Gremlineers - Why Things Don't Last Like They Used To (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798255615322)

Things aren't breaking by accident - they're breaking on schedule.
Gremlineers - Why Things Don't Last Like They Used To exposes the hidden industry tactics that quietly drain your wallet, shorten product lifespans, and limit your freedom as a consumer.

From appliances that mysteriously die right after the warranty ends, to tractors farmers can't repair without paying corporate gatekeepers, to printers that sabotage third-party ink, cars that rent you your own heated seats, fast fashion that falls apart in weeks, and subscription-based software that becomes obsolete overnight - this book pulls the curtain back on the modern practice of planned obsolescence.

You'll learn:

- The real history behind engineered product failure, including the infamous light-bulb conspiracy.
- How appliances, tools, vehicles, printers, clothing, furniture, software, AI, and streaming services are deliberately designed for shorter life and greater dependency.
- The psychological, financial, and environmental costs engineered into today's goods.
- The corporate "steelman" arguments, and how they fall apart under scrutiny.
- How consumers, farmers, technicians, and activists are fighting back through Right-to-Repair, open-source tools, smart buying, and long-life design.
- Practical steps you can take today to avoid traps, buy smarter, and build a personal ecosystem that lasts.

This book is your survival manual for a world where corporations quietly decide how long your belongings will function, and what it will cost you when they don't.

Equip yourself with the knowledge to recognize the tricks, resist the schemes, and reclaim your independence from the gremlineers.