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Against the Machine
On the Unmaking of Humanity
Brief Description
"England's greatest living writer" (unHerd) examines the spiritual currents driving the global industrial economy and prophesies what's next for a dead civilization. In Against the Machine, "furiously gifted" (The Washington Post) novelist, poet, and essayist Paul Kingsnorth presents a wholly original and terrifying account of the...
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Format: Hardback
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Description
"England's greatest living writer" (unHerd) examines the spiritual currents driving the global industrial economy and prophesies what's next for a dead civilization.
In Against the Machine, "furiously gifted" (The Washington Post) novelist, poet, and essayist Paul Kingsnorth presents a wholly original and terrifying account of the technological-cultural matrix enveloping all of us. With insight into the spiritual and economic roots of techno-capitalism, Kingsnorth reveals how the Machine, in the name of progress, has choked Western civilization, is destroying the Earth itself, and is reshaping us in its image. From the First Industrial Revolution to the rise of artificial intelligence, he shows how the hollowing out of humanity has been a long gameβand how your very soul is at stake.
It takes effort to remain truly human in the age of the Machine. Here Kingsnorth reminds us what humanity requires: a healthy suspicion of entrenched power; connection to land, nature, and heritage; and a deep attention to matters of the spirit. Prophetic and poetic, Against the Machine is a spiritual manual for dissidents in the technological age.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780241788400
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 23 September 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Particular Books
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 34.0mm
Width: 164.0mm
Height: 241.0mm
Weight: 579g
Pages: 368
About the Author
Paul Kingsnorth is an English writer living in the west of Ireland. He is the author of ten books of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, including the novel The Wake, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
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