Yet the citizens of this era do to hold science up to be their god. Ê With hisrevolutionary discovery, there is created a distance between the moral sphereof life and the intellectual or scientific. Ê It can be traced as far back as to Galileoand the telescope. Ê This age is characterizedby a separation of moral and intellectual values. The next stage which Postman describes is atechnocracy. Ê It is theology, nottechnology which shapes society and gives meaning. Ê For the most part these culturesare theocratic. Ê They are integrated intothe culture in ways that do not pose significant contradictions to its worldview(25). Ê In these cultures tools arenot intruders. Ê He begins by describing tool usingcultures. Stone age, industrial revolution, etc.) heexplains history in terms of three technological stages. Ê In keeping with other methodsfor categorizing history (e.g. In the book, Postman breaks history up into threeperiods. Ê He saysthere are many others who are today writing about the amazing benefits oftechnology, but that his purpose is to be the voice on the other side callingtechnology back to attention. Ê He,therefore, sets out to be one of the less familiar voices who lament themisplacement of technology. Ê He is also clear that while technology doeshave its benefits, it also has it detriments and each of these must be clearlyunderstood in each culture. Ê The uses made of any technologyare largely determined by the structure of the technology itself - that is, thefunction of technology follows from its form (7). Ê Postman admits that no technology isneutral. Ê In fact he deals very little with computers(this is probably due to the date of this book). Ê He issmart enough to recognize that writing, the clock, and even opinion polls arejust as much technology as computers and robots. Ê Don't be misunderstand what the author meansby the use of the word technology. Ê In it progress and efficiency are held up asgod, to which all other spheres of human life must bow. Ê The word 'technopoly' describes asociety where technology dictates the moral and philosophical mindsets, insteadof a social order such as government or the church. Ê He coins to word'technopoly' as a description of this state. Ê The problem whichPostman describes is the way in which technology has become the rulingauthority of culture. Ê Postman is an amazing culturalcritic and this book serves as a wonderful follow-up to his probably more wellknown work Amusing Ourselves to Death(Penguin Books, 1985). In his book Technopoly, Neil Postman sets out to explain aproblem he sees in today's culture, as well trace the history of how we endedup here. Reviewed by Steve Erickson, Computers in Society, Gordon College, 2004

Neil postman