First published 2026
Digital platforms have transformed the internet into a graveyard of declining services that ensnare both users and enterprises. Doctorow investigates how major tech companies initially drew people in with dependable, user-friendly offerings, then methodically deteriorated these services after establishing user dependency. He terms this cycle "enshittification" and contends we now inhabit the "Enshittocene," an era where critical online services devolve into minimally functional monopolies. The book reveals that this decline results from calculated policy choices by tech leadership rather than natural market forces or historical inevitability. These companies first captured users through quality experiences, then leveraged their captive base while simultaneously pressuring businesses dependent on platform access. After locking in both audiences, they removed valuable features while preserving only basic functionality to prevent mass abandonment. Doctorow delivers both detailed analysis of this systematic deterioration and practical solutions for restoration, proving that our current digital landscape stems from deliberate decisions that can be reversed.
Genres: business, social-issues, non-fiction, technology, 21st-century, current-affairs
Vibes: analytical, critical, eye-opening, thought-provoking, urgent
Tropes: cause-and-effect-analysis, solutions-oriented, systemic-critique
Period: 21st century
384 pages · Paperback · Picador