Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer

Wendell Berry's Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer is an interesting read that explores the author's resistance to the advancements in technology, and his refusal to buy into the computer age. What makes this book stand out is the author's playfulness with words, which is evident in his humorous tone and witty anecdotes. His hysteric approach to the subject is, at times, refreshing and engaging.

“Do I wish to keep up with the times? No.”

I particularly enjoyed how Berry challenges the assumption that we need to constantly keep up with the latest technology and his question of whether we even have a problem that needs solving. It's fascinating to explore what someone thought of computers in 1987 and how that compares to their impact on our lives in 2023.

“And it ought to be easy (though many do not find it so) to refuse to buy what one does not need. If you are already solving your problem with the equipment you have—a pencil, say—why solve it with something more expensive and more damaging? If you don't have a problem, why pay for a solution?”

These two essays are a fun and insightful read offering a unique perspective on technology and our relationship with it.

P.S. This review was written on a computer. :-)

A more thought-provoking read than I expected and I had to slow my reading speed significantly to absorb the arguments.

A well-argued essay (and response to its feedback) not just on computers and why he prefers not to use one but also on technological progress, feminism, and the environment.

I'd only vaguely heard of Berry but in these past two weeks, I've heard his name and books mentioned at least three times.

If the TBR pile is reduced, perhaps I will pick up his novel Hannah Coulter.

For a morning read, this was short, thought provoking and engaging. It raised some questions about marriage / partnership and the ‘social economy' that I have not considered before, and tuned my eye to that of a conservationist in the age of technological enhancement...shit, this was written in 1987/9?

I wonder what the author thinks of the world today.

I love this:

“Finally, it seems to me that none of my correspondents recognizes the innovativeness of my essay. If the use of a computer is a new idea, then a newer idea is not to use one.”

Also a generous nod at the end to embodied learning, how the body ‘characterises' everything it touches. Awesome.