"Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book." - Cicero
It is something of a cliche that old men extol the glory of the past, but of course there are reasons for that; one is that they were young and glorious, and by so clearly relishing their youthful adventures in old age, they encourage the young to both boldness and caution: "Go, do great things, learn from harsh mistakes, but take care that you live to reap the rewards, as I did."
Another is that it takes time to learn that change is not the same as progress; not every step you take moves you forward. Mistakes get made, ego and profit overrule logic and practicality, and the best intentions lead to the same place they always have.
The Industrial Revolution never ended, it is just now trying to eat the last remnants of creative and independent thought; education, engineering, even pure science and medicine have been subjected to directives and funding limitations that skew results and allow unsupportable policies and processes to continue.
As a result, the advice you are given, the products you are sold, and the dogmas you are encouraged to believe are not for your benefit, but the benefit of those supplying (and profiting from) the goods.
But this is not an ideological project; the goal is not to change the world or start a revolution, unless it is in your heart and mind. This is about dealing with the world as it is, by having the knowledge, or at least asking the right questions, and it is going to start at the bottom.
I hope you enjoy reading this work as much as I have enjoyed creating it.