Exponential
How Accelerating Technology Is Leaving Us Behind and What to Do About ItSelect a format:
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
A revelatory guide to how technology is changing the world, from the creator of Exponential View
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We are entering the Exponential Age.
Between faster computers, better software and bigger data, ours is the first era in human history in which technology is constantly accelerating.
Azeem Azhar - writer, technologist, and creator of the acclaimed Exponential View newsletter - understands this shift better than anyone. Technology, he argues, is developing at an increasing, exponential rate. But human society - from our businesses to our political institutions - can only ever adapt at a slower, incremental pace. The result is an 'exponential gap' - between the power of new technology and humans' ability to keep up.
In Exponential, Azhar shows how this exponential gap can explain our society's most pressing problems. The gulf between established businesses and fast-growing digital platforms. The inability of nation states to deal with new forms of cyberwarfare. And the sclerotic response of liberal democracies to fast-moving social problems.
But the exponential gap is not inevitable. Drawing on fields as varied as economics, political science and psychology, Azhar sketches out how we can harness the power of tech to serve our real needs - fostering new ways of doing business, innovative forms of politics, and fresh approaches to national defence.
The result is a holistic new way to make sense of the modern world. Exponential technology is transforming all of our lives. This book explains how.
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'Comprehensive but lively . . . An essential addition to the ongoing discourse about where remarkable new technologies can take us, and where we should be aiming to go. Highly recommended!' Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and author of Blitzscaling
'Read this book if you are interested in how we can design a more inclusive and sustainable system with a re-direction of technological change at its centre.' Mariana Mazzucato, UCL professor and author of The Value of Everything
'A powerful argument . . . Azeem Azhar's writing is informative and accessible, and his prescient ideas are only going to become more important as time goes on.' Hannah Fry, BBC Radio 4 presenter and author of Hello World
'Brilliant . . . Demystifies exponentially fast changes and - importantly - shows how the chronic volatility can be harnessed for good. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how to reclaim a good society from the snapping jaws of looming chaos.' Robert Peston, ITV Political Editor and author of WTF
'Azeem Azhar is one of the best-regarded thought leaders in the industry . . . He has a broad understanding of the ways technology can be used to solve our biggest problems, shape our society, and bridge cultural divides.' Daniel Ek, co-founder and CEO of Spotify
'Azeem Azhar is a globally recognised voice on technology and its impact. He has written a fascinating and important book, required reading for anyone seeking to understand the new economy and the massive global corporations that seek to dominate that economy.' Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Arts
© Azeem Azhar 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021
A revelatory guide to how technology is changing the world, from the creator of Exponential View
_____
We are entering the Exponential Age.
Between faster computers, better software and bigger data, ours is the first era in human history in which technology is constantly accelerating.
Azeem Azhar - writer, technologist, and creator of the acclaimed Exponential View newsletter - understands this shift better than anyone. Technology, he argues, is developing at an increasing, exponential rate. But human society - from our businesses to our political institutions - can only ever adapt at a slower, incremental pace. The result is an 'exponential gap' - between the power of new technology and humans' ability to keep up.
In Exponential, Azhar shows how this exponential gap can explain our society's most pressing problems. The gulf between established businesses and fast-growing digital platforms. The inability of nation states to deal with new forms of cyberwarfare. And the sclerotic response of liberal democracies to fast-moving social problems.
But the exponential gap is not inevitable. Drawing on fields as varied as economics, political science and psychology, Azhar sketches out how we can harness the power of tech to serve our real needs - fostering new ways of doing business, innovative forms of politics, and fresh approaches to national defence.
The result is a holistic new way to make sense of the modern world. Exponential technology is transforming all of our lives. This book explains how.
_____
'Comprehensive but lively . . . An essential addition to the ongoing discourse about where remarkable new technologies can take us, and where we should be aiming to go. Highly recommended!' Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and author of Blitzscaling
'Read this book if you are interested in how we can design a more inclusive and sustainable system with a re-direction of technological change at its centre.' Mariana Mazzucato, UCL professor and author of The Value of Everything
'A powerful argument . . . Azeem Azhar's writing is informative and accessible, and his prescient ideas are only going to become more important as time goes on.' Hannah Fry, BBC Radio 4 presenter and author of Hello World
'Brilliant . . . Demystifies exponentially fast changes and - importantly - shows how the chronic volatility can be harnessed for good. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how to reclaim a good society from the snapping jaws of looming chaos.' Robert Peston, ITV Political Editor and author of WTF
'Azeem Azhar is one of the best-regarded thought leaders in the industry . . . He has a broad understanding of the ways technology can be used to solve our biggest problems, shape our society, and bridge cultural divides.' Daniel Ek, co-founder and CEO of Spotify
'Azeem Azhar is a globally recognised voice on technology and its impact. He has written a fascinating and important book, required reading for anyone seeking to understand the new economy and the massive global corporations that seek to dominate that economy.' Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Arts
© Azeem Azhar 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021
Reviews
Valuable and timely . . . The importance of the book lies in its diligent and comprehensive definition of a new phase in human affairs . . . An enticing and necessary read.
Sunday Times