--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a technology, the book is like a…" description: "\"As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to say, it is perfect: a tool ideally suited to its task. Hammers can be tweaked and varied but wil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/james-gleick-2623_alive_as-a-technology-the-book-is-like-a-hamme_3136828.jpg" --- # As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to… ![“As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to say, it is perfect: a tool ideally suited to its task. Hammers can be tweaked and varied but will never go obsolete. Even when builders pound nails by the thousand with pneumatic nail guns, every household needs a hammer. Likewise, the bicycle…” quote by James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/james-gleick-2623_alive_as-a-technology-the-book-is-like-a-hamme_3136828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/james-gleick-2623_alive_as-a-technology-the-book-is-like-a-hamme_3136828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/james-gleick-2623_alive_as-a-technology-the-book-is-like-a-hamme_3136828.jpg) > “As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to say, it is perfect: a tool ideally suited to its task. Hammers can be tweaked and varied but will never go obsolete. Even when builders pound nails by the thousand with pneumatic nail guns, every household needs a hammer. Likewise, the bicycle is alive and well. It was invented in a world without automobiles, and for speed and range it was quickly surpassed by motorcycles and all kinds of powered scooters. But there is nothing quaint about bicycles. They outsell cars.” [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Books are enduring tools like hammers: simple, adaptable, and never obsolete despite newer technologies. **In simple terms:** Books are timeless, reliable tools. Key Takeaway Value books as essential, adaptable tools. Themes technology tools endurance literature Mood reflective optimistic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - reading for knowledge - preserving print - teaching with books - balancing digital and analog Key Concepts material culture media evolution Questions to Reflect On - How do books remain relevant today? - What unique value do they offer? A Different Perspective Digital media can replace many book functions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Alive And Well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive-and-well/) [All kinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-kinds/) [Automobile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automobile/) [Bicycle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bicycle/) [Bicycles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bicycles/) [Bike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bike/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Builder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/builder/) [Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hammer/) [Hammers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hammers/) [Household](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/household/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Like Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-hammer-568030/) [Motorcycle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motorcycle/) [Nails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nails/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Obsolete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsolete/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Pounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pounds/) [Quaint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quaint/) [Range](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/range/) [Scooters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scooters/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Technology Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology-book-1169672/) [Thousand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to say, it is perfect: a tool ideally suited to its task. Hammers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/as-a-technology-the-book-is-like-a-hammer-that-is-to-say-it-is/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Making stuff: The folks at Instructables have put up some killer HOWTOs for building the technology in this book. It's easy and incredibly fun.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/making-stuff-the-folks-at-instructables-have-put-up-some-killer/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“For once, I felt everything. And the biggest thing I felt was the way I felt about you. That was like a hammer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/for-once-i-felt-everything-and-the-biggest-thing-i-felt-was-the-way-i/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [“Silence fell like a hammer made of feathers. It left holes in the shape of the sound of the sea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/silence-fell-like-a-hammer-made-of-feathers-it-left-holes-in-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Grief was like that. It gradually faded into a dull ache, until some simple sight or sound or scent hit him like a hammer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cinda-williams-chima/grief-was-like-that-it-gradually-faded-into-a-dull-ache-until-some/) [Cinda Williams Chima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cinda-williams-chima/) > [“My fingers darted, then danced, then flew. I played hard as a hailstorm, like a hammer beating brass. I played soft as sun on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/my-fingers-darted-then-danced-then-flew-i-played-hard-as-a-hailstorm/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't like gadgets for their own sake. I like gadgets that are tools. And I like simple gadgets that do one thing really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-corddry/i-don-t-like-gadgets-for-their-own-sake-i-like-gadgets-that-are-tools/) [Rob Corddry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-corddry/) > [“Love is like a hammer, inevitably it will crush you & cause severe pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-helmick/love-is-like-a-hammer-inevitably-it-will-crush-you-cause-severe-pain/) [Alison Helmick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-helmick/) > [The music takes you. It has to be alive. It's like you hammer something, and the way it happens to bleed leads you into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gira/the-music-takes-you-it-has-to-be-alive-it-s-like-you-hammer-something/) [Michael