Giles Slade

About the Author

Giles Slade is a distinguished historian and cultural critic whose work illuminates the intricate relationship between technology, society, and human behavior. With a keen eye for the ways innovation shapes and is shaped by economic forces, Slade has dedicated his career to exploring the underbelly of progress, particularly in the American context. His seminal book, Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America, delves into the deliberate design of disposability in consumer goods, revealing how planned obsolescence has driven the modern economy while contributing to environmental and social challenges. Drawing from extensive archival research and interdisciplinary insights, Slade's writing bridges history, economics, and environmental studies, offering readers a provocative lens on the costs of perpetual novelty. A former professor and consultant, he continues to lecture and write on the implications of technological acceleration in an increasingly fragile world.