Future Shock by Alvin Toffler

Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #46441 in Books
Published on: 1984-06-01
Released on: 1984-06-01
Number of items: 1
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
576 pages
Customer Reviews

Non