SupplementaryReadingAfterReadingDetailedReadingGlobalReadingBeforeReadingUnit6ThePaceofLifeOldFatherTimeBecomesaTerrorOnceuponatime,technology,wethought,wouldmakeourliveseasier.Machineswereexpectedtodoourworkforus,leavinguswithever-increasingquantitiesoftimetowasteawayonidlenessandpleasure.Butinsteadofliberatingus,technologyhasenslavedus.Innovationsareoccurringatabewilderingrate:asmanynowarriveinayearasoncearrivedinamillennium.Andaseachinventionarrives,iteatsfurtherintoourtime.RichardTomkinsSupplementaryReadingAfterReadingDetailedReadingGlobalReadingBeforeReadingUnit6ThePaceofLifeThemotorcar,forexample,promisedunimaginablelevelsofpersonalmobility.Butnow,trafficincitiesmovesmoreslowlythanitdidinthedaysofthehorse-drawncarriage,andwewasteourlivesstuckintrafficjams.Theaircraftpromisednewhorizons,too.Thetroubleis,itdeliveredthem.Itsveryexistencecreatedademandfortime-consumingjourneysthatwewouldneverpreviouslyhavedreamedofundertaking—thetransatlanticshoppingexpedition,forexample,orthetriptoaconventionontheothersideoftheworld.SupplementaryReadingAfterReadingDetailedReadingGlobalReadingBeforeReadingUnit6ThePaceofLifeInmostcases,technologyhasnotsavedtime,butenabledustodomorethings.Inthehome,washingmachinespromisedtofreewomenfromhavingtotoiloverthelaundry.Inreality,theyencouragedustochangeourclothesdailyinsteadofweekly,creatingseventimesasmuchwashingandironing.Similarly,theweeklybathhasbeenreplacedbythedailyshower,multiplyingthehoursspentonpersonalgrooming.SupplementaryReadingAfterReadingDetailedReadingGlobalReadingBeforeReadingUnit6ThePaceofLifeMeanwhile,technologyhasnotonlyallowedworktospreadintoourleisuretime—thelaptop-on-the-beachsyndrome—butaddedthenewburdenofdealingwithfaxes,e-mailsandvoicemails.IthasalsoprovideduswiththeopportunitytospendhoursfixingsoftwareglitchesonourpersonalcomputersorfillingourheadswithuselessinformationfromtheInternet.Technologyapart,theInternetpointsthewaytoasecondreasonwhywefeelsotime-pressed:theinformationexplosion.SupplementaryReadingAft...