Speed Limits Where Time Went & Why We Have So Little Left

We live in an ever-accelerating world: faster computers, markets, food, fashion, product cycles, minds, bodies, kids, lives.and#160; When did everything start moving so fast? Why does speed seem so inevitable?and#160; Is faster always better?

Drawing together developments in religion, philosophy, art, technology, fashion, and finance, Mark C. Taylor presents an original and rich account of a great paradox of our times: how the very forces and technologies that were supposed to free us by saving time and labor now trap us in a race we can never win. The faster we go, the less time we have, and the more we try to catch up, the farther behind we fall.and#160; Connecting our speed-obsession with todayandrsquo;s global capitalism, he composes a grand narrative showing how commitments to economic growth and extreme competition, combined with accelerating technological innovation, have brought us close to disaster.and#160; Psychologically, environmentally, economically, and culturally, speed is taking a profound toll on our lives.

By showing how the phenomenon of speed has emerged, Taylor offers us a chance to see our pace of life as the product of specific ideas, practices, and policies.and#160; Itandrsquo;s not inevitable or irreversible.and#160; He courageously and movingly invites us to imagine how we might patiently work towards a more deliberative life and sustainable world.

andldquo;A major scholarandrsquo;s culminating and engaging vision of how we came to be as we are. Taylor is like a doctor who does not yet have the cure but does have a diagnosis. He names what ails us.andrdquo;andmdash;Jack Miles, author of God: A Biography

andldquo;In this stunning masterpiece, Mark Taylor brings together deepandnbsp;scholarship, clarity of expression, and frightening, daring vision.andnbsp;This is original thinking at its explosive best. Accessible andandnbsp;timely, Taylorandrsquo;s Speed Limits is philosophy as it once was: energetic,andnbsp;challenging, life-transforming, and vital.andrdquo;andmdash;Esa Saarinen, Aaltoandnbsp;University, Finland

andquot;Why is the pedal pushed to the metal in virtually every area of our lives? The reasons--historical, theological, technological, financial--are many, and no one has untangled them better than Mark Taylor in this remarkable book, his most important work to date.andrdquo;andmdash;Jack Miles, author ofandnbsp;God: A Biography

andldquo;In this engrossing, beautifully written and erudite book Mark Taylor reveals how our complex economic, technological and social systems are subject to a devastating trend toward speed.andnbsp;Speed Limits will change your experience of the worldandmdash;very much for the better.andrdquo;andmdash;Juliet B. Schor, author of Plenitude

"The age of disruptive technology has been especially disruptive of time. From seasons spent plowing 25 acres with draft horses to trades executed in nanoseconds, Mark Taylor has assembled a detailed, personal account of the time that machines have given to us--and the time that we have given to them."—George Dyson, author of Turing's Cathedral George Dyson

andldquo;This pathbreaking and transformative work helps us understand the origins and impact of the frenetic world we now live in, the root causes of our financial meltdown, climate change and the daily stress of the 24-7 economy.andnbsp; Speed may not kill, but in this important book we learn that it can destroy the very human capacity for reflection and deep thought.andrdquo;andmdash;Steven Cohen, The Earth Institute, Columbia University

andldquo;A detailed, personal account of the time that machines have given to us--and the time that we have given to them.andrdquo;andmdash;George Dyson, author of Turingand#39;s Cathedral

andldquo;In this brilliant and important book, Mark Taylor explains why we live as we do and why we feel so rotten about it. More importantly, he peels back the dynamics that interact and intersect and gives us hope in our efforts to choose a different gear.andquot;andmdash;Siva Vaidhyanathan, author of The Googlization of Everything

andldquo;With panache and flashes of brilliance, Taylor, a Columbia University religion professor and cultural critic, offers a philosophically astute analysis of how time works in our era: more is being squeezed into smaller and smaller bits of time, and everyone feels that they have less of it. . . . There is, appropriately, no quick fix, but Taylor provides plenty of provocative, learned ideas.andrdquo; andmdash;Publishers Weekly

andldquo;Taylorand#39;s observant thought process inspires and promotes the kind of dramatic cultural change necessary to unplug and reflect.andrdquo;andmdash;Kirkus Reviews

andquot;Speed Limits is an insightful and provocative book that deserves the widest possible readership. But with one cautionary note: dear readers, please donandrsquo;t rush through it.andquot;andmdash;Howard Segal, THES

