Reviews for Toward a history of needs

The average rating for Toward a history of needs based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-02-05 00:00:00 Larry Hurst This is a collection of essays that elaborates upon Illich's usual subjects. I found most interesting the development of his argument against high-speed traffic, celebrating instead the bicycle as the paradigm of mobility. As a pedestrian, bus rider, and sometimes cyclist in Los Angeles, much of what he said on that matter rang very true indeed (higher speeds only lead to greater social fragmentation; going slower saves you time -- the time spent earning money to go faster; etc.). Also appreciated was his call for energy temperance (which is, admittedly, far less radical today than it might've seemed at the time, but his spin on it is interesting). I am less convinced by his arguments against formal education. Still, his overall project of arguing for a more rationally holistic approach to fulfilling our needs (rather than succumbing to the industrial/modern logics of specialization and more=better) is an interesting one. I will add that my reservations about Illich's positioning, as well as his style of delivery, remain.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-11-17 00:00:00 Francis Ryan Illich is a curmudgeon, and it's hard to agree with absolutely everything he says (though I eventually conceded to his idea of a 15-mph universal speed limit on all roadways). But curmudgeons, like prophets (and I suspect there's plenty of overlap), get to say whatever follows from a train of logic, rather than conceding to certain political expediencies. And that is what makes Illich spectacular. This is a good volume to get a survey of all of Illich's issues -- education, medicine, transporation, housing, work, international development. If you have a stake in any of these things, be sure you read Illich at some point.