Stewart Brand, Silicon Valley’s Favorite Prophet, on Life’s Most Important Principle

In this episode of The Ezra Klein Show, host Ezra Klein interviews Stewart Brand, the visionary behind the Whole Earth Catalog and a central figure in the countercultural and technological movements of the 1960s and 70s. Brand reflects on his life’s work, from the idealism of the Back to the Land movement to the creation of one of the first digital-age information hubs. The conversation centers on his latest book, *The Maintenance of Everything*, which reframes maintenance not as a chore but as a profound, even spiritual, practice of care—both for objects and people. Drawing on stories from his life on a 1912 wooden tugboat, the contrast between the Ford Model T and Rolls-Royce, and the rise of AI, Brand argues that modern technology has increasingly removed us from the intimate, hands-on relationship with the tools we use. He warns that as systems become more opaque—especially with AI and proprietary software—our ability to maintain, repair, and truly own our tools is eroding. Yet he finds hope in the growing right-to-repair movement and the democratizing power of online knowledge, like YouTube tutorials and iFixit. Klein and Brand also explore how maintenance connects to parenting, care work, and the very fabric of civilization, suggesting that a culture of care and stewardship is essential for a sustainable future. The episode ends with Brand recommending three foundational books that embody the Enlightenment values of open knowledge, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.