Road to Nowhere exposes the problems with Silicon Valley’s visions of the future and argues that we cannot allow ourselves to be continually distracted by technological fantasies that delay the collective solutions we already know are effective. Technological solutions to social problems and the people who propose them must be challenged if we are to build cities and transportation systems which serve the public good.
Paris Marx offers a vision for a more collective way of organising transportation systems which considers the needs of poor, marginalised, and vulnerable peoples. The book also argues that rethinking mobility can be the first step in a broader reimagining of how we organise our social, economic, and political systems to serve the many, not the few.
I rarely review books I don't finish, as I generally feel it's unfair to the author. For this book, though, I felt as though I was a choir being preached to. The author said all the things I believe, many of which I'm sure I've heard before - but the documentation was spare, generally noting only direct quotes. Such a book aimed at an audience I don't agree with is one I'd call dangerous, making people more confident in their biases but not making them more informed. I can't support such a book just because it's speaking to Us rather than Them; it's just as dangerous a vehicle.
