to combat industrial capital in order to combat surveillance capital. Does an unprecedented threat not warrant an unprecedented solution?
Regardless, her diagnosis is spectacular, and the book is beautifully written. I truly enjoyed her elegant prose and did not find it to be too wordy or unclear.
Zuboff lays out the mechanics of surveillance capitalism clearly and eloquently. I understand this market form magnitudes better than I did before reading her book. Her ability to identify new phenomena and coin terms for them is incredibly useful. In particular, I found her development of a theory of instrumentariam power to be paradigm-shifting.
My frustration comes with her prognosis. She emphasizes repeatedly that surveillance capitalism is so dangerous because it is unprecedented - yet then recommends reverting to earlier forms of civic action that were used to combat industrial capital in order to combat surveillance capital. Does an unprecedented threat not warrant an unprecedented solution?
Regardless, her diagnosis is spectacular, and the book is beautifully written. I truly enjoyed her elegant prose and did not find it to be too wordy or unclear.