A leading thinker asks why and#147;fasterand#8221; is synonymous with and#147;betterand#8221; in our hurried world and suggests how to take control of our runaway lives

A leading thinker asks why "faster" is synonymous with "better" in our hurried world and suggests how to take control of our runaway lives
We live in an ever-accelerating world: faster computers, markets, food, fashion, product cycles, minds, bodies, kids, lives. When did everything start moving so fast? Why does speed seem so inevitable? Is faster always better?
Drawing together developments in religion, philosophy, art, technology, fashion, and finance, Mark C. Taylor presents an original and rich account of a great paradox of our times: how the very forces and technologies that were supposed to free us by saving time and labor now trap us in a race we can never win. The faster we go, the less time we have, and the more we try to catch up, the farther behind we fall. Connecting our speed-obsession with today's global capitalism, he composes a grand narrative showing how commitments to economic growth and extreme competition, combined with accelerating technological innovation, have brought us close to disaster. Psychologically, environmentally, economically, and culturally, speed is taking a profound toll on our lives.
By showing how the phenomenon of speed has emerged, Taylor offers us a chance to see our pace of life as the product of specific ideas, practices, and policies. It's not inevitable or irreversible. He courageously and movingly invites us to imagine how we might patiently work towards a more deliberative life and sustainable world.

We live in an accelerating world: faster computers, faster news, food, product cycles, bodies, kids, lives. Yet we seem to have less time than ever to reflect, enjoy leisure, or perhaps even play. How did this new world of speed emerge? Why does it seem so inescapable?

 

Drawing together developments in religion, philosophy, art, technology, fashion, and finance, Mark C. Taylor presents an original and compelling account of a great paradox of our times: we may be reaching the point where greater speed can only limit. Taylor connects our speed-obsession with todays global capitalism. He composes a grand narrative showing how commitment to economic growth and extreme competition, combined with accelerating technological innovation, has brought us close to disaster. Too much speed can tear apart bodies, minds, communities, countries, and even the earth itself. Can we regain control? Taylor redirects us toward a more patient, deliberative, and sustainable world.

Q: What inspired you to write this book?

and#160;

A: A deep concern for the future of my children, grandchildren, and students. Technologies that were supposed to liberate us have created a wired world in which fast is never fast enough.and#160;When people canand#8217;t keep up, stress increases, and the anxiety it produces trickles down from parents to children.

and#160;

Q: Many people seem to be aware that the pace of life has become unsustainable but still canand#8217;t slow down. Why?

and#160;

A: The rate of technological change has created an economic system that thrives on speed. From fast fashion to high-speed/high-volume financial markets operating in nanoseconds, acceleration is the engine of growth. The faster everyone goes, the less time they have, and the more they struggle to keep up, the further behind they fall.

and#160;

Q: What are the effects of this addiction to speed?

and#160;

A: Psychologically, parents who pop pills to keep up during the day and to sleep at night give their kids speed to get ahead in school. Economically, the big winners no longer make money by selling their labor or material goods but by trading virtual assets and immaterial financial instruments that compound vastly faster than labor or stuff. This speed gap creates a wealth gap that will never be corrected by adding more jobs. Environmentally, disastrous climate change is spurred by economic growth.

and#160;

Q: What can be done to avoid such dire consequences?

and#160;

A: Human survival now depends on cultivating virtues that have become unfashionableand#151;patience, attention, cooperation, deliberation, and reflection. Ironically, the urgent question is whether people can change fast enough to avoid the looming catastrophe that the continuing addiction to speed inevitably will bring.