San Antonio College Library

"Made to Break is a history of twentieth-century technology as seen through the prism of obsolescence. America invented disposability, Giles Slade tells us, and he explains how this concept was in fact a necessary condition for the nation's rejection of tradition and our acceptance of change and impermanence. His book shows us the ideas behind obsolescence at work in such American milestones as the invention of branding, packaging, and advertising;...

"The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, 'Why is language death so important?', reviews the reasons for the current crisis and investigates...

Are the expensive products designed and sold by companies like Apple and Samsung built to fail? This film investigates the practice of planned obsolescence, in which manufacturers release waves of new models not necessarily because consumers need or want them but because marketing strategy requires it. Apparently it's not enough that an item is purchased with enthusiasm-the buying needs to be repeated on a regular schedule in order to ensure profitability....

"Of the approximately 5,000 languages spoken around the globe today, Andrew Dalby predicts that half will be lost during this century. How will this linguistic extinction affect our lives? Is there a possibility that humanity will become a monolingual species? Should we care? Language in Danger is an historical investigation into the disappearance of languages and the consequences that future generations may face. Whether describing the effects of...