Player Piano takes place in a society where manufacturing has become so automated that people are effectively obsolete. The Elite in America now consist of engineers who run the machines. Everyone else is in the Army or on Road Crews. The main character is a Engineering Manager who begins to question whether all of the machines really benefit "the people", and whether he wants to continue in his profession. Written in the early 1950's, Vonnegut was forecasting the end of American manufacturing jobs. And while he did not predict the creation of the Information Industry which replaced some of those jobs, I must say we are moving towards a society of servants. The depicted society also has an air of happiness through government dictate, which I also feel America is drifting towards. Overall, I found the storyline interesting, particularly as an engineer with subversive tendencies. While reading this book my friend Sarah insisted I read Slaughterhouse-Five so I'm sure you will see a review for that in the next year.