I love this book. It’s so perfect for the times we live in.
Cory Doctorow came up with the word, in 2022, to describe how all the digital services that increasingly dominated our daily lives seemed to be getting worse at the same time.
Cory’s writing is so clearly laid out, so wonderfully descriptive, that it feels like sufficiently complex ideas are ingested better. It’s a good thing, because when talking about monopolies and labour markets, one needs a high degree of simplification.
How crazy is it when the President of the United States posts an A.I. generated video of himself flying a jet, wearing a crown (read: the King) while dumping literal shit on his own people who are protesting the rise of a King. Shit and slop go hand in hand with this ‘jokey’ President.
Some will surely have issues with accuracy in this book. Perhaps many will take issue with some characterizations of companies. But absolutely everyone will know the truth of the message because we all see enshittificaton happening. From the lack of a good remote access too to the removal of seats that can recline in an airplane. Enshittification is ever present.
Just as monopolies are legally attacked (in ever weaker ways), there needs to be a regulatory framework for holding companies accountable for enshittificaton. Maybe call it ‘The Plunger Department.” They come in and keep things flowing when we’re stuck. To that end, there’s consumerrights.wiki – as site that chronicles many of these transgressions. Be a part of holding companies accountable and join that site.
One thing that continually pops up for me is when reading the hardcover, and the lights go down (for reasons of the infant kind), switching to reading with my phone is possible. I bought the physical book, so why doesn’t every hard copy of a book come with access to its EPUB or MOBI counterpart? It should. In fact, if you buy my book, I will give you the DRM-Free EPUB at no cost, just ask.
This is the book to read in 2025. In fact, this should probably be required reading for all university undergraduates. Go get a copy of Enshittificaton for yourself. Buy it online directly from Cory or at Bakka-Phoenix books in Toronto.