Book Description

War, porn and fast food - these are three of the most maligned facets of our civilization, and rightly so - war is responsible for untold human suffering and death; porn is often deemed responsible for everything from marital infidelity to the erosion of society's morals; and fast food, meanwhile, is frequently blamed for rising obesity levels, not to mention the increasing uniformity and blandness of western culture. So why celebrate them? Well, according to Peter Nowak, if it wasn't for war, porn and fast food, we might all still be living in caves.

Sex, Bombs and Burgers is a pacy, accessible history of technology based on fascinating research into the histories of all three industries and including extensive interviews with inventors, experts, academics, executives and commentators. It is also a chronicle of popular culture, chock-full of surprising 'fancy that?' moments. From cars to high-definition televisions, from website logins to microwave popcorn and slinkies, it reveals how our everyday lives have been shaped - hopefully for the most part indirectly - by war, porn and fast food.

About Peter Nowak: Peter Nowak writes about technology for various media outlets around the world and is currently the senior science and technology reporter for CBC News Online. His writing has appeared in many of the world's top newspapers, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The South China Morning Post and The Boston Globe. He has also interviewed technology giants including Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Virgin Group chairman Sir Richard Branson and the inventor of the Internet, Vinton Cerf. Novak has worked in New Zealand and still has strong professional ties there. In 2006 the Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand named him the technology journalist of the year. According to Tim Murphy, editor in chief, of The New Zealand Herald, 'Peter Nowak is a journalist's journalist - quick, sceptical, brave, exacting and hungry for answers.'