# Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech - Hardcover

by **Brian Merchant** (Author)

**"The most important book to read about the AI boom" (_Wired_):** **The "gripping" (_New Yorker_) true story of the first time machines came for human jobs--and how the Luddite uprising explains the power, threat, and toll of big tech and AI today**

Named one of the best books of the year by _The New Yorker,_ _Wired,_ and the _Financial Times -_ A Next Big Idea Book Club "Must-Read" The most urgent story in modern tech begins not in Silicon Valley but two hundred years ago in rural England, when workers known as the Luddites rose up rather than starve at the hands of factory owners who were using automated machines to erase their livelihoods.

The Luddites organized guerrilla raids to smash those machines--on punishment of death--and won the support of Lord Byron, enraged the Prince Regent, and inspired the birth of science fiction. This all-but-forgotten class struggle brought nineteenth-century England to its knees.

Today, technology imperils millions of jobs, robots are crowding factory floors, and artificial intelligence will soon pervade every aspect of our economy. How will this change the way we live? And what can we do about it?

The answers lie in _Blood in the Machine_. Brian Merchant intertwines a lucid examination of our current age with the story of the Luddites, showing how automation changed our world--and is shaping our future.

### Author Biography

**Brian Merchant** is the technology columnist for the _Los Angeles Times_ and the author of the national bestseller _The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone_. He's the co-founder of Terraform, Vice's science fiction outlet, and the founder of Gizmodo's Automaton project examining AI and the future of work. His writing has appeared in the _New York Times, Wired, The Atlantic, Harper's Magazine, Fast Company_, and beyond. He lives in Los Angeles.

**Number of Pages:** 496

**Dimensions:** 1.27 x 9.41 x 6.35 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** September 26, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 32.5 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 32.50 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech - Hardcover
- Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/blood-in-the-machine-the-origins-of-the-rebellion-against-big-tech-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-22
