Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsWelcome to a better world
Reviewed in India on 17 February 2016
ABUNDANCE - The Future Is Better Than You Think : Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler
We’ve all read enough books written by the prophets of doom on how we are running out of water, clean air , not enough food for the 9 billion people that inhabit the earth…glum tomes written by economists of diverse political orientation – telling us what is wrong with the world and whom to blame. This is an industry in itself with one book hitting the book stores every month.
Enter Peter Diamandis – the space innovation pioneer and Steven Kotler, the science writer. They take us thru some amazing technologies like Robotics, Digital Manufacturing, Synthetic Biology and other exponentially growing technologies and sociological trends – like the new age philanthropists, the DIY innovators and show us solutions (and some WIP solutions) that will ensure that we will have a world of abundance in the not so distant future in the areas of energy, education, health care and freedom.
I’ve not heard of either Diamandis – the space innovator or Steven Kotler, the Science writer before since my reading on science and technology is very limited. Their writing is compelling and their arguments are flawless. Quoting from the past – they convince us by the end of the book that unlike before – in today’s connected and networked world – change will happen and will happen faster.
The book takes us thru esoteric technologies and how it will impact us in our day to day living and benefit the poorest of the poor. At times, you get a feeling that the solutions and its positive impact has been oversimplified….
The book has a strong argument that once technologies which are originally very expensive ( think LED), over a period of time given economies of production and wide-spread usage – become really affordable to all. The benefits of science and technology (and also changes in society) will spread to the far corners of the world thru advanced communication technology which has already hit rock bottom in pricing.
The examples and the data are interesting. I
Overall a heady cocktail of ideas and propositions. The book is an interesting canvas and at the intersection of social sciences and technology. Some books set you thinking – and this is one such book. You end the book feeling optimistic about the future….about how many books can you say that?
