Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences Book

You know the old saw. "The best laid plans of mice and man soon fall asunder.""Why Things Bite Back" a real fun exposition of clever humans doing clever things which backfire. Tenner discusses subjects near and dear to my heart -- like how computers, created to simplify rote secretarial work and thus save organizations money by eliminating support staff, but instead leads to the need to hire higher-priced IT talent. And he also discusses things I've learned about in different contexts, like the higher chimneys of coal-burning plants making the immediate area's air more breathable, but sullying air remote to the plants.

You know. Blow-back.

Tenner goes on to discuss things I wasn't aware of. Like how America's ill-tasting carp, the bane of fisherfolk flike myself, were actually imported and farmed by American farmers as a cheap, easy-to-raise, tasty food fish. And the history of plant importations that backfire... like kudzu for food which has, in turn, begun devouring the southeast. Or how eucalyptus trees, imported to California en masse for timber ended up not only producing unusable lumber due to the conditions in the American south west, but actually increase the fire hazards due to their volatile oils.

The downside of this book is that it is a catalog with very few analytic pegs to hang one's hat on. But the individual incidents are quite amusing.

What I really appreciate is that Tenner is neither a "doom and gloomer" nor a Pollyanna chirping "technology will save us all." Instead, he ends by indicating that, by and large, human cleverness has improved our lives, and odds are will continue to do so. Lives should continue to become safer, more convenient and our use of materials more efficient. But we will always end up producing effects no one could ever foresee.

This book is a bit old, but did not feel dated to me (except when discussing computer operating systems -- Windows 95 -- and hardware, of course, or making casual references to the Twin Towers). But the core still applies, and always will.

I'd recommend reading this in conjunction with Duncan Watts's more contemporary "Everything is Obvious (Once You Know the Answer)" which explores similar ground, but instead focuses on how we often finger point to the clever "culprits," accusing them of creating the blow-back.

Overall enjoyable, light and yet fascinating science read. Part history, part technology, it should be on any engineers or technophile's shelf. Just as a reminder of that "mice and men" bit. Which turns out to be quite relevant.