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Summary: Are We Equal to the Challenge?
Review: Those who have already read The Art of the Long View no doubt share my high regard for the vision, precision, and eloquence which Peter Schwartz brings to subjects of special interest to him. They are once again in evidence (indeed in abundance) in this book which he co-authored with Peter Leyden and Joel Hyatt. Theirs is a shared vision of "the coming age of prosperity." What exactly does that mean? The answer is suggested in the Introduction: "The Long Boom is a positive meme about a better future. A meme is a contagious idea that can quickly spread around the world and influence what people think and do....The idea soon takes on a life of its own, out of anybody's control, flitting from computer host to computer host in an exponential expansion that spreads around the world....[The book] starts with the recognition that the world is faced with a historic opportunity. What we call the Long Boom -- the years from 1980 to 2020 --is a period of global transformation. No other age ever possessed the tools or the knowledge to do what we can do today." From the authors' perspective, what they call the Long Boom is half in the past and half in the future. "We refer to the Long Boom in both senses throughout the book."There are four Parts followed by an Afterword. Part I Track the Inevitable (ie major developments in technology, economics and politics) Part II The Politics of the Long Boom (ie how to overcome "looming political problems") Part III The Engines of the Twenty-First Century (ie technologies which can help to preserve the environment) Part IV Birth of a Global Civilization (ie creation of a new middle class amidst fundamental global changes) In the forward-thinking Afterword, the authors reaffirm their faith in the almost unlimited potentialities of the Long Boom IF the human race can somehow avoid committing planetary suicide. They are emphatically NOT misty-eyed visionaries; on the contrary, they seem most comfortable when addressing harsh realities such as territorial "politics" which, if permitted, can result in the Long Whimper. Among their objectives is to provide "a starting point for an ongoing global conversation about how everyone can take advantage of the great potential of our era and create a better world." The observations shared are anchored in the real-world; the suggestions offered are practical and do-able. If for whatever reasons the human race is unwilling and/or unable to fulfill the promise of the Long Boom, who to blame? According to Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us." Schwartz, Leyden & Hyatt would perhaps reply, "OK but so what? There's still time. There's still hope. We have everything we need. Let's work together on a global basis. It won't be easy but we can do it. We really can." How? This brilliant book answers that question. Better yet, it explains why. Those whose minds and hearts are nourished by this book should also check out Natural Capitalism (Hawken, Lovins & Lovins) and Holding On to Reality (Borgmann) which address many of the same issues but from somewhat different perspectives.
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Summary: Great prophets of our time!
Review: Well, these guys pretty much had it all down. The nation-state is dead! We're all living in one big, friendly wired community! The Dow will keep rising, minus some small bumps! The gap between rich and poor will narrow! The information economy will make us all live longer! And -- hey, that plane is flying awfully close to the World Trade Cent.. -- oh, never mind. Just put on your virtual-reality goggles, and keep on buying stocks. Everything's gonna be great.
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