ABSTRACT
There is nothing inherent in computers or in any other type of machinery that leads inevitably to the degradation of work instead of the enhancement of work. Automated machine tools can be used either by craftsmen to perform a variety of tasks or by unskilled operators to perform the same task over and over. Charles F. Sabel, whose qualified optimism about technology distinguishes him both from mindless optimists like Alvin Toffler and John Naisbitt and from critics of technology like David Noble, Harry Braverman, and Lewis Mumford, argues that the 'breakup of mass markets' in the seventies and eighties will force American industry to abandon Taylorism and to adopt a more flexible system of production. Technology is a mirror of society, not a 'neutral' force that can 'be used for good or evil.' It shows us ourselves as we are and as we would like to be.
