Designed to Fail

Have you ever felt that your appliances break down exactly the day after the warranty expires? In "Designed to Fail," investigative journalist Oliver Banks traces the history of "Planned Obsolescence" from a conspiracy theory to a standard business practice.



Banks starts with the infamous "Phoebus Cartel" of the 1920s, where lightbulb manufacturers colluded to reduce the lifespan of bulbs from 2,500 hours to 1,000 hours to sell more units. He moves to the Dupont nylon stockings that were "too durable" and had to be weakened, and finally to the modern era of glued-in smartphone batteries and software updates that slow down older devices.



The book analyzes the economic logic behind this wastefulness—our economy requires constant consumption to grow. However, Banks also highlights the "Right to Repair" movement and the backlash against disposable culture. It is a shocking look at how engineers are often paid to make things worse, not better, and what this means for the future of our planet.