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Review
"Moving effortlessly from the Slinky to space-age Kimchee, this book is packed with fun, fascinating facts. But don't be fooled: Exploring the myriad ways the industrial-military complex has radically transformed human life is serious business. Peter Nowak has given us an impressive contribution to the study of how technology creates, and fulfills, age-old appetites."
--Hal Niedzviecki, author of The Peep Diaries"Peter Nowak marshals an impressive arsenal of humour and insight to reveal the surprising history behind some of our best known and most loved technologies and toys. Who knew that sex, fast food and fighting formed such a powerful, shameful trinity?"
--Craig Silverman, author of Regret the Error"Nowak weaves a compelling and surprising tale of the profit, drive, and sheer accident that have created much of the technological world around us. From the Internet to Silly Putty, Nowak shows how deeply cultural technology really is. If you think of innovation as an objective process of rational invention, Nowak's look at the links amongst technology, war, sex, and the food industry, will blow your mind."
--Nora Young, host of CBC Radio's SparkProduct Description
War. Fast Food. Pornography. Pervasive in our culture, these three obsessions may seem to represent the worst qualities of humankind. But what have our lust, greed and rage driven us to achieve?
In this surprising and original book, Peter Nowak argues that most of the major technological advances of the last sixty years have stemmed from the trio of billion-dollar industries that cater to our basest impulses. From Saran Wrap to aerosols, digital cameras to cold medicine and GM foods to Google, many of the gadgets and conveniences we enjoy today can be traced back to either the porn, military or fast food industry.
Nowak reveals such unexpected links as:
-how the inventors of toys like Barbie and the Slinky perfected their creations with military-tech know-how.
-why "one giant leap for mankind" brought us better hospital meals and stricter food quality control guidelines.
-how innovations in the adult-film industry will help us build better robotic limbs.
If you've ever wondered what inspired the invention of Java, online video streaming or even Tupperware — well, you might not want to know the answer. But you will find it in this book.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant and well-thought-out,
By Matthew Shepherd "lover of confabulations" (Sherbrooke, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Sex, Bombs and Burgers: How War, Porn and Fast Food Shaped Technology as We Know It (Hardcover)
An excellent overview of the surprising origins of a lot of what we take for granted: while I knew about the military history of a lot of what makes my daily life convenient, I'd never realized how much porn (in particular) serves as an accelerator for new technologies. It starts strong and keeps on going with page after page of genuinely interesting insights.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not really new information,
By
This review is from: Sex, Bombs and Burgers: How War, Porn and Fast Food Shaped Technology as We Know It (Hardcover)
Essentially the author has tapped into an idea and explaining our 'lizard brain' through modern trends. The aspect of the brain that covers our 4 most basic instincts, fight, flee, feed and f...... sex. Not revolutionary stuff but perhaps news to those outside psychology, psychiatry, biology and anthropology.
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