Book · 2026 · Technology & Engineering
Rise of the Robots
Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future
Why people recommend it
Rise of the Robots is a sobering nonfiction book by Martin Ford that investigates automation, technological advancement, and the looming threat of mass unemployment. On The Book Review, host Pamela Paul and guest Barbara Ehrenreich dedicated an episode to discussing Ford's work alongside Craig Lambert's Shadow Work. Ehrenreich praised Martin Ford's book as one of the most concise and reasonably argued texts on the subject, noting that it systematically dismantles the notion that education alone serves as a sufficient solution to technological displacement. Paul summarized the core premise of the book, explaining that it confronts readers with the reality that paid jobs are disappearing in the face of artificial intelligence. Dave Rubin also engaged with these ideas on The Rubin Report, interviewing Ford about how advanced technology stands to displace a massive portion of the workforce. Together, these podcast discussions highlight the urgent warnings presented in the book regarding the future of labor in an increasingly automated world.
Who recommended it
- Pamela Paul Discussed
- Barbara Ehrenreich Discussed
- Dave Rubin Discussed
Pamela Paul — 4 mentions
“Barbara Aron Reich joins us to talk about her cover review of two new books rise of the robots and the shadow economy”
“she reviews on our cover this week two books rise of the robots technology and the threat of a jobless future by Martin Ford and Shadow work the unpaid unseen jobs that fill your day by Craig Lambert”
“so so that's Martin Ford's book rise of the robots which basically says your paid jobs are going away”
“when you read these two books together rise of the robots and Shadow work what did you come away with”
Barbara Ehrenreich — 2 mentions
“Martin Ford's book as far as I can see is one of the most concise reasonably argued of anything I've read on the subject”
“so that one undercurrent throughout this book is a reputation of the idea that education is a solution education in what”
Dave Rubin — 1 mention
“and then as you talked about in the book it's gonna put a lot of people out of work as well”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (5: passing, ad reads, own books)
“the books again are rise of the robots by Martin Ford and Shadow work by Craig Lambert”
“joining me today is the author of The New York Times bestseller rise of the robots technology and the threat of a jobless future Martin Ford”
“joining me today is the author of The New York Times bestseller rise of the robots technology and the threat of a jobless future Martin Ford”
“and that book did well enough that it led to an opportunity to write this book in 2015 which really got you know quite a bit of attention”
“I especially in this book rise of the robots I use the very broad meaning for that basically to mean anything that is automating something and taking over”