Gira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gira/) > [Just because you've got a mind like a hammer doesn't mean you have to treat everyone else like a nail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/just-because-you-ve-got-a-mind-like-a-hammer-doesn-t-mean-you-have-to/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Her words were like the hammer. My stance was of a nail. I didn't need those callous words on my once strong shell. Hammered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-perdu/her-words-were-like-the-hammer-my-stance-was-of-a-nail-i-didn-t-need/) [Antonia Perdu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-perdu/) > [“What do you want me to call them? Shits and Giggles? Fists and Kneecap? Nah, I don't like that one. Hammer and Nails? Dude,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/what-do-you-want-me-to-call-them-shits-and-giggles-fists-and-kneecap/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [Personally, I think government is a tool, like a hammer. You can use a hammer to build or you can use a hammer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/personally-i-think-government-is-a-tool-like-a-hammer-you-can-use-a/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Technology is basically neutral. It's kind of like a hammer. The hammer doesn't care whether you use it to build a house, or whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/technology-is-basically-neutral-it-s-kind-of-like-a-hammer-the-hammer/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“The Truth burns the heart like a hammer breaking a rock.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-truth-burns-the-heart-like-a-hammer-breaking-a-rock/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) ## More by James Gleick > [When the Lilliputians first saw Gulliver's watch, that "wonderful kind of engine...a globe, half silver and half of some transparent metal," they identified it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/when-the-lilliputians-first-saw-gulliver-s-watch-that-wonderful-kind/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [You know, entropy is associated thermodynamically, in systems involving heat, with disorder. And in an analogous way, information is associated with disorder, which seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/you-know-entropy-is-associated-thermodynamically-in-systems-involving/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“No one has even a definitive spelling for Cawdrey’s name (Cowdrey, Cawdry). But then, no one agreed on the spelling of most names: they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/no-one-has-even-a-definitive-spelling-for-cawdrey-s-name-cowdrey/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Where, then, is any particular gene—say, the gene for long legs in humans? This is a little like asking where is Beethoven’s Piano Sonata…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/where-then-is-any-particular-gene-say-the-gene-for-long-legs-in/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [Alphabetical order had to be invented to help people organize the first dictionaries. On the other hand, we may have reached a point where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/alphabetical-order-had-to-be-invented-to-help-people-organize-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to say, it is perfect: a tool ideally suited to its task. Hammers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/as-a-technology-the-book-is-like-a-hammer-that-is-to-say-it-is/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [The universe is computing its own destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/the-universe-is-computing-its-own-destiny/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [A book is not necessarily made of paper. A book is not necessarily made to be read on a Kindle. A book is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/a-book-is-not-necessarily-made-of-paper-a-book-is-not-necessarily/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“From this point of view, the laws of science represent data compression in action. A theoretical physicist acts like a very clever coding algorithm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/from-this-point-of-view-the-laws-of-science-represent-data/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [Children and scientists share an outlook on life. If I do this, what will happen? is both the motto of the child at play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/children-and-scientists-share-an-outlook-on-life-if-i-do-this-what/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Your body moves always in the present, the dividing line between the past and the future, but your mind is more free. It can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/your-body-moves-always-in-the-present-the-dividing-line-between-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [People worry about Twitter. Twitter is banal. It's 140-character messages. By definition, you can hardly say anything profound. On the other hand, we communicate.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/people-worry-about-twitter-twitter-is-banal-it-s-140-character/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“The Difference Engine stands—for a replica works today, in the Science Museum in London—as a milestone of what could be achieved in precision engineering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/the-difference-engine-stands-for-a-replica-works-today-in-the-science/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [It is significant that one says book lover and music lover and art lover but not record lover or CD lover or, conversely, text…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/it-is-significant-that-one-says-book-lover-and-music-lover-and-art/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“quoting Tolstoy: “I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/quoting-tolstoy-i-know-that-most-men-including-those-at-ease-with/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) [Explore all 157 James Gleick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to say, it is perfect: a tool ideally suited to its task. Hammers can be tweaked and varied but will never go obsolete. Even when builders pound nails by the thousand with pneumatic nail guns, every household needs a hammer. Likewise, the bicycle is alive and well. It was invented in a world without automobiles, and for speed and range it was quickly surpassed by motorcycles and all kinds of powered scooters. But there is nothing quaint about bicycles. 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