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 influential 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 experienced -- and 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 compelling -- and highly plausible -- vision 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,
shows us all how to take an active role in creating a vibrant, diverse, constantly learning, and sustainable global society.