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David Sax
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The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter Kindle Edition

by David Sax (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 447 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
One of Michiko Kakutani's (New York Times) top ten books of 2016

A funny thing happened on the way to the digital utopia. We've begun to fall back in love with the very analog goods and ideas the tech gurus insisted that we no longer needed. Businesses that once looked outdated, from film photography to brick-and-mortar retail, are now springing with new life. Notebooks, records, and stationery have become cool again. Behold the Revenge of Analog.

David Sax has uncovered story after story of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and even big corporations who've found a market selling not apps or virtual solutions but real, tangible things. As e-books are supposedly remaking reading, independent bookstores have sprouted up across the country. As music allegedly migrates to the cloud, vinyl record sales have grown more than ten times over the past decade. Even the offices of tech giants like Google and Facebook increasingly rely on pen and paper to drive their brightest ideas.

Sax's work reveals a deep truth about how humans shop, interact, and even think. Blending psychology and observant wit with first-rate reportage, Sax shows the limited appeal of the purely digital life-and the robust future of the real world outside it.
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  1. Print length
    292 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    PublicAffairs
  4. Publication date
    November 8, 2016
  5. File size
    4.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"No matter which side you're on in the debate over digital technology, there's something to cheer you in The Revenge of Analog."―Scott Timberg, New York Times Book Review

"Captivating...Sax provides an insightful and entertaining account of this phenomenon, creating a powerful counternarrative to the techno-utopian belief that we would live in an ever-improving, all-digital world."―Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

"Here is a compulsively readable book after a Luddite's heart.... Sax isn't preaching a return to the pre-Industrial Age, but neither is he embracing the robot overlords. He thoughtfully, wisely, and honestly points out how analog experiences enhance digital creativity and how humans benefit from what both have to offer. Essential reading."―Booklist, Starred Review

"A perky and well-illustrated... look at a discordantly retro cultural trend."―Kirkus Reviews

"Sax's message is that digital technology has certainly made life easier, but the analog technologies of old can make life more rich and substantial. This book has a calming effect, telling readers, one analog page at a time, that tangible goods, in all their reassuring solidity, are back and are not going anywhere."―Publishers Weekly

"The more advanced our digital technologies, the more we come to realize that reality rules. David Sax reassures us surviving members of team human that material existence is alive and well, and makes a compelling case for the reclamation of terra firma and all that comes with it."―Douglas Rushkoff, author of Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus

"Hang on digital mavens, the real world ain't going anywhere. In The Revenge of Analog, David Sax shows the continued importance of the physical stuff to how we live and work today."―Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class

"The better digital gets, the more important analog becomes. In this fun tour of modern culture, David Sax has collected hundreds of ways that an analog approach can improve our newest inventions. Sax's reporting is eye-opening and mind-changing."―Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of Wired and author of The Inevitable

"We all thought the digital age would be the end of analog media--and we were wrong. In this smart, funny, glorious book, David Sax explains why so many of us still crave the tactile, sensual experience of listening to music on vinyl records and taking notes with pencil and paper. Turn off your electronic devices, find a quiet place, and savor this remarkable book."―Dan Lyons, bestselling author of Disrupted

"David Sax has written a brilliant cri de coeur about the way things used to be, should be, and, increasingly, are becoming once again. The Revenge of Analog reminds us that it wasn't so long ago that records were vinyl, laces were double knotted and the mailbox at the end of the driveway was lovingly banged up. It's a book that brings something even more rare than a perfect song at the perfect moment-hope."―Rich Cohen, cocreator of HBO's Vinyl and author of The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones

"A thoughtful look at the many ways in which analog has not been eliminated from the world but in many ways is still thriving...Sax's book reminds us that we live in an analog world. It is a good reminder that digital can only take us so far."―Tadas Viskanta, Yahoo! Finance

About the Author

David Sax is a writer, reporter, and speaker who specializes in business and culture. His previous book, The Revenge of Analog, was a #1 Washington Post bestseller, was selected as one of Michiko Kakutani's Top Ten books of 2016 for the New York Times, and has been translated into six languages. He is the author of Save the Deli, which won a James Beard award, and The Tastemakers. He lives in Toronto.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01IMZ5GGM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs; 1st edition (November 8, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 8, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 292 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 447 ratings

About the author

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David Sax

David Sax

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David Sax is a journalist, writer, and keynote speaker specializing in business and culture.

David's latest book, The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter looks at the resurgence of analog goods and ideas, during a time when we assumed digital would conquer all. It's available in various formats, but especially in paper, and was a Washington Post Bestseller. David's first book, Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen and won a James Beard Award for writing and literature, as well as other awards and the praise of deli lovers everywhere. His second book is The Tastemakers: Why We're Crazy for Cronuts but Fed Up with Fondue, which is chronicles how food trends emerge, grow, and ultimately make a difference in our world.

In April 2020, he will publish The Soul of An Entrepreneur: Work and Life Beyond the Startup Myth, which examines the meaning of entrepreneurship and working for yourself.

