The Efficiency Paradox

February 15, 2018
A bite on the data-driven hand that feeds the system.Thank heavens for GPS: without it, we'd all be lost. Or would we? As Tenner (Our Own Devices: The Past and Future of Body Technology, 2003, etc.), a longtime student and critic of technology, posits, left to their own devices, most people are pretty good at wayfinding: "We have an ability to form a total understanding of a space, richer than what can be shown on any electronic or paper map, including features that have not yet been identified as such." Unlike GPS, we also have a sense of which roads are likely to be jammed when and which neighborhoods are likely to pose dangers--or attractions. The author's overarching point is that the constant quest for efficiency leads to a kind of intellectual and social impoverishment. By Tenner's definition, at its best, efficiency should mean with the least waste possible; in practice, it often means with the least human intervention and the widest use of machines or algorithms to slice away value judgments. Though it's not a binary, the author strongly advocates for human messiness in the place of machinelike efficiency. For instance, web search engines may deliver near-instantaneous results, but those results may not be the best possible nor yield the answers we are really seeking. That split-second quality speaks to the constant need for gratification and an industry well set up to serve that end, such that "consumers don't learn the benefits of deferred enjoyment, and vendors have no incentive to teach them." That may be a little utopian, or at any rate counterdystopian, but as Tenner ranges among case studies from Uber to e-books and platform revolutions, he is a clear champion not of the robot but of the human mind behind its creation, a mind far richer than any algorithm--for the time being, at least.Of a piece with recent critiques of technological overreach, and among the best of them.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from March 5, 2018
Historian Tenner (Why Things Bite Back) argues that supposed advances in technological efficiency can actually be self-subverting in this reasoned antidote to a culture increasingly obsessed with doing more with less. He starts by examining the history of innovations premised on efficiency, first seen in continuous production models such as Ford’s assembly line, and more recently in the rise of digital platform companies, which are “based less on the organization of machines and human labor than the gathering, analysis, and exchange of data.” The book then segues into hot topics such as rideshare apps, GPS, and self-driving cars. Tenner demonstrates how systems such as these, which are premised on efficiency, reduce serendipity, stifle learning, and limit humans’ ability to respond when malfunction occurs; they also, he argues, create substantial lost opportunity cost in the long term. Tenner also addresses the fallacies of big data and how random initial advantages from algorithms (such as Google’s PageRank, which attempts to deliver information that people want rather than what they asked for) can hide the long-term codification of systemic bias. Tenner is no luddite; he evaluates the positives and negatives of technology through a strong base of evidence rather than nostalgia or personal anecdote, and debunks some of the most popular concerns about automation. Tenner’s insightful study of the effects of information technology on society warrants close attention.

March 15, 2018

In his newest book, Tenner (Why Things Bite Back) writes about the paradox of efficiency and of technology in general. He begins by defining different types of efficiency and details ways in which scholars and students may use technology inefficiently. Tenner cites studies indicating that note taking with a pen and paper is more beneficial than on a mobile device; that GPS applications take away important navigational skills for hikers and climbers; and that wearing a fitness tracker can cause overjustification, taking interest out of the intended activity. Later chapters explore algorithms that determine the best journals for publishing and the evolution of algorithms that populate results in web-based search engines. Alongside evidence to support his claims, Tenner often writes in first person, adding a personal touch to otherwise academic prose. The paradoxical aspects are sometimes confusing to follow, but they are always thoroughly explained. VERDICT With a focus on information literacy and scholarly publishing as well as health data, this book's main audience are librarians, educators, and medical professionals. This is not for laypersons; readers with a strong interest in the academic and technological aspects of efficiency will enjoy, as will those who wish to learn more about technology and big data.--Natalie Browning, LongwoodUniv. Lib., Farmville, VA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.