Lewis Mumford Livres

Technics and Civilization first presented its compelling history of the machine and critical study of its effects on civilization in 1934 - before television, the personal computer, and the Internet even appeared on our periphery. Drawing upon art, science, philosophy, and the history of culture, Lewis Mumford explained the origin of the machine age and traced its social results, asserting that the development of modern technology had its roots in the Middle Ages rather than the Industrial Revolution. Mumford sagely argued that it was the moral, economic, and political choices we made, not the machines that we used, that determined our industrially driven economy. Equal parts powerful history and polemic, Technics and Civilization was the first comprehensive attempt in English to portray the development of the machine age over the last thousand years - and to predict the pull the technological still holds over us today.

Focusing on utopias of reconstruction, Lewis Mumford explores influential ideas from Plato to the twentieth century, analyzing how they propose to reshape society. He examines notable works, including More's Utopia and H.G. Wells's fiction, and presents a checklist to evaluate societal alignment with utopian ideals, covering aspects like governance, living standards, and the arts. This foundational text not only reflects Mumford's innovative scholarship but also addresses enduring issues such as social equity and the interplay of science and creativity, relevant to contemporary challenges.

The classic study of the city -- its origins, its transformations, and its prospects. Winner of the National Book Award.

The book draws parallels between the profound changes in 20th-century human life and the revolutionary shift that led early humans into civilization. It explores how modern advancements and societal developments echo the transformative experiences of our ancestors, providing insight into the evolution of human communities and the impact of progress on society.

En El pentágono del poder, segundo y último volumen de El mito de la máquina, concluye el balance radical que Lewis Mumford hace de rancias y trasnochadas concepciones acerca del progreso humano y tecnológico. Mumford ofrece una explicación histórica completa de las irracionalidades y las devastaciones que han socavado las grandes conquistas de todas las civilizaciones. Y demuestra cómo los imperativos cuantitativos de la técnica moderna —velocidad, producción en masa, automación, comunicación instantánea y control remoto— han acarreado inevitablemente la contaminación, los deshechos, las perturbaciones ecológicas y el exterminio de seres humanos en una escala inconcebible con anterioridad. Lejos de ser un ataque contra la ciencia y la técnica, El pentágono del poder pretende establecer un orden social más orgánico, basado en los inmensos recursos tecnológicos del organismo humano. Semejante orden, según demuestra Mumford, es fundamental para que la humanidad pueda superar las fantasías y agresiones deshumanizadas que amenazan con destruir nuestra civilización por entero. Es un inmenso placer para quienes construimos esta editorial acercar al lector en español tres de las cimas intelectuales de nuestro querido maestro: los dos volúmenes de El mito de la máquina (Técnica y evolución humana y El pentágono del poder) y La ciudad en la historia.