The Patient Art of Opposing Entropy

January 17, 2026

TL;DR

Stewart Brand, known for the Whole Earth Catalog and the Long Now Foundation, explores the concept of maintenance in his book "Maintenance of Everything, Part One."
Maintenance is presented as a patient art of opposing entropy and keeping faith with the world.
Military examples, such as tank maintenance in the Egypt-Israel war, highlight the critical role of repair in conflict.
Effective maintenance begins with design, emphasizing sustainable upkeep and ease of repair, as seen in the AK-47 and Honoré Blanc's standardized rifle parts.
The book contrasts the bespoke nature of early Rolls-Royces with the repair-friendly Ford Model T.
Brand's book is a collaborative project, with chapters workshopped publicly and reader comments included in the printed edition.
Examples from the Golden Globe Race show different approaches to sailboat design and maintenance, with varied outcomes.
The article suggests that how we approach maintenance reflects our willingness to commit to caring for things and people.

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