The Long Boom - Hardcover

Schwartz, Peter; Leyden, Peter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0738200743 ISBN 13: 9780738200743

Publisher: Perseus Books, 1999

Synopsis

A powerful vision of how converging technological, economic, political, and social forces are shaping our world and our future and how our choices today can lead to a new age of prosperity.. The Washington Post called The Long Boom "a future-history and a challenge"-and that is exactly what it is: the story of the world's future, powered by emerging technologies, and a political vision that can help realize an era of unprecedented growth and opportunity. The Long Boom urges everyone to recognize that global prosperity, a sustainable environment, broad social progress, and even radically extended lifespans are very possible-if not probable-in the 20 years to come. }As we stand at the threshold of the new millennium, the future seems both exhilarating and terrifying. Does it hold great promise of freedom and opportunity or the threat of conflict and inequality? In the tradition of such in fluential and defining books as Future Shock and Megatrends , Peter Schwartz, Peter Leyden, and Joel Hyatt argue in The Long Boom that we are, in fact, on the verge of a global economic expansion on a scale never before experiencedand that the choices we make as informed individuals, institutions, communities, and nations today will determine whether that vision is realized. Analyzing economic, political, technological and socio-cultural trends that began to converge in the early 1980s, the authors offer a compellingand highly plausiblevision of how the next twenty years will unfold. By 2020, we can expect to experience tremendous advances in now-emerging technologies; widespread adoption of alternative energy sources; increased productivity; and, perhaps most important, the creation of a truly global economy. Going beyond a description of this scenario, the authors identify potential bumps in the road and urge educators, policy makers, business leaders, social activists, and individuals in all types of organizations to participate in the politics of the long boom, the realm where people come together to pool resources and solve common problems. Grand in scope but intensely personal in scale, The Long Boom shows us all how to take an active role in creating a vibrant, diverse, constantly learning, and sustainable global society. }

About this title

Review

Thanks to various technological, fiscal and political revolutions that reshaped our world over the past two decades, some observers believe the new millennium will offer opportunities for economic expansion that rival any previously recorded. The Long Boom is a fascinating attempt to pin down this potential upsurge by combining a shrewd examination of where we've been headed for the last 20 years with a plausible forecast of where, with a bit of good fortune and tenacity, we might be going during the next 20. Moreover, its unique mixture of germane facts and figures with supportable projections and original storytelling techniques--most notably a letter to friends sent once a decade by a fictional observer born in 1960--make it as readable as it is provocative.

Originating as an article in Wired magazine, the optimistic scenario envisioned by authors Peter Schwartz (chairman of a think tank/consulting firm), Peter Leyden (a technology, economics and political journalist) and Joel Hyatt (a Stanford entrepreneurship professor who co-founded the legal services firm bearing his name) integrates existing and potential technological advancements, financial developments, political upheavals and social movements. Among its predictions are formulation of a "glass pipeline" that seamlessly tracks manufacturing and production processes, creation of a volunteer Global Corps to aid developing nations, the dawning of a true Space Age, and birth of a unified worldwide society with "well-off people who share certain values that are transcending borders." The account is highly recommended for everyone concerned with, yet hopeful about, the future. --Howard Rothman, Amazon.com

Review

A very interesting read, especially as it has its feet firmly rooted on the ground but still aims sky high. -- M2 Best Books, January 26, 2001

The Long Boom is not only a perceptive commentary on the economic changes of the past two decades, but distils the essential elements needed for sustained global prosperity. The book will help us all interpret the significance of unfolding events and chart a course for policy makers. It is scenario planning at its best - revealing, holistic and provocative. -- Michael E. Porter, Professor, Harvard Business School

The Long Boom provides a compelling and optimistic vision of the world's future. It is a brilliant and fresh commentary on the prosperous future that is ours to shape as we enter the new millennium. -- Robert D. Hormats, Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs

Edition details

• Publisher: Perseus Books
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0738200743
• ISBN 13: 9780738200743
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352