He lives in Toronto, Canada.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
447 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book readable and well-written, with one noting it's more satisfying to read an actual book. Moreover, they appreciate its insightful content, with one review highlighting its compelling case studies and another mentioning its engaging analysis of technological maturity. Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its analog content, with one customer noting how it provides a clear understanding of digital and analog concepts, while another appreciates how it makes enjoying reality more valued.

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36 customers mention "Readability"36 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, describing it as a worthwhile and interesting essay, with one customer noting it's particularly enjoyable while listening to vinyl.

"...After reading the book I know that I am not alone! This is a brave book, a new look to reality, not only 'outside the box' but really 'against..." Read more

"...David Sax just wrote a book on the subject. It is an enjoyable read. I've been straddling the old school and electronic world for many years...." Read more

"...#34;finishability" which explains why it's so much more satisfying to read an actual book (or, get this, an actual newspaper) than reading the..." Read more

"...The author is investigative, insightful and just plain delightful to read. Wonderful book!" Read more

25 customers mention "Insight"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and informative, with one review highlighting its compelling case studies and another noting its engaging analysis of technological maturity.

"...The book explains very well the mechanism why people can set up profitable businesses outside the 'media enhanced reality' of the digital economy,..." Read more

"...It's a fascinating thesis and provocative insight into what experiences human beings crave and are rewarded by...." Read more

"...You will be enlightened and intrigued and fascinated with the stories of the resurgence of such things as Film, record albums and paper...." Read more

"...A useful resource and in my opinion a worthwhile read." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, finding it well written, with one customer noting its eloquent style.

"...ready to enter semi-retirement mode, I plan to purchase this in, real book form , for all of my employees. Nice going David!" Read more

"...David Sax so clearly, succinctly and eloquently lays out the case for the value of analog objects, experiences and ways of thinking...." Read more

"Excellent book, well written and researched...." Read more

"...of analog-lovers who are choosing to invest in the latest trend: real life. We are not luddites....just really appreciate the magic of THINGS...." Read more

6 customers mention "Analog content"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's exploration of analog and digital concepts, with one customer noting how it provides an understanding of both, while another mentions how it makes enjoying reality more valued.

"...of the sticky passages: the author's observation about how much more sensory learning a two year old gains from finger painting with actual finger..." Read more

"I am actually not done yet, but this book grips you with the irony of analog vs digital and the ways analog is making a major comeback!..." Read more

"...technology in my life with the things that give me pure, simple, analog pleasure." Read more

"...The return of the simple, tangible, touchable -- makes enjoying reality more valued and valuable...." Read more

4 customers mention "Interest"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting, with one noting the author's investigative approach.

"...The author is investigative, insightful and just plain delightful to read. Wonderful book!" Read more

"An extremely fun read. David Sax is one of the most interesting journalists of the 21st century...." Read more

"Interesting !" Read more

"A smart and interesting account of the surprising come-back of analog...." Read more

Let's have both- tech & analog.
5 out of 5 stars
Let's have both- tech & analog.
I love reading what is happening in the tech world. I think we can have both tech & analog. Apparently so do many other people. Thank goodness I saved my vinyls. I never bought a Kindle & I ordered a Moleskin on line. A good read, enjoy the best of both worlds. The vinyl is Harry Belafonte & Lena Horne
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Joaquim Dorca
    5.0 out of 5 stars Against the box
    Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Well... I finally had the time to finish "The revenge of Analog".
    What can I say? I've been a few years with the sensation that 'digital was not enough', that 'too many voices pushing for a new digital world', and that , in fact, people still loves to be with people and own real things, because real people and real things matter. After reading the book I know that I am not alone!
    This is a brave book, a new look to reality, not only 'outside the box' but really 'against the box'.
    Being a boardgame publisher myself, I've been living the rise of the industry from the front-line, and Sax is right in almost all his statements (well... apart from the fact that D&D players we use d20s and not d10s, lol).
    The book explains very well the mechanism why people can set up profitable businesses outside the 'media enhanced reality' of the digital economy, and also many of the basic behaviour of normal people in front of the things we like and love, like records, books, or real friendship.
    I foresee a boom of good business around real things, putting tecnology to work for humans, instead of using humans as the terminal end of some sort of entertainement AI in the hands of a handful of big companies.
    "The revenge of analog" is a book that any humanist should read. It brings hope, based in facts and not in digital propaganda.
    25 people found this helpful
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  • Real customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars What is old is now new...
    Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I have known this all along. David Sax just wrote a book on the subject. It is an enjoyable read. I've been straddling the old school and electronic world for many years. Moleskine has been a part of my life for many years. What is in those notebooks has not been lost to changing operating systems, crashes, new computers, outdated storage devices, and system failures. Getting ready to enter semi-retirement mode, I plan to purchase this in, real book form , for all of my employees. Nice going David!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Goblingirl
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Counter-thinking about the Digital Era
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of those books I find myself recommending over and over to friends and acquaintances--heck, even to near-strangers. It's a fascinating thesis and provocative insight into what experiences human beings crave and are rewarded by. One of the sticky passages: the author's observation about how much more sensory learning a two year old gains from finger painting with actual finger paints--which of course end up dripping down her arm, in her hair, on the dog, and occasionally on the paper--than from drawing on an Ipad. That and the concept of "finishability" which explains why it's so much more satisfying to read an actual book (or, get this, an actual newspaper) than reading the same content online in a never-ending trip down the rabbit hole of the internet. Nothing like the satisfying feeling of reading a good book to its end notes. That certainly goes for this one.
    39 people found this helpful
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  • Mark
    5.0 out of 5 stars THis book is fascinating!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I am actually not done yet, but this book grips you with the irony of analog vs digital and the ways analog is making a major comeback! You will be enlightened and intrigued and fascinated with the stories of the resurgence of such things as Film, record albums and paper. People around the world are looking to touch, feel, experience something different than the digital age, and are willing to pay for it! The author is investigative, insightful and just plain delightful to read. Wonderful book!
    7 people found this helpful
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  • J. W. Walker
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting topic
    Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This was a really good idea for a book, and the phenomenon of digital fatigue pushing toward more traditional products is as well explained as it can be. The chapter on vinyl records is very interesting, as is the chapter about the Shinola company. I think the theory is stretched a bit thin when he writes about Moleskine notebooks ("the revenge of paper") and I skipped the chapter called "the revenge of summer" after about two paragraphs because it seemed a little silly.

