Through a detailed case study of the consequences of charisma—particularly the performativity of such projects, the treacherous allure of nostalgic design, and the catch-22 that short-term funding and performance expectations create—this book offers those interested in technology-heavy educational reform or development projects a way to recognize charisma, to either harness or resist it. Likewise, it offers technologists a means to critically assess the utopian promises that circulate not just in reform projects such as OLPC but across Silicon Valley more generally.
