Leveling the Playing Field: The Democratization of Technology

by Rod Scher

Overview

Leveling the Playing Field explores the technologies that “trickle down” to the rest of us, those that were once the domain of the wealthy and powerful—and which therefore tended to make them even more wealthy and powerful. Now, though, these technologies—from books to computers to 3D printing and beyond—have become part of a common toolkit, one accessible to almost anyone, or at least to many more than had heretofore had access. This is what happens with most technologies: They begin in the hands of the few, and they end up in the hands of the many. Along the way, they sometimes transform the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442239265
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/01/2016
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Rod Scher received his M.Ed from the University of Oregon. A longtime boating enthusiast, writer, and former English teacher, he is an editor for Smart Computing Magazine. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments viii

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 Foundations: Fire and Stone 1

Chapter 2 Let's Talk: Language and Writing 24

Chapter 3 A Communication Revolution: Books and Printing 48

Chapter 4 Goin' Mobile: The Automobile 78

Chapter 5 Drones: Robots in the Skies 95

Chapter 6 Enhancing Your Brain: Computers and the Internet 115

Chapter 7 Finding Your Way: GPS 148

Chapter 8 A Revolution in a Box: 3D Printing 174

Chapter 9 Don't Call Me, I'll Call You: Tire Rise of the Smartphone 197

Chapter 10 We're Following You: Social Media 220

Chapter 11 Everything Is Connected: The Internet of Things. 242

Chapter 12 Everyone Is Watching You: The Death of Privacy 259

Afterword: The Death of Ötzi 286

Bibliography 290

Index 318

Editorial Reviews

Leveling the Playing Field is engaging, entertaining, and often sneakily profound, offering expansive historical overviews and taking seriously the pitfalls of technology – all while remaining appreciative of its past accomplishments and hopeful about our shared future.

Stephen M. Buhler

A fascinating, educational and insightful narrative look at the march of technology from cave fire and the invention of language to the Internet and 3-D printing—and the competition, politics, privacy issues and moral quandaries it has produced in its wake. Leveling the Playing Field is a swift journey through history from simple convenience and self defense to the relevant and sometimes frightening questions surrounding the technology we readily take for granted today. I thoroughly enjoyed Scher’s depth of research as well as his wit.

Tosca Lee

I read Leveling The Playing Field in two days, thoroughly engaged by the topic and author's writing style. Rod Scher clearly shows how technology is a powerful tool for disseminating information that began as early as prehistoric days. The questions he raises about the possible consequences that technology brings to everyday life are truly alarming, making this an important and fascinating book with a theme that affects all of us.

Meredith Smith

Rod's extensive research into the history of technology is both impressive and engrossing. I found myself being drawn into each chapter and having a hard time putting it down. Rod takes an approach that gives you the deep dive history into the tech he is talking about and applies that history to its impact today. Rod is equal parts entertaining and educational.

Christopher Hadnagy

An extremely relevant book for our times, Leveling the Playing Field does an amazing job documenting how technology has changed our society. Written in a style reminiscent of the James Burke Connections series, Rod drives home why the encryption debate is so important for the preservation of our rights, and why some governments so desperately want to restrict access to encryption technology.

Jim O'Gorman

Don’t let the cover fool you. Although this book’s plot line traces the history and democratization of technology, its heart is about human nature: how and why we create tools, how tools are used to dominate and suppress others, and how in the end our inventions become accessible to everyone – sometimes for the worse, but far more often for the better. Scher is a witty tour guide as he illuminates more about humankind and our inventions than you might expect.

Calvin Clinchard

A fast-paced and enlightening adventure, Leveling the Playing Field journeys from from fire to Firebee drones to the infinite possibilities of 3D printing. While Gutenberg's "start-up company" in Germany and Agatha Christie's husband's excavations in Mesopotamia will engross you, the author's asides about a potbellied piglet, Betamax, and presidential canines will amuse you.

Jenifer Edens