Drawing together developments in religion philosophy art technology fashion and finance Mark C. Taylor presents an original and rich account of a great paradox of our times: how the very forces and technologies that were supposed to free us by saving time and labor now trap us in a race we can never win. The faster we go the less time we have and the more we try to catch up the farther behind we fall. <br><br><br><br><br>Connecting our speed-obsession with today's global capitalism Taylor composes a grand narrative showing how commitments to economic growth and extreme competition combined with accelerating technological innovation have brought us close to disaster. Psychologically environmentally economically and culturally speed is taking a profound toll on our lives.