I was keen to read and review this book
Reimagining Alternative Technology for Design in the 21st Century
by Brook S. Kennedy
as I'm really interested in the idea of using and modernising the sustainable technologies that we have had for a long time, rather than inventing new ones that turn out to be unsustainable. It was an interesting read but also a bit frustrating as written purely from an American perspective and thus telling the reader about allegedly extinct alternatives that many of us in Europe still have been using all the time, such as bikes, trams and clotheslines, shutters on windows, etc. Anyhow, a slim volume and thus a quick read with some interesting insights into the history of technology and how it took wrong turns in the 20th century, as well as some smart ideas on how to do better in this one. (Incidentally, this week's crop of EurekAlert press releases included one called: Sticking with old technology can be a strategic move).
More about it in my long essay review now out:
Back to the future
Chemistry & Industry Volume 87, Issue 11, November 2023, Page 38
access via:
Wiley Online Library (paywalled PDF of the whole review section)
SCI (premium content, ie members only)
As always, I'm happy to send a PDF on request.
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