The People Vs Tech by Jamie Bartlett Summary
Overview of The People Vs Tech
Bartlett's Wall Street Journal bestseller exposes how big tech is dismantling democracy's foundations. Praised as "superb" by experts, this 2019 Transmission Prize winner asks: Can we reclaim our digital future before algorithms replace active citizenship? "There is still time - just."
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Key takeaways
When Your Phone Knows You Better Than You Know Yourself
Every twelve minutes. That's how often the average person checks their phone-not because we're waiting for something urgent, but because we've been engineered to crave it. We live in an age where democracy itself is under siege, not by tanks or tyrants, but by the very devices we can't put down. The threat isn't coming from outside our borders; it's nestled in our pockets, learning our deepest fears and desires with every swipe and click. What happens when the tools designed to connect us become weapons that divide us, when the platforms promising freedom deliver surveillance, and when the technologies meant to empower citizens instead undermine the very foundations of self-governance? We're all living inside a digital panopticon-Jeremy Bentham's prison design reimagined for the smartphone era. But this time, the guards are algorithms, and the prisoners volunteered. This isn't paranoia; it's business strategy refined over a century, and understanding how we got here is the first step toward breaking free.
The Invisible Cage: How Surveillance Capitalism Hijacked Our Minds
When Algorithms Decide Who We Become and Reality Fractures Into Tribes
The Election That Became Information Warfare
The Great Unraveling: Automation, Inequality, and the Vanishing Middle Class
The Monopolies That Ate Democracy and Conquered Our Culture
The Choice That Will Define Our Future
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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