    Given the subject matter, this book required a lot of anecdotal information but it often felt like he was giving anecdotal information too much weight on a lot of subjects. The chapter on vinyl was excellent because it did not have this problem, in my opinion. On the whole, the book is interesting and worth a read.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you Mr. Sax for helping me to keep it real!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It helps to validate many of the talking points I have expressed to both Millennials and Boomers alike. I am a generational workplace consultant and have interviewed a significant enough number of Millennials to understand that they are much like those of us that are older in many ways. We need to acknowledge that they are tech native and agile thinkers and they need to appreciate that we have overcome many challenges in the past without the benefits of the technology that they take for granted. I think that Mr. Sax's book helps me to gain insights to assist me in both sides of the generational conversations. A useful resource and in my opinion a worthwhile read.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Marilyn
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking for self evaluation
    Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It is an interesting read but not a thriller. It is like reading research about various topics. It does provide some food for thought in evaluating all of the "stuff" in our lives and its influence. I am still reading it and I do find myself reflecting on some of the ideas presented. I am evaluating some things in my own daily life.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Christine Walters
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and Thought Provoking Read
    Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! The author provides several compelling case studies as to why us humans have recently started to "push back" against the move to digitize everything and engage in the world more fully with all our senses. From vinyl records to film photography and even print books, Sax makes a compelling case for why the analog still matters.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • thirtymlmusings
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic & must read !
    Reviewed in India on October 17, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The book offers real human insights from its stories about vinyl records to thriving physical book stores to Shinola and more. With the shrill "digital world" hype surrounding us, this book is a sobering reminder that 'the world is analog and digital is always a representation'.

    And yes, this one - read the real book and not off Kindle.
    Report
  • Todd B
    5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!
    Reviewed in Canada on March 30, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This is absolutely the most outstanding book I've read in years. I have been ranting about analog, analog living, and getting back to humanness for years, but never had any data to back it up. This book is my missing data. I can't recommend this book highly enough. This should be mandatory reading in schools everywhere.
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  • オアシス
    5.0 out of 5 stars デジタル社会への警鐘
    Reviewed in Japan on May 6, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    これは、画期出来ないな本です。これまでのデジタル社会へ、疑念を社会は、感じ取り、新たな道を指し示したくれますの
    Report
  • John Fletcher
    5.0 out of 5 stars Horses for courses.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    For the first time in my life a few years ago, I had the experience of losing a piece of music. An opera, actually, that I had bought some years before on CD. The CD itself was in another country, and the ones and zeroes that it had turned into seemed to have vanished somewhere. No opera. Now of course in the days of LP records, you could lose discs (difficult but not impossible), they would warp and wear out, but at their best they were tactile, almost magical objects that required love and enthusiasm if they were to give of their best. Oh, and last year I found a Kindle book that I had no memory of buying, and several others that I had obviously abandoned half way through without realizing.
    Which is to say that digital is digital. Very good for some things (try taking my iPhone away) but less good for others. Cost-effective in some cases, but by no means always.
    The great virtue of David Sax's book is its even handed tone. The people he interviews generally love what they are doing with analogue, but they also have sound reasons for doing it. Analogue works better, is simpler, is more reliable, is more popular, is more profitable, or some mixture of the above. And the strangest thing, reserved for last, is that many in the technology industry revere analogue as well for certain purposes, no matter how much digital they use in their jobs.
    Now, let's hope I get my whiteboard and marker pens back when I teach next semester.....
    Report
  • Michelle Andor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
    Reviewed in Germany on August 22, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This book feels like a warm hug
    Report

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