Cory Doctorow 2 Books Collection Set: Enshittification & Reverse Centaur's Guide - Non Fiction - Hardback

Titles in This Set
The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence—Before It's Too Late
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It

Details
Condition: Brand New
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780374621568 (The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI), 9781836742227 (Enshittification)
Publisher: MCD, Verso

Overview
Cory Doctorow, the tech critic who coined the term "enshittification" and whose recent work has become a New York Times bestseller, tackles two of today's biggest tech stories in this brand-new two-book set. Enshittification explains why so many once-great online platforms have decayed into frustrating, exploitative versions of themselves, tracing the corporate incentives behind the decline. The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI cuts through hype and doom to offer a clear-eyed framework for who artificial intelligence really serves. Together, these sharp non-fiction reads equip readers to think critically about technology and power.

About the Books
This two-book collection brings together Cory Doctorow's most urgent recent non-fiction on technology and power, both released in 2025. Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It examines how platforms like social networks, search engines, and marketplaces start out serving users well, then gradually shift value toward business customers, and finally toward shareholders, degrading the experience for everyone along the way. Doctorow, a longtime internet activist and journalist, explains the mechanics behind this decline, from lock-in and monopoly power to the erosion of regulatory oversight, arguing the trend is reversible with the right policy and organizing. The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence—Before It's Too Late takes on the AI boom with the same clarity. Doctorow introduces the idea of the "reverse centaur" — a worker forced to serve a machine rather than one who uses a machine to work better — to describe how AI is often deployed to benefit employers and shareholders at the expense of workers and the public. Rather than treating AI as magic or an inevitable apocalypse, the book asks pointed questions about who the technology serves and who it exploits. Both titles combine Doctorow's plain-spoken style with rigorous research, making complex technology and economics accessible to general readers who want to understand today's tech headlines.

Key Benefits

• Two acclaimed non-fiction titles by bestselling tech critic Cory Doctorow in one bundle
• Explains the mechanics behind enshittification and the AI hype cycle
• Jargon-light writing that makes complex tech ideas easy to follow
• Great gift for tech-news readers and cultural commentary fans
• Brand new hardback copies, ready for shelf, office, or classroom
• Ideal for book clubs tackling technology and society

Book-by-Book Guide
The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI — Introduces the "reverse centaur" concept to explain who artificial intelligence really serves and who it leaves behind.
Enshittification — Traces how online platforms decay from useful to exploitative and lays out a roadmap for reversing the trend.

About the Author
Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, journalist, and technology activist based in Los Angeles. He is the author of numerous novels, including the Little Brother series, and non-fiction works on monopoly power and the internet, including Chokepoint Capitalism and The Internet Con. A former European director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, he co-founded the UK Open Rights Group and writes the Pluralistic newsletter. Doctorow coined the term "enshittification," and his recent books are required reading on the modern tech industry.

Why You'll Love This Set
This set pairs two of the sharpest, most talked-about tech books of the year, ideal for the reader tired of doomscrolling who wants real answers. Whether it's a birthday gift, a stocking stuffer for a tech-curious teen, or a pick for book club, these brand-new hardbacks spark conversation long after the last page.

Please Note: This is the UK edition with the ISBN as listed; the cover may vary slightly from the image shown.