--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Computers don't kill books; people do." description: "\"Computers don't kill books; people do.\" — Douglas Rushkoff" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/douglas-rushkoff-2188_book_computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do-320_3200249.png" --- # Computers don't kill books; people do. ![“Computers don't kill books; people do.” quote by Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/douglas-rushkoff-2188_book_computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do-320_3200249.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/douglas-rushkoff-2188_book_computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do-320_3200249.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/douglas-rushkoff-2188_book_computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do-320_3200249.png) > “Computers don't kill books; people do.” [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Technology itself is neutral; misuse by people determines harm to books. **In simple terms:** Computers aren't the problem, people are. Key Takeaway Guard against misuse of tech. Themes technology books misuse responsibility Mood cautious thoughtful Type ethical observational When to use this quote - library management - publishing - education Key Concepts digital preservation intellectual freedom media literacy Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do users have? - How can we protect knowledge? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on technology can ignore deeper cultural issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-people/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Computers Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers-don-1452833/) [Kill Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill-books-3054036/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The technology that threatens to kill off books as we know them - the 'physical book,' a new phrase in our language - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/the-technology-that-threatens-to-kill-off-books-as-we-know-them-the/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [When I was little, my ambition was to grow up to be a book. Not a writer. People can be killed like ants. Writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/when-i-was-little-my-ambition-was-to-grow-up-to-be-a-book-not-a/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [I've found that people who design computers don't know a lot about displays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-jepsen/i-ve-found-that-people-who-design-computers-don-t-know-a-lot-about/) [Mary Lou Jepsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-jepsen/) > [Whether we're fighting climate change or going to space, everything is moved forward by computers, and we don't have enough people who can code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/whether-we-re-fighting-climate-change-or-going-to-space-everything-is-2/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“It's not that I think that computers don't have their place, but surely their place is not in bed, which is my favorite place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fadiman/it-s-not-that-i-think-that-computers-don-t-have-their-place-but/) [Anne Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fadiman/) > [Computers don't usually have a sense of if you have a picture of something what is in that image. And if we can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dean/computers-don-t-usually-have-a-sense-of-if-you-have-a-picture-of/) [Jeff Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dean/) > [That's what's cool about working with computers. They don't argue, they remember everything, and they don't drink all your beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-leary/that-s-what-s-cool-about-working-with-computers-they-don-t-argue-they/) [Paul Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-leary/) > [I've never really been very interested in computers themselves. I don't watch them; I watch how people behave around them. That's becoming more difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/i-ve-never-really-been-very-interested-in-computers-themselves-i-don/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [It was a huge challenge to learn digital painting well enough so that computers don't pop into mind when one sees one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berkeley-breathed/it-was-a-huge-challenge-to-learn-digital-painting-well-enough-so-that/) [Berkeley Breathed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berkeley-breathed/) > [We notice things that don't work. We don't notice things that do. We notice computers, we don't notice pennies. We notice e-book readers, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/we-notice-things-that-don-t-work-we-don-t-notice-things-that-do-we/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Common sense is important not just because your mom taught you so, but because computers don’t have it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-domingos/common-sense-is-important-not-just-because-your-mom-taught-you-so-but/) [Pedro Domingos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-domingos/) > [Computers don't make mistakes. People do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/computers-don-t-make-mistakes-people-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't understand computers. I don't even understand people who understand computers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-of-the-netherlands/i-don-t-understand-computers-i-don-t-even-understand-people-who/) [Juliana of the Netherlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-of-the-netherlands/) > [I'm trying to get through life without really knowing about computers, but I don't know if I am going to make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-graves/i-m-trying-to-get-through-life-without-really-knowing-about-computers/) [Peter Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-graves/) > [As primitive as digital can be, there is nothing automatic in the methods I use, it's all basically done by hand. I know nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-meades/as-primitive-as-digital-can-be-there-is-nothing-automatic-in-the/) [Jonathan Meades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-meades/) ## More by Douglas Rushkoff > [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digital media are biased toward replication and storage. Our digital photos practically upload and post themselves on Facebook, and our most deleted e-mails tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digital-media-are-biased-toward-replication-and-storage-our-digital/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“And spend they did. Money circulated faster and spread wider through its communities of use than at any other time in economic history.8 Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/and-spend-they-did-money-circulated-faster-and-spread-wider-through/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Occupy Wall Street is meant more as a way of life that spreads through contagion, creates as many questions as it answers, aims to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/occupy-wall-street-is-meant-more-as-a-way-of-life-that-spreads/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Time has always been used against us on a certain level. The invention of the clock made us accountable to the employer, gave us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/time-has-always-been-used-against-us-on-a-certain-level-the-invention/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [What makes a great standalone piece of hardware is not the same thing as what makes a great networking device. One can work as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/what-makes-a-great-standalone-piece-of-hardware-is-not-the-same-thing/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digiphrenia - how technology lets us be in more than one place - and self - at the same time. Drone pilots suffer more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-how-technology-lets-us-be-in-more-than-one-place-and-self/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [A currency designed for long-term storage and investment doesn't do so well at encouraging transactions and exchange in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/a-currency-designed-for-long-term-storage-and-investment-doesn-t-do/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Since the 1960s, mainstream media has searched out and co-opted the most authentic things it could find in youth culture, whether that was psychedelic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/since-the-1960s-mainstream-media-has-searched-out-and-co-opted-the/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Children are being adultified because our economy is depending on them to make purchasing decisions. So they're essentially the victims of a marketing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/children-are-being-adultified-because-our-economy-is-depending-on/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [In spite of my own reservations about Bing's ability to convert Google users, I have to admit that the search engine does offer a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/in-spite-of-my-own-reservations-about-bing-s-ability-to-convert/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“Limbic consonance is the little-known process through which the mood of a room changes when a happy or nervous person walks in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/limbic-consonance-is-the-little-known-process-through-which-the-mood/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Think 'Game of Thrones.' In the old days, this sort of show might be considered bad writing. It doesn't really seem to be moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/think-game-of-thrones-in-the-old-days-this-sort-of-show-might-be/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [We have the alternative. "Do I want to be on the subway looking at these people, or do I want to be in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/we-have-the-alternative-do-i-want-to-be-on-the-subway-looking-at/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digiphrenia”—the way our media and technologies encourage us to be in more than one place at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-the-way-our-media-and-technologies-encourage-us-to-be-in/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) [Explore all 180 Douglas Rushkoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Computers don't kill books; people do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Rushkoff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/douglas-rushkoff-2188_book_computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do-320_3200249.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/douglas-rushkoff-2188_book_computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do-320_3200249.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/douglas-rushkoff-2188_book_computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do-320_3200249.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Computers don't kill books; people do.” — Douglas Rushkoff", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Douglas Rushkoff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Computers don't kill books; people do.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/computers-don-t-kill-books-people-do/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```