This is not a book about how life should be hard.
Life already is hard. And it’s hard in spite of all the labor-saving devices and apps that clutter our homes and phone screens.
We should be living in a high-tech utopia. We have instant access to everything from food delivery to streaming music. But why does this brilliant future feel so disappointing? From our paychecks to our politics, the effects of poorly implemented smoothness are everywhere.
Against Convenience looks at why these technologies failed and offers some ideas for what to do about it. It covers design, psychology, art, news, and more.
This is no manifesto or screed. I understand that so many modern conveniences are a routine part of life—they’re the infrastructure behind our daily routines. The book doesn’t ask that we reject things that make our lives easier, it asks why these things don’t work the way they’re supposed to, and imagines how they could be better.
What people are saying about Against Convenience
"Against Convenience is a wake-up call. Effort and friction aren't obstacles to a good life—they're essential to it.” –Jennifer Wallace, New York Times bestselling author of Mattering
"Living ain’t easy. Convenience gimmicks repress this truth, increase labor, and weaken vital connections. Gabe Bullard’s rigorously researched and vibrantly written book exposes the ideology of frictionlessness and offers a blueprint for living deliberately, even if that’s a little hard.”–Anna Kornbluh, author of Immediacy, Or, The Style of Too Late Capitalism
"What's the real cost of ordering DoorDash again? Gabe Bullard's sharp and witty new book considers modern 'conveniences' like self-checkout, Uber, and the Starbucks app, what actually makes them possible—and why we're all the worse for their rise. You'll want to take a good long time reading this one." —Brian Merchant, author of Blood In The Machine
“Convenience has become one of the defining values of our age. In this smart, engaging book, Gabe Bullard reveals what it costs us—and why a little friction may be exactly what we need.” —Dana Thomas, author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes