Author: Jan Vijg
Publisher: Algora Publishing
ISBN: 0875868878
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
La 4ème de couv. indique : "Most people would characterize the dawn of the 21st century as the age of technological progress par excellence. If you are one of them, then, think again. While our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents witnessed life-changing inventions every decade, very little major new technology has seen the light of day over the last half century. We find ourselves in the midst of a technology slowdown! This book is about the causes and consequences of technology slowdowns, which are not unique but recurrent events in human history. They occur not in times of upheaval, when violent interstate conflicts are the order of the day. Such periods foster innovation and allow major, breakthrough inventions to be adopted quickly. Instead, innovation seriously stalls in times that are peaceful, when governments reign supreme and citizens are encapsulated by layers of benign regulation to protect them against all possible harm. We find ourselves in the best of times. The long period of bloody combat that characterized so much of the 20th century has finally ended. Violent conflicts between states are minimal and conditions for almost everyone on the planet are on an upswing, with poverty on the decline and life expectancy and literacy increasing. Responsible government and industry leaders have begun to refrain from risky bets on exciting new exploits and the time of grand projects, such as the Eisenhower Interstate System, the Moon Landing Program or the development of the internet is behind us. Instead, we have to make do with incremental improvements of existing technology, catch-up programs in developing countries and social programs. The consequences are stalling wealth generation and an end to the dramatic changes society has undergone since the industrial revolution now more than 200 years ago. The book is intended for an educated, general audience. It provides basic information about the process of invention, the current status of major areas of technology development and the reasons for a decline in progress. An important part of the book is a discussion of the intricate relationship of humans with technology, how technology gave rise to the first successful human societies and the factors that time and again determined why technology would flourish and why it would stall."
The American Technological Challenge
Author: Jan Vijg
Publisher: Algora Publishing
ISBN: 0875868878
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
La 4ème de couv. indique : "Most people would characterize the dawn of the 21st century as the age of technological progress par excellence. If you are one of them, then, think again. While our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents witnessed life-changing inventions every decade, very little major new technology has seen the light of day over the last half century. We find ourselves in the midst of a technology slowdown! This book is about the causes and consequences of technology slowdowns, which are not unique but recurrent events in human history. They occur not in times of upheaval, when violent interstate conflicts are the order of the day. Such periods foster innovation and allow major, breakthrough inventions to be adopted quickly. Instead, innovation seriously stalls in times that are peaceful, when governments reign supreme and citizens are encapsulated by layers of benign regulation to protect them against all possible harm. We find ourselves in the best of times. The long period of bloody combat that characterized so much of the 20th century has finally ended. Violent conflicts between states are minimal and conditions for almost everyone on the planet are on an upswing, with poverty on the decline and life expectancy and literacy increasing. Responsible government and industry leaders have begun to refrain from risky bets on exciting new exploits and the time of grand projects, such as the Eisenhower Interstate System, the Moon Landing Program or the development of the internet is behind us. Instead, we have to make do with incremental improvements of existing technology, catch-up programs in developing countries and social programs. The consequences are stalling wealth generation and an end to the dramatic changes society has undergone since the industrial revolution now more than 200 years ago. The book is intended for an educated, general audience. It provides basic information about the process of invention, the current status of major areas of technology development and the reasons for a decline in progress. An important part of the book is a discussion of the intricate relationship of humans with technology, how technology gave rise to the first successful human societies and the factors that time and again determined why technology would flourish and why it would stall."
Publisher: Algora Publishing
ISBN: 0875868878
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
La 4ème de couv. indique : "Most people would characterize the dawn of the 21st century as the age of technological progress par excellence. If you are one of them, then, think again. While our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents witnessed life-changing inventions every decade, very little major new technology has seen the light of day over the last half century. We find ourselves in the midst of a technology slowdown! This book is about the causes and consequences of technology slowdowns, which are not unique but recurrent events in human history. They occur not in times of upheaval, when violent interstate conflicts are the order of the day. Such periods foster innovation and allow major, breakthrough inventions to be adopted quickly. Instead, innovation seriously stalls in times that are peaceful, when governments reign supreme and citizens are encapsulated by layers of benign regulation to protect them against all possible harm. We find ourselves in the best of times. The long period of bloody combat that characterized so much of the 20th century has finally ended. Violent conflicts between states are minimal and conditions for almost everyone on the planet are on an upswing, with poverty on the decline and life expectancy and literacy increasing. Responsible government and industry leaders have begun to refrain from risky bets on exciting new exploits and the time of grand projects, such as the Eisenhower Interstate System, the Moon Landing Program or the development of the internet is behind us. Instead, we have to make do with incremental improvements of existing technology, catch-up programs in developing countries and social programs. The consequences are stalling wealth generation and an end to the dramatic changes society has undergone since the industrial revolution now more than 200 years ago. The book is intended for an educated, general audience. It provides basic information about the process of invention, the current status of major areas of technology development and the reasons for a decline in progress. An important part of the book is a discussion of the intricate relationship of humans with technology, how technology gave rise to the first successful human societies and the factors that time and again determined why technology would flourish and why it would stall."
The American Technological Challenge
Author: Jan Vijg
Publisher: Algora Publishing
ISBN: 087586886X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 261
Book Description
The American Technological Challenge - Stagnation and Decline in the 21st Centuryrefutes the myth that we live in the most innovative of times. Inventions themselves are only one of the factors that determine the technological fate of a society. Sometimes, inventions are adopted, and eagerly; sometimes not. The history of technological progress, and the historical and societal factors that impel or restrain the adoption of inventions, are explored in the book. New, life-changing inventions have become rare and in spite of ample vocal support of innovation, an increasingly complacent society has lost its taste for risk and often actively resists change. Far from being unique, technology slowdowns are recurrent events in history, occurring in civilizations that have reached the zenith of their success. They are the inevitable fate of an increasingly regulated, successful society. Most people would characterize the dawn of the 21st century as the age of technological progress par excellence. If you are one of them, then, think again. While our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents witnessed life-changing inventions every decade, very little major new technology has seen the light of day over the last half century. We find ourselves in the midst of a technology slowdown! This book is about the causes and consequences of technology slowdowns, which are not unique but recurrent events in human history. They occur not in times of upheaval, when violent interstate conflicts are the order of the day. Such periods foster innovation and allow major, breakthrough inventions to be adopted quickly. Instead, innovation seriously stalls in times that are peaceful, when governments reign supreme and citizens are encapsulated by layers of benign regulation to protect them against all possible harm. We find ourselves in the best of times. The long period of bloody combat that characterized so much of the 20th century has finally ended. Violent conflicts between states are minimal and conditions for almost everyone on the planet are on an upswing, with poverty on the decline and life expectancy and literacy increasing. Responsible government and industry leaders have begun to refrain from risky bets on exciting new exploits and the time of grand projects, such as the Eisenhower Interstate System, the Moon Landing Program or the development of the internet is behind us. Instead, we have to make do with incremental improvements of existing technology, catch-up programs in developing countries and social programs. The consequences are stalling wealth generation and an end to the dramatic changes society has undergone since the industrial revolution now more than 200 years ago.
Publisher: Algora Publishing
ISBN: 087586886X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 261
Book Description
The American Technological Challenge - Stagnation and Decline in the 21st Centuryrefutes the myth that we live in the most innovative of times. Inventions themselves are only one of the factors that determine the technological fate of a society. Sometimes, inventions are adopted, and eagerly; sometimes not. The history of technological progress, and the historical and societal factors that impel or restrain the adoption of inventions, are explored in the book. New, life-changing inventions have become rare and in spite of ample vocal support of innovation, an increasingly complacent society has lost its taste for risk and often actively resists change. Far from being unique, technology slowdowns are recurrent events in history, occurring in civilizations that have reached the zenith of their success. They are the inevitable fate of an increasingly regulated, successful society. Most people would characterize the dawn of the 21st century as the age of technological progress par excellence. If you are one of them, then, think again. While our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents witnessed life-changing inventions every decade, very little major new technology has seen the light of day over the last half century. We find ourselves in the midst of a technology slowdown! This book is about the causes and consequences of technology slowdowns, which are not unique but recurrent events in human history. They occur not in times of upheaval, when violent interstate conflicts are the order of the day. Such periods foster innovation and allow major, breakthrough inventions to be adopted quickly. Instead, innovation seriously stalls in times that are peaceful, when governments reign supreme and citizens are encapsulated by layers of benign regulation to protect them against all possible harm. We find ourselves in the best of times. The long period of bloody combat that characterized so much of the 20th century has finally ended. Violent conflicts between states are minimal and conditions for almost everyone on the planet are on an upswing, with poverty on the decline and life expectancy and literacy increasing. Responsible government and industry leaders have begun to refrain from risky bets on exciting new exploits and the time of grand projects, such as the Eisenhower Interstate System, the Moon Landing Program or the development of the internet is behind us. Instead, we have to make do with incremental improvements of existing technology, catch-up programs in developing countries and social programs. The consequences are stalling wealth generation and an end to the dramatic changes society has undergone since the industrial revolution now more than 200 years ago.
