Throughout history, technological change has been viewed as a main driver of prosperity, working in the public interest. The reality, though, is that technology is shaped by what powerful people want and believe, generating riches, social respect, cultural prominence, and further political voice for those already powerful. For most of the rest of us, there is the illusion of progress. Debunks modern techno-optimism through a dazzling, original account of how technological choices have changed the course of history.