Enshittification

by Cory Doctorow
Enshittification cover
Good Books rating 4.17
Technology and Innovation
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Paperback • £14.99
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  • ID: 2706
  • Added: 2025-10-16
  • Updated: 2025-10-16
  • ISBN: 9780374619329
  • Publisher: MCD
  • Published: 2025-10-07
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

Cory Doctorow's Enshittification delves into the alarming trend of digital platforms starting strong but inevitably declining in quality. Through sharp humor and insightful analysis, Doctorow explores how tech giants like TikTok, Facebook, and Google lure users with convenience before gradually degrading their services to maximize profit. This book uncovers the slow but steady process of 'enshittification,' revealing how algorithms and corporate greed are making the online world worse for everyone./n/nDoctorow's work is not just a critique but also a call to action, offering solutions to combat this digital decline. With a mix of wit and deep understanding of the tech landscape, he provides a compelling look at how we can reclaim our digital spaces from the grip of corporate interests. This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of the internet.

Reviews
Washington Independent Review of Books · 2025-10-01
insightful 4.00

The book vividly illustrates the control mechanisms of Big Tech through punchy prose. It highlights the high switching costs that keep users trapped in deteriorating platforms.

This review emphasizes how Doctorow's sharp writing brings to life the often invisible ways Big Tech maintains its grip on users. They particularly appreciate the way the book breaks down the concept of 'switching costs,' making it clear why so many of us feel stuck with platforms that no longer serve us well. The reviewer finds the book both enlightening and engaging, providing a much-needed critique of the tech industry's current trajectory. It's a wake-up call that doesn't shy away from proposing solutions, making it a valuable read for anyone concerned about the future of the internet.

Quick quotes

    The instruments of Big Tech's control are familiar to many of us but are made extra vivid by Doctorow's punchy prose.

    In describing the high 'switching costs,' Doctorow makes it clear why users feel trapped.

    The book provides a much-needed critique of the tech industry's current trajectory.

The New Yorker · 2025-10-01
persuasive 4.50

The book outlines the three phases of enshittification, starting with platforms being good to users. It's a compelling manifesto for understanding and combating the decline of online spaces.

The reviewer at The New Yorker finds Doctorow's breakdown of the three phases of enshittification particularly compelling. They like how the book starts with the initial attractiveness of platforms and then shows how they inevitably decline into user-hostile environments. This review positions the book as a manifesto, offering both a diagnosis and a call to action. They appreciate Doctorow's ability to make complex issues accessible and his proposals for radical regulation, which they see as necessary to reverse the current trends.

Quick quotes

    Enshittification unfolds in three phases: first, a company is 'good to users,' Doctorow writes, drawing people in droves, as funnel traps do.

    The book offers a compelling manifesto for understanding and combating the decline of online spaces.

    Doctorow's ability to make complex issues accessible is one of the book's strengths.

Financial Times · 2025-10-01
urgent 4.00

Doctorow argues that online platforms are rapidly deteriorating and proposes radical regulation as the cure. The book is seen as a timely and urgent call for action.

The Financial Times reviewer highlights Doctorow's urgent tone and the book's timely critique of the rapid deterioration of online platforms. They like how the book doesn't just diagnose the problem but also proposes radical solutions, such as increased regulation. This review positions the book as a necessary read for anyone concerned about the future of the internet. They appreciate Doctorow's activist stance and the clarity of his arguments, making the book both informative and inspiring.

Quick quotes

    The writer-activist argues that online platforms are getting worse, fast — and proposes radical regulation as the cure.

    The book is a timely and urgent call for action in the face of deteriorating online platforms.

    Doctorow's activist stance and the clarity of his arguments make the book both informative and inspiring.

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