Blockchain Chicken Farm

In Blockchain Chicken Farm, technologist and writer Xiaowei Wang embarks on a captivating exploration into the heart of rural China, uncovering the complex political and social webs woven by modern technology. Wang challenges the conventional belief that rural culture and people are backward, conservative, and intolerant. Instead, Wang reveals a rural China that not only embraces rapid globalisation but also drives technological innovation, influencing the very tools and applications that permeate our daily lives.

As Wang journeys through the countryside, they encounter pork farmers who utilise artificial intelligence to engineer the perfect pig, and they delve into the world of disruptive luxury counterfeits that intersect with the political landscapes of burgeoning e-commerce villages. Each discovery Wang makes unravels a new layer of the intricate ties between globalisation, technology, agriculture, and commerce, presenting these interactions in an unprecedented and thought-provoking manner. The book is peppered with humorous "Sinofuturist" recipes, showcasing meals that evolve under the influence of new technology, adding a unique and engaging lens through which to view these transformations.

Published under the FSG Originals × Logic series, the book dissects how technology operates within our everyday lives. Unlike the titans of Silicon Valley, who often fail to consider the broader implications of their utopian visions, Wang provides a grounded perspective on technology that includes its contradictions and innovative potential across various borders and socioeconomic divides. Recent threats to democracy, truth, privacy, and safety, exacerbated by the tech industry's relentless push for progress, underline the necessity of this counter-narrative.

In collaboration with FSG Originals, Wang’s work features four succinct yet powerful examinations into the many facets of the tech industry. These explorations aspire to ignite new conversations about technology, focusing on nuanced and accessible interpretations of emerging tools that are reorganising and redefining life today. Wang’s multidisciplinary approach ensures that Blockchain Chicken Farm is not just a book about technology; it's a profound journey into the heart of modern rural innovation, connectivity, and collaboration.