Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Grid is a physical manifestation of the values of the Machine on the landscape itself, and it is, I think, replacing the nation, just as it is replacing the culture and antiquated notions of 'tradition' and the like. Paul Kingsnorth writes with passion about his lifelong journey to rail against the progress he sees as a vanguard for dark forces. His book goes beyond the normal P(Doom) of Artificial Intelligence and the dangers of AGI. It captures what Kingsnorth sees as a moral and cultural decline due to technology writ large. The author lives a relatively off-grid life with his family in rain-scoured western Ireland, giving him the time and room to develop his writing. He is well-read and researches similar thinkers from across the centuries, bringing some obscure prophets to light. His conclusions are fairly stark: a force active in the world lies beyond us. It is a supern...