The Innovation Delusion

The Innovation Delusion: How Our Obsession with the New Has Disrupted the Work that Matters Most is a book by historians of technology Lee Vinsel and Andrew L. Russell that was published in 2020. It explores how the ideology of change for its own sake has proven a disaster. It draws on the story of how society has devalued the work that underpins modern life, and shifted focus away from the pursuit of growth at all costs and back toward neglected activities like maintenance, care, and upkeep.

Overview
The book begins with Vinsel and Russell's criticism of innovation today, more specifically "innovation speak". They make an effort to distinguish "innovation" from "innovation speak", noting that "innovation-speak" as a buzzword that tech companies are using to try and convince consumers to buy technology to rely on rather than a technology we use and need. They write "Unlike actual innovation, which is tangible, measurable, and much less common, innovation-speak is a sales pitch about a future that doesn't exist yet." They list examples of innovation such as: electric power, reinforced concrete, and synthetic materials like Teflon and neoprene.

Vinsel and Russell continue the rest of the book emphasizing in order to have a prosperous society, we need to make sure all citizens have access to basic goods, including modern infrastructure, resources and care. They attempt to raise awareness about the need for maintenance, repair, and care of what we already have in this world, both living and inanimate.

Throughout the book the authors lays out several precedents where lack of maintenance, repair and care has caused immeasurable harm to human life. One example they give is the FIU pedestrian bridge that existed until 2018. The bridge acclaimed for its innovation would later collapse onto the road beneath it.

Critical reception
Sara Holder, critic for the Library Journal, noted that "Vinsel and Russell’s observations make a compelling counterpoint to the innovation mania that has dominated this decade". Kirkus Reviews describes it as "A refreshing, cogently argued book that will hopefully make the rounds at Facebook, Google, Apple et al."