The american challenge
Author: Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber
Publisher: Versilio
ISBN: 2361321068
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
"The signs and instruments of power are no longer armed legions or raw materials or capital... The wealth we seek does not lie in the earth or in numbers of men or in machines, but in the human spirit. And particularly in the ability of men to think and to create.' -- Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber in his international bestseller, The American Challenge. The American Challenge was 50 years ahead of its time in its appraisal of Europe, industrialization, the global economy and digital future, and the sclerosis of French politics. A new generation of French and Europeans can now rediscover it and take measure of all that still remains to be accomplished to bring to fruition the post-war European dream. "The world we live in is very much the world Servan-Schreiber imagined,' Professor Paul Krugman writes in his preface to this ebook edition, further adding that "JJSS was an incredibly insightful prophet.' With its radically new economic and political vision, The American Challenge was a bestseller when first published in 1967. Selling over 2 million copies in France and more than 10 million throughout the world, the book was translated and published in 16 languages and 26 countries. This first ebook edition provides the original edition's text in its entirety. Available from all major online retailers, it includes a new preface by New York Times op-ed contributor and Nobel Prize winner in Economics, Paul Krugman, acclaiming a book that "marked a whole generation.' Praise for "The American Challenge": "The American Challenge, was not only a game changer for European–American relations, it also provided a new and innovative conception of national competitiveness. The book was a true catalyst in the creation of the World Economic Forum.'- Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman, The World Economic Forum "Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber first put forth his bold vision of accelerating American prosperity back in 1967. While this outcome seemed inevitable at the time, half a century later we have fallen far short of that future. The reissue of his landmark book serves as a clarion call for our stagnant civilization to find a way back to the optimistic future of the 1960s.' - Peter Thiel, Co-Founder of Paypal, Managing Partner of the Founders' Fund "Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber was a true humanist. He understood the importance of the sovereignty for the people in the wake of European colonialism, as well as the potential in federating resources in an increasingly multipolar world, exemplified by his support of the European integration. He also foresaw the possibilities and challenges of modern technology.' - Nicolas Berggruen, President, Berggruen Institute on Governance "The American Challenge is an excellent, vigorous and modern book – that is to say, one free of many of the usual shortcomings and repetitiveness of commonplace thinking.' - Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of France, 1974-1981 "The American Challenge is at the top of the best seller lists. For a tome rich in statistics and dealing with the world of economic and corporate development, computers, satellites and the rivalries of industrial power blocs, this is an astonishing success. If Marx had done as well with "Das Kapital', we might all be waving red flags and eating caviar.' - New York Times, May 19, 1968
Publisher: Versilio
ISBN: 2361321068
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
"The signs and instruments of power are no longer armed legions or raw materials or capital... The wealth we seek does not lie in the earth or in numbers of men or in machines, but in the human spirit. And particularly in the ability of men to think and to create.' -- Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber in his international bestseller, The American Challenge. The American Challenge was 50 years ahead of its time in its appraisal of Europe, industrialization, the global economy and digital future, and the sclerosis of French politics. A new generation of French and Europeans can now rediscover it and take measure of all that still remains to be accomplished to bring to fruition the post-war European dream. "The world we live in is very much the world Servan-Schreiber imagined,' Professor Paul Krugman writes in his preface to this ebook edition, further adding that "JJSS was an incredibly insightful prophet.' With its radically new economic and political vision, The American Challenge was a bestseller when first published in 1967. Selling over 2 million copies in France and more than 10 million throughout the world, the book was translated and published in 16 languages and 26 countries. This first ebook edition provides the original edition's text in its entirety. Available from all major online retailers, it includes a new preface by New York Times op-ed contributor and Nobel Prize winner in Economics, Paul Krugman, acclaiming a book that "marked a whole generation.' Praise for "The American Challenge": "The American Challenge, was not only a game changer for European–American relations, it also provided a new and innovative conception of national competitiveness. The book was a true catalyst in the creation of the World Economic Forum.'- Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman, The World Economic Forum "Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber first put forth his bold vision of accelerating American prosperity back in 1967. While this outcome seemed inevitable at the time, half a century later we have fallen far short of that future. The reissue of his landmark book serves as a clarion call for our stagnant civilization to find a way back to the optimistic future of the 1960s.' - Peter Thiel, Co-Founder of Paypal, Managing Partner of the Founders' Fund "Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber was a true humanist. He understood the importance of the sovereignty for the people in the wake of European colonialism, as well as the potential in federating resources in an increasingly multipolar world, exemplified by his support of the European integration. He also foresaw the possibilities and challenges of modern technology.' - Nicolas Berggruen, President, Berggruen Institute on Governance "The American Challenge is an excellent, vigorous and modern book – that is to say, one free of many of the usual shortcomings and repetitiveness of commonplace thinking.' - Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of France, 1974-1981 "The American Challenge is at the top of the best seller lists. For a tome rich in statistics and dealing with the world of economic and corporate development, computers, satellites and the rivalries of industrial power blocs, this is an astonishing success. If Marx had done as well with "Das Kapital', we might all be waving red flags and eating caviar.' - New York Times, May 19, 1968
The Challenge of Remaining Innovative
Author: Sally H. Clarke
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804758921
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
"The contributors explore two main themes: the challenge of remaining innovative and the necessity of managing institutional boundaries in doing so. The book is organized into four parts, which move outward from individual firms; to networks or clusters of firms; to consultants and other intermediaries in the private economy who operate outside of the firms themselves; and finally to government institutions and politics. "--Editor.
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804758921
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
"The contributors explore two main themes: the challenge of remaining innovative and the necessity of managing institutional boundaries in doing so. The book is organized into four parts, which move outward from individual firms; to networks or clusters of firms; to consultants and other intermediaries in the private economy who operate outside of the firms themselves; and finally to government institutions and politics. "--Editor.
Work in the Digital Age
Author: Max Neufeind
Publisher: Policy Network
ISBN: 9781786609069
Category : Economic history
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
This book sets out to explore the emerging consequences of the so called '4th Industrial Revolution for the organisation of work and welfare.
Publisher: Policy Network
ISBN: 9781786609069
Category : Economic history
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
This book sets out to explore the emerging consequences of the so called '4th Industrial Revolution for the organisation of work and welfare.
The Great Stagnation
Author: Tyler Cowen
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101502258
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 98
Book Description
Tyler Cowen’s controversial New York Times bestseller—the book heard round the world that ignited a firestorm of debate and redefined the nature of America’s economic malaise. America has been through the biggest financial crisis since the great Depression, unemployment numbers are frightening, media wages have been flat since the 1970s, and it is common to expect that things will get worse before they get better. Certainly, the multidecade stagnation is not yet over. How will we get out of this mess? One political party tries to increase government spending even when we have no good plan for paying for ballooning programs like Medicare and Social Security. The other party seems to think tax cuts will raise revenue and has a record of creating bigger fiscal disasters that the first. Where does this madness come from? As Cowen argues, our economy has enjoyed low-hanging fruit since the seventeenth century: free land, immigrant labor, and powerful new technologies. But during the last forty years, the low-hanging fruit started disappearing, and we started pretending it was still there. We have failed to recognize that we are at a technological plateau. The fruit trees are barer than we want to believe. That's it. That is what has gone wrong and that is why our politics is crazy. In The Great Stagnation, Cowen reveals the underlying causes of our past prosperity and how we will generate it again. This is a passionate call for a new respect of scientific innovations that benefit not only the powerful elites, but humanity as a whole.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101502258
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 98
Book Description
Tyler Cowen’s controversial New York Times bestseller—the book heard round the world that ignited a firestorm of debate and redefined the nature of America’s economic malaise. America has been through the biggest financial crisis since the great Depression, unemployment numbers are frightening, media wages have been flat since the 1970s, and it is common to expect that things will get worse before they get better. Certainly, the multidecade stagnation is not yet over. How will we get out of this mess? One political party tries to increase government spending even when we have no good plan for paying for ballooning programs like Medicare and Social Security. The other party seems to think tax cuts will raise revenue and has a record of creating bigger fiscal disasters that the first. Where does this madness come from? As Cowen argues, our economy has enjoyed low-hanging fruit since the seventeenth century: free land, immigrant labor, and powerful new technologies. But during the last forty years, the low-hanging fruit started disappearing, and we started pretending it was still there. We have failed to recognize that we are at a technological plateau. The fruit trees are barer than we want to believe. That's it. That is what has gone wrong and that is why our politics is crazy. In The Great Stagnation, Cowen reveals the underlying causes of our past prosperity and how we will generate it again. This is a passionate call for a new respect of scientific innovations that benefit not only the powerful elites, but humanity as a whole.
The Creativity Challenge
Author: K. H. Kim
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1633882152
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
"A leading educational psychologist offers an exciting model for nurturing creativity starting in our schools and extending across the arts, sciences, and industry"--
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1633882152
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
"A leading educational psychologist offers an exciting model for nurturing creativity starting in our schools and extending across the arts, sciences, and industry"--
Race After Technology
Author: Ruha Benjamin
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1509526439
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 172
Book Description
From everyday apps to complex algorithms, Ruha Benjamin cuts through tech-industry hype to understand how emerging technologies can reinforce White supremacy and deepen social inequity. Benjamin argues that automation, far from being a sinister story of racist programmers scheming on the dark web, has the potential to hide, speed up, and deepen discrimination while appearing neutral and even benevolent when compared to the racism of a previous era. Presenting the concept of the “New Jim Code,” she shows how a range of discriminatory designs encode inequity by explicitly amplifying racial hierarchies; by ignoring but thereby replicating social divisions; or by aiming to fix racial bias but ultimately doing quite the opposite. Moreover, she makes a compelling case for race itself as a kind of technology, designed to stratify and sanctify social injustice in the architecture of everyday life. This illuminating guide provides conceptual tools for decoding tech promises with sociologically informed skepticism. In doing so, it challenges us to question not only the technologies we are sold but also the ones we ourselves manufacture. Visit the book's free Discussion Guide: www.dropbox.com
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1509526439
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 172
Book Description
From everyday apps to complex algorithms, Ruha Benjamin cuts through tech-industry hype to understand how emerging technologies can reinforce White supremacy and deepen social inequity. Benjamin argues that automation, far from being a sinister story of racist programmers scheming on the dark web, has the potential to hide, speed up, and deepen discrimination while appearing neutral and even benevolent when compared to the racism of a previous era. Presenting the concept of the “New Jim Code,” she shows how a range of discriminatory designs encode inequity by explicitly amplifying racial hierarchies; by ignoring but thereby replicating social divisions; or by aiming to fix racial bias but ultimately doing quite the opposite. Moreover, she makes a compelling case for race itself as a kind of technology, designed to stratify and sanctify social injustice in the architecture of everyday life. This illuminating guide provides conceptual tools for decoding tech promises with sociologically informed skepticism. In doing so, it challenges us to question not only the technologies we are sold but also the ones we ourselves manufacture. Visit the book's free Discussion Guide: www.dropbox.com
A History of ALA Policy on Intellectual Freedom
Author: Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF)
Publisher: American Library Association
ISBN: 0838913253
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 359
Book Description
Collecting several key documents and policy statements, this supplement to the ninth edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual traces a history of ALA’s commitment to fighting censorship. An introductory essay by Judith Krug and Candace Morgan, updated by OIF Director Barbara Jones, sketches out an overview of ALA policy on intellectual freedom. An important resource, this volume includes documents which discuss such foundational issues as The Library Bill of RightsProtecting the freedom to readALA’s Code of EthicsHow to respond to challenges and concerns about library resourcesMinors and internet activityMeeting rooms, bulletin boards, and exhibitsCopyrightPrivacy, including the retention of library usage records
Publisher: American Library Association
ISBN: 0838913253
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 359
Book Description
Collecting several key documents and policy statements, this supplement to the ninth edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual traces a history of ALA’s commitment to fighting censorship. An introductory essay by Judith Krug and Candace Morgan, updated by OIF Director Barbara Jones, sketches out an overview of ALA policy on intellectual freedom. An important resource, this volume includes documents which discuss such foundational issues as The Library Bill of RightsProtecting the freedom to readALA’s Code of EthicsHow to respond to challenges and concerns about library resourcesMinors and internet activityMeeting rooms, bulletin boards, and exhibitsCopyrightPrivacy, including the retention of library usage records
The Fourth Industrial Revolution
Author: Klaus Schwab
Publisher: Crown Currency
ISBN: 1524758876
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 194
Book Description
World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolution, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wearable sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manufacturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individuals. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frameworks that advance progress.
Publisher: Crown Currency
ISBN: 1524758876
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 194
Book Description
World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolution, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wearable sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manufacturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individuals. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frameworks that advance progress.