Tools or Traps? - Softcover

King, Dominic H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1035834219 ISBN 13: 9781035834211

Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers, 2026

Synopsis

The invention of new tools has pushed humanity to new heights for millennia. But as the pace and power of technological change have accelerated over recent decades, so too have major societal challenges such as sagging health, pyrrhic connectivity, and ecological annihilation.

This leaves us facing tough questions: Have we lost sight of the short-term pain/long-term gain trade-off at the heart of human progress? By seeking technological quick fixes, are we simply spinning the innovation flywheel ever faster, exacerbating the very problems we’re trying to solve? And why do politicians not curb our self-destructive desire for instant gratification?

Tackling these issues to stave off the rising risk of societal collapse will be hard, but meaningful change always is.

About this title

About the Author

Dominic H. King has been exploring socioeconomic trends for more than 20 years. After studying economics at Leeds and then Bath, he moved to London to work in public sector consultancy. More recently, he has been employed as a business researcher developing the commercial case for diversity and sustainability. He published three wildly unsuccessful YA fantasy books a decade ago and today lives in Bath, where he plays as much sport as his wife, two children and dog allow. He hates tiny trolley bags.

Edition details

• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1035834219
• ISBN 13: 9781035834211
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 227