Why the Hindenburg Had a Smoking Lounge

"Today we need savvy, historically informed technology critics more than ever. No critic is savvier when it comes to weighing the pros and cons of technologies old and new than Edward Tenner." (John Horgan, science journalist and Director, Center for Science Writings, Stevens Institute of Technology) "The essayist is often a writer who receives little respect. But the best of them can change how we see our world. Edward Tenner is a profound reporter of startling connections. Whether discussing the surprise of the Hindenburg disaster, the dynamic history of chairs, or the significance of the dung beetle, Tenner takes us into places we would never imagine being. He knows that unintended consequences are everywhere, and we could not survive without them. As in the case of one of his iconic essays, his imagination is Titanic." (Gary Alan Fine, James E. Johnson Professor of Sociology, Northwestern University) "A masterclass in the complexities of human/machine entanglement." (Sherry Turkle, Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) "Reading one of Ed Tenner's essays always makes me want to turn to the person next to me and start a conversation with 'Did you know … ?' But Tenner is more than just entertaining. He gives us fundamental insights on the technological forces at work in our society and how and why they matter. These essays sparkle." (Benjamin M. Friedman, Harvard University, author of The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth and Religion and the Rise of Capitalism) "Edward Tenner is the go-to expert for explaining why things go tragically wrong—specifically when technology and culture collide ... [in Why the Hindenburg Had a Smoking Lounge] Tenner discusses some promising inventions that took a bad turn, focusing, as does the title of his book, on the greater wisdom of allowing passengers to smoke in a giant airship using hydrogen to keep it afloat." (Steven Heller, Print Magazine) "[A] collection of thought-provoking, finely crafted pieces ... An eclectic observer of the human foibles and follies embedded in technology, design, and culture at large, [Ed Tenner] has written about everything from hats and chairs to wild animals and Amish inventors." (Harvard Magazine)