Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America

Made to Break traces the history of planned obsolescence in American consumer culture from the 1920s through the present day. The book examines how manufacturers began deliberately designing products to fail or become outdated, creating a cycle of constant consumption and waste. The narrative follows key developments in disposable products, from General Motors' annual model changes to the rise of electronic devices with limited lifespans. Slade documents the roles of industrial designers, marketing executives, and cultural shifts in normalizing the practice of replacing functioning goods with newer versions. The book explores the environmental and social consequences of America's throwaway culture through detailed case studies and historical analysis. Primary sources and interviews reveal how business strategies evolved to encourage frequent product replacement. Made to Break raises fundamental questions about sustainability and consumer behavior in modern capitalism. The work connects current debates about electronic waste and environmental damage to deeply rooted patterns in American manufacturing and marketing.

Readers describe this book as a detailed history of planned obsolescence that reveals how consumer culture evolved in America. Many note it helps explain why products are designed to fail or become outdated. Readers appreciated: - Clear examples from history showing how companies deliberately shortened product lifespans - Strong research and documentation - Connections between advertising, consumerism, and waste - Focus on specific industries like automobiles and electronics Common criticisms: - Writing can be dry and academic - Some sections feel repetitive - Later chapters lose focus compared to earlier historical analysis - Could better address solutions or alternatives Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (379 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (47 ratings) One reader noted: "Eye-opening look at how we got trapped in throwaway culture." Another criticized: "Important topic but gets bogged down in excessive detail about early manufacturing."

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📚 Giles Slade spent over 15 years researching and writing Made to Break, gathering information from thousands of sources including old advertisements, corporate records, and personal interviews. 💡 The term "planned obsolescence" was first popularized during the Great Depression by Bernard London, who proposed it as a government-mandated solution to stimulate the economy. 🏭 The development of nylon stockings by DuPont in 1937 was one of the first major successes of artificially creating product obsolescence through material science. 📱 The average American cell phone was used for only 18 months before replacement in 2006 (when the book was published) - a dramatic decrease from the 7-year lifespan of landline phones in the 1970s. 🗑️ The book reveals that by the early 2000s, electronic waste had become the fastest-growing component of municipal waste in the United States, with over 2 million tons discarded annually.