Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines

Reviewed by Robert Pritchett

Introduction

Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines is a thought-provoking collection of “the best of the best” from Steve Talbott’s online Netfuture: Technology and Human Responsibility newsletter.

"Self-forgetfulness is the reigning temptation of the technological era. This is why we so readily give our assent to the absurd proposition that a computer can add two plus two, despite the obvious fact that it can do nothing of the sort-not if we have in mind anything remotely resembling what we do when we add numbers," writes Talbott. "In the computer's case, the mechanics of addition involve no motivation, no consciousness of the task, no mobilization of the will, no metabolic activity, no imagination. And its performance brings neither the satisfaction of accomplishment nor the strengthening of practical skills and cognitive capacities."

In this book…

There are 5 parts to the book that almost come off as “high-brow”, but not quite.

Technology, Nature and the Human Prospect dedicates itself to looking at how we almost unquestionably accept anything that is generated though computers. Steve compares us to the Waorani, who have superior weapons with the blowgun and oneness with nature to feed their families, but liked the inferior singleshot breachloaders, because they made a wonderful sound and cool clicking noises and power of explosions. Are we any different with the “wow” factor of shiny new things with the “intrinsic attraction of the object itself”?

In Extraordinary Lives, Steve questions the reasoning behind trying to make those with “handicaps” like those who do not and the exceptional gifts they bring to humanity. Those who have suffered, yet have coped without “becoming one” with technology. Perhaps like Jordi in Star Trek the Next Generation who used special visors to “see”, and given the option to gain regular sight, he opted to go back to his own system of seeing. There are many examples of those who have worked with children with challenges and how their lives have been touched as they worked with these special individuals.

Swim with dolphins or have conversations with birds.

In From Information to Education, I found the concepts of bringing balance and connection into focus as we become a “wired” society. I may just have to get a copy of Jane Healy’s book’ Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children’s Minds – For Better and Worse since Steve Talbot essentially devotes much of this section to her disturbing findings. In fact, Steve lists a number of paragraphs to these topics and lists them at http://www.netfuture.org/inx_topical_all.html and http://www.allianceforchildhood.net

I also found the commentary on harm caused from accelerated human development rather eye-opening has he looks at baby walkers, video games and sexual relations. And I loved his coinage of the term “kanbrain” (play on “just-in-time” kanban for the mind) and issues regarding a “credentialed” society and the failings of higher education.

On Socializing Our Machines, I tended to get lost with Ella, HAL, Rodney Brooks and Kismet as Steve attempts to bring spiritual responsibility to mechanical creations.

The final section On Mechanizing Society digs into good vs. evil, technologies designed to “protect” us, and digital servants and privacy issues, profit and capitalism gaming and Internet ubiquity.

He finishes up with a look at a hope for a better, healthier society without falling into the crassness and back allies of a baser uncivilized environment that is being approached by what we see online today.

Conclusion

Steve Talbott helps us realize that technology is designed to help us and not replace us, but we need to not relinquish all thought-processes to machines and take responsibility for our actions and inactions regarding how we use technology. Do we use computers to make things better or are we letting evil tendencies take over?

Recommendation

Everything in this book can be read on Steve Talbott’s website, but if you would like to have it all in one place and you would like to sit down and read a book “offline”, then this one might be one you might enjoy regarding how we may put computer technology into proper perspective.