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From the Publisher
Praise for Maintenance: Of Everything
A deliciously good book.
“Stewart Brand makes a persuasive case that keeping the human show on the road through well-planned maintenance is as vital and as fascinating a task as innovation and discovery themselves—and that it is, in itself, an art as much as a craft. A deliciously good book.”
—Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist
Reframes our worldview with a new perspective.
“You may not imagine you would be interested in rust, Soviet tanks, or tricked-out Model Ts—that is, until Brand reexamines them through the lens of maintenance. He draws you in with tales of heroism and tragedy, brilliant foresight and deep stupidity. Maintenance: Of Everything will change the way you look at everything. It is destined to be a classic.”
—Danny Hillis, cofounder of Applied Invention
A masterful journey through the world of the fixers.
“No one inspires long-term thinking better than Stewart Brand, and he is in top form with this exploration into what it takes to make things last. Brand masterfully takes us on a journey through the world of the fixers keeping the gears of civilization rolling. If you’re the kind of person who wants to know why things break and how to stop it, you should read this book.”
—Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit
An instant classic.
“Civilization is maintenance. No one else but Stewart Brand is talking about the art and science of maintenance and how to do it well. This will be an instant classic.”
—Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of Wired
The tool that empowers all tools.
“Stewart Brand is back with a manifesto on maintenance, the tool that empowers all tools. Preventative maintenance, deferred maintenance, and emergency maintenance: this much-needed, no-nonsense treatise illuminates the difference, and why it counts.”
—George Dyson, author of Darwin Among the Machines and Turing’s Cathedral
I became a quiet hero of relentless sustainment.
“What a splendid book to read while fixing an old house. I stopped moaning and whining and became a quiet hero of relentless ‘sustainment.’”
—Bruce Sterling, author and editor of Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology
About the author
Stewart Brand is the cofounder and president of The Long Now Foundation and cofounder of Global Business Network, the Hackers Conference, and the WELL. He created and edited the National Book Award-winning Whole Earth Catalog from 1968 to 1998. His books include The Media Lab (1987), How Buildings Learn (1994), The Clock of the Long Now (1999), and Whole Earth Discipline (2009). He was the subject of the documentary We Are As Gods (2020). He graduated from Stanford with a degree in biology and served as an infantry officer in the US Army.
About the publisher
Stripe Press publishes ideas for progress in science, technology, and economics. Our collection includes new ideas from emerging and established thinkers and industry leaders, as well as reimagined editions of enduring works. We curate our titles for a global audience of builders and practitioners who are shaping the future of policy and industry.
Stripe Press is based in South San Francisco, with team members across the US and in London. We are a part of the programmable financial services company Stripe.
Recent titles by Stripe Press:
- The Origins of Efficiency by Brian Potter
- The Scaling Era by Dwarkesh Patel with Gavin Leech
- Boom by Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber
About the author
Customers say
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Entertaining Up Until Boomer FUD
Top reviews from the United States
Maintenance explained well
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2026One person found this helpful15% maintenance, the rest is business or war strategy.
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 202613 people found this helpfulThe Quiet Power of Maintenance
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 202619 people found this helpful
Top reviews from other countries
- Hermunen
The why of maintenance
Reviewed in Germany on July 28, 2026 - Honest Mike's Reviews
Worth reading
Reviewed in Canada on June 2, 2026 - Alastair McIntosh
I thank Stewart Brand for his life's service, from Whole Earth Review to this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2026 - Amazon Customer
Enjoyable reading
Reviewed in Australia on June 17, 2026
