Stewart Brand's New Book 'Maintenance' Reveals the Cornerstone of Civilization and the Future of Tech

TITLE: Stewart Brand’s New Book ‘Maintenance’ Reveals the Cornerstone of Civilization and the Future of Tech SLUG: stewart-brand-maintenance-civilization CATEGORY: dev EXCERPT: Tech legend Stewart Brand positions maintenance as the ‘core of civilization’ in his new book. He offers insights for the sustainability of our technological society, urging a reevaluation from development to infrastructure management. TAGS: Stewart Brand, Maintenance, Technology, Civilization, Book Review IMAGE_KEYWORDS: book, technology, maintenance, civilization, Stewart Brand, library, future, repair

Why Is Maintenance Now Called the “Core of Civilization”?

As reported by MIT Technology Review on April 17, 2026, tech legend Stewart Brand has released a new book, Maintenance: Of Everything, Part One. This book is the first in a series that aims to “comprehensively outline the importance of maintenance in civilization” and is far more than a simple guide to repair and upkeep. Brand redefines maintenance as a philosophical and practical activity that underpins the sustainability of all systems, offering answers to the challenges faced by modern technological society.

A thinker who has led both counterculture and cyberculture since the 1960s, Brand has long spoken about the impacts of the environment and technology. His perspective offers a challenge to the tech industry’s current obsession with rapid innovation. This article delves into the background of this new book, examining why maintenance is being re-evaluated in the contexts of development and infrastructure management, and its impact on the industry.

Who Is Stewart Brand: From Counterculture to Cyberculture

Stewart Brand is an American thinker, author, and entrepreneur best known for founding the Whole Earth Catalog in the 1960s. This catalog fused environmentalism with technology, providing resources for individuals and communities aiming for self-sufficiency. Brand advocated that the Earth should be perceived “as a whole,” influencing the subsequent environmental movement and computer culture.

His career has crossed the boundaries between high-tech and low-tech. In the 1970s, he was involved in the early development of computer graphics at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). In the 1980s, he contributed to popularizing ARPANET, the precursor to the internet. Furthermore, in the 1990s, he co-founded the company Interval Research, pioneering the development of digital cameras. From this diverse experience, Brand has cultivated a perspective that views technology not merely as a tool, but as part of ecological and social systems.

His new book, Maintenance: Of Everything, can be seen as the culmination of this thinking. It positions maintenance as “the stewardship of civilization,” focusing not just on technological innovation, but on building a sustainable society.

Redefining Maintenance: From Repair to Civilization’s Stewardship

Traditionally, maintenance has often been trivialized as simply “fixing what’s broken.” However, in his book, Brand defines maintenance as “the process of keeping a system in its intended state and ensuring its continued function,” arguing for its importance from multiple angles. For example, this includes the following perspectives:

• Technological Sustainability: Software updates, security patches, and hardware refreshes are not mere chores; they are acts that extend the lifespan of digital infrastructure. Even for cloud services and AI systems, without maintenance, data corruption and algorithmic degradation will occur.
• Maintaining Social Systems: The maintenance of infrastructure like roads, bridges, and power grids supports the foundation of civilization. Brand points out that these often become “invisible” and argues for the need to make maintenance visible.
• Harmony with Ecosystems: Considering environmental issues, maintenance is linked to recycling and upcycling. In the tech industry, designs that extend product lifespan (such as modular smartphones like the Fairphone) are gaining attention.

Brand reappraises maintenance as a “creative activity.” Actions such as developers refactoring code or engineers modernizing legacy systems are also included in the broad definition of maintenance. This resonates with the philosophies of DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE).

Impact on the Tech Industry: The Rise of the Maintenance Economy

Brand’s book has the potential to usher in a new trend in the tech industry. While the industry currently tends to be engrossed in new technologies like AI and blockchain, a renewed recognition of maintenance’s importance could trigger a shift in investments and skill sets.

Let’s look at specific examples. In the field of security, regular maintenance prevents vulnerabilities. The large-scale cloud service outage in 2025 was reportedly caused by insufficient updates to old software. In the semiconductor industry, maintenance during the chip manufacturing process dictates quality. Companies like ASML invest enormous resources into maintaining extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment.

Furthermore, maintenance can also create jobs. Alongside traditional development roles, demand for experts in system monitoring, database optimization, and infrastructure management is expected to rise. According to Gartner’s prediction, by 2027, over 30% of enterprise IT budgets will be spent on maintenance and operations.

Brand calls for viewing maintenance as an “investment” rather than a “cost.” A cultural shift that prioritizes long-term sustainability over short-term profit pursuit is necessary.

Practical Examples of Maintenance in Action

• Software Development: Maintaining code is a challenge in open-source projects. A GitHub survey found that 40% of projects are abandoned due to lack of maintenance. Brand’s perspective suggests that developers should spend time not just on “new features” but also on “improving existing code.”
• Hardware Design: Apple products are known for being difficult to repair, but recently the company has been improving maintainability as part of its environmental goals. Examples include the modularization of MacBooks and the expansion of the Self Service Repair program.
• Infrastructure Management: Tokyo’s subway system has operated safely for over 50 years thanks to regular maintenance. This is a prime example of the “stewardship of civilization” that Brand advocates.

Future Outlook: The Pervasiveness of a Maintenance Culture

Brand’s book symbolizes the maturation of technological society. As we transition from an era of innovation to one focused on optimizing existing systems and ensuring sustainability, the value of maintenance will only grow. Future developments are expected to include:

• Changes in Education: Maintenance skills will be incorporated into curricula at universities and vocational training programs. For instance, certification programs for SRE and DevOps will expand.
• Influence on Policy: Governments and international organizations will strengthen standards for infrastructure maintenance. The EU’s Digital Markets Act, for example, has already begun mandating long-term software support.
• Technological Evolution: AI-powered predictive maintenance, which automates upkeep, will become widespread. For instance, GE’s aircraft engines already use systems that analyze sensor data to predict failures.

Brand positions maintenance as an “investment in the future” and urges readers to rebuild a culture that “values things.” If the tech industry embraces this message, we will take a significant step toward realizing a more sustainable digital society.

FAQ

Q: What is the main theme of Stewart Brand’s new book, Maintenance: Of Everything? A: This book redefines maintenance not as a mere act of repair, but as a core activity essential for sustaining and advancing civilization as a whole. It discusses the sustainability of technology, social systems, the environment, and everything else from multiple angles, and includes a critique of our current innovation-obsessed culture.

Q: Why is maintenance gaining importance in the tech industry now? A: Behind rapid technological advancement, the complexity and aging of systems have become pressing issues. To prevent security risks, infrastructure decay, and environmental burdens, sustainable development that does not neglect maintenance is required. Moreover, with the proliferation of AI and cloud computing, the stable operation of systems directly impacts business outcomes.

Q: Who is Stewart Brand, and how credible is this book? A: He is a legend in the technology industry and a thinker who has led both counterculture and cyberculture since the 1960s. He is known as the founder of the Whole Earth Catalog and has long spoken about the impacts of the environment and technology. Authoritative media like MIT Technology Review have published reviews, which speaks to the high credibility of the content.