Hitting the Books: Meet Richard Akrwright, the world's first tech titan

You didn't actually believe all those founder's myths about tech billionaires like Bezos, Jobs and Musk pulling themselves up by their bootstraps from some suburban American garage, did you? In reality, our corporate kings have been running the same playbook since the 18th century when Lancashire's own Richard Arkwright wrote it. Arkwright is credited with developing a means of forming cotton fully into thread — technically he didn't actually invent or design the machine, but developed the overarching system in which it could be run at scale — and spinning that success into financial fortune. Never mind the fact that his 24-hour production lines were operated by boys as young as seven pulling 13-hour shifts.   In Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech — one of the best books I've read this year — LA Times tech reporter Brian Merchant lays bare the inhumane cost of capitalism wrought by the industrial revolution and celebrates the workers who stood against those first tides of automation: the Luddites. Hachette Book GroupExcerpted from Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech by Brian Merchant. Published by Hachette Book Group. Copyright © 2023 by Brian Merchant. All rights reserved.The first tech titans were not building global information networks or commercial space rockets. They were making yarn and cloth. A lot of yarn, and a lot of cloth. Like our modern-day titans, they started out as entrepreneurs. But until... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-09-10 14:30:56 UTC ]
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7 beautiful books that transport you to the worlds of Bond, Tolkien, Spider-Man and beyond

Critic Michael Dirda picks illustrated books that won’t just sit on your coffee table. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-01 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Books in the Media: The Every by Dave Eggers hits the spot

The Every by Dave Eggers (Hamish Hamilton) took the media by storm this week picking up mentions in The Guardian, Telegraph, Sunday Times, Times, iNews and Scotsman.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-22 14:18:03 UTC ]
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H.G. Wells wanted to change the world. A new book explores the author’s outsize ambitions

Claire Tomalin’s ‘The Young H.G. Wells’ is a fascinating look at the prolific writer’s rocky beginnings and complicated personal life. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-11-03 12:00:00 UTC ]
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What do we owe animals? New books reevaluate our relationship to the natural world.

A spate of new books wrestle with complex questions about what humans seek from nature and what we should give back. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-11-01 10:00:00 UTC ]
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Richard Charkin: Reflections Following His 48th Frankfurt Book Fair

The phrasemaking of politicians and publishers can have parallels. Richard Charkin muses on 'a terrific show' at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2021. The post Richard Charkin: Reflections Following His 48th Frankfurt Book Fair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-10-26 16:52:23 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: The genetic fluke that enabled us to drink milk

It may not contain our recommended daily allowance of Vitamin R but milk — or "cow juice" as it's known on the streets — is among the oldest known animal products repurposed for human consumption. Milk has been a staple of our diets since the 9th century BC but it wasn't until a fortuitous... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-10-23 15:30:38 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: How Amazon's aggressive R&D push made it an e-commerce behemoth

Amazon is the Standard Oil of the 21st century. Its business operations and global reach dwarf those of virtually every other company on the planet — and exceed the GDP of more than a few countries — illustrating the vital importance innovation has on the modern economy. In his latest book, The... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-10-16 15:30:33 UTC ]
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China crackdown on Apple store hits holy book apps, Audible

Amazon’s audiobook service Audible and phone apps for reading the holy books of Islam and Christianity have disappeared from the Apple store in mainland China Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2021-10-15 21:01:46 UTC ]
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The World (Is a Book) According to Peter LaSalle, by Ellie Simon

Book Reviews Photo by andy lapham / Flickr Whether he is recounting his nighttime drive with a late colleague and poet around the beltway of the pulsing and vibrant São Paulo—a city so full of people and culture that it seems to have its own... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2021-10-11 20:56:08 UTC ]
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Should 007 be played by a woman? Why not? Seven books by women in the spy world show us how it’s done.

Women in espionage take center stage in “Red Widow,” “The Targeter,” “Life Undercover” and more. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-10-06 14:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins removes story from David Walliams’ book The World’s Worst Children

After criticism of the ‘casual racism’ of a story about a Chinese boy, the publisher has taken it out of the next print run of the bestselling anthology David Walliams’ story about a Chinese boy called Brian Wong, which was criticised by campaigners for its “casual racism”, is set to be removed... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-10-04 12:03:02 UTC ]
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Richard Charkin: Why I’m Attending Frankfurt Book Fair in Person

Richard Charkin says he misses not only those 'incessant meetings with old friends' but also that 'slightly permanent hangover.' He's headed back to Frankfurt. The post Richard Charkin: Why I’m Attending Frankfurt Book Fair in Person appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-09-28 12:19:11 UTC ]
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Morpurgo, Jackson and Lucas among £1 World Book Day titles

Michael Morpurgo, Sharna Jackson and Matt Lucas are among the authors on the list of World Book Day's £1 books for 2022.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-23 02:12:21 UTC ]
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Richard Osman’s second book is one of the fastest-selling novels since records began

The Pointless presenter’s second crime novel, The Man Who Died Twice, has sold 114,202 copies in its first week on saleRichard Osman’s follow-up to The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice, has become one of the fastest-selling novels since records began.Published on 16 September, The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-09-21 14:37:39 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: A look at the 1920s airship that nearly made it to the North Pole

During the Roaring '20s just about everybody was convinced that dirigibles were not just the future of luxury travel but that these lumbering airships could also serve as platforms for scientific exploration and adventure. Why slog through malaria-infested jungles, parched deserts and frozen... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-09-18 15:30:21 UTC ]
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Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You tops UK book charts

In its first week on sale, Rooney’s new novel has outsold Jamie Oliver and beaten day-one sales of her previous book Normal People by 1,200% at WaterstonesSally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You has shot to the top of the UK’s book charts, selling more than 40,000 copies in just five... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-09-14 14:20:14 UTC ]
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FaZe Clan enters the comic book world and Proactiv taps Joan as AOR: Agency Brief

Also, Cambell Soup kicks off the NFL season with a spot featuring Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.   Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2021-09-10 17:32:00 UTC ]
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World Book Day Emma Scott as chair of trustees

World Book Day has appointed Emma Scott as chair of trustees, replacing Stephen Lotinga.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-06 16:57:58 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: What exactly did Jodi Foster hear in 'Contact'?

Art may imitate life but it rarely does so with realistic fidelity. As Naomi Pequette, Space Science Programs Specialist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, argues in her essay "The Sounds of Contact" as part of The Science if Sci-Fi Cinema: Essays on the Art and Principles of Ten Films,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-09-04 15:30:43 UTC ]
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Booksellers Hit the Books

A newly launched professional bookseller certification program aims to boost indie bookselling skills. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-09-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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