The central theme of
The God That Limps
is that science and technology must be viewed in a broad social and political context. They are not simply neutral tools for solving problems, but are part and parcel of the structure of society, and this perspective is essential in understanding their social impacts.
is a provocative analysis of the role of science and technology in a world economy that has undergone fundamental changes in the past few years. Colin Norman, a journalist and former senior researcher with Worldwatch Institute, argues that the mounting problems confronting rich and poor countries alike make technological change more and more urgent. But at the same time, they make the social impact of new technology more complicated. Sponsored jointly by Worldwatch Institute and the United Nations Environment Programme,
challenges much of the conventional wisdom about science and technology. Norman demonstrates how the world’s $150 billion per year investment in research and development is more suited to the military needs of the fifties than to the social needs of the eighties, and he argues that current policies in countries such as the United States are making the situation worse.