Ebook of the Week - Technological Slavery : The Collected Writings of Theodore J. Kaczynski, a.k.a. "The Unabomber"

Kaczynski, Ted. Technological Slavery: The Collected Writings of Theodore J. Kaczynski, a.k.a. "The Unabomber" Port Townsend, WA: Feral House, 2010.

Theodore J. Kaczynski, the mathematical prodigy and former academic also known as “The Unabomber” (University and Airline Bomber) was convicted in 1998 for illegally transporting, mailing, and using bombs, resulting in the injury of twenty-three people and the deaths of three people. He is now serving a life sentence in the supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. This is the first published collection of his writings.

The existence of this text and the prospect of readers taking any parts of it seriously raise interesting issues. On the one hand, Kaczynski’s actions attest that he is a reactionary Luddite and dangerous psychotic. On the other hand, the ideas and views expressed in Technological Slavery raise crucial issues concerning the evolution and future of our society – though they are arguments that others have advanced as well, generally in denser, more academic texts. Kaczynski himself acknowledges that few, if any, of his arguments are original; however, his position is that he is compelled to speak the truth about what he sees as a the human race’s march toward ecological disaster and self-extinction, and that any arguments in service of this cause can only help – especially arguments written for the layperson, as his writings are intended to be. For the first time, the reader will have access to an uncensored personal account of his anti-technology philosophy, which goes far beyond Unabomber pop culture mythology.

Feral House, in a statement, says “the publisher does not support or justify Kaczynski's crimes, nor does the author receive royalties or compensation for this book.” Whether they are best viewed as a historical curiosity or an urgent call to action, readers have the opportunity here to decide for themselves which parts, if any, of Kaczynski’s writings have relevance for our society and the world.

Previewed by John Breitmeyer.  Click here to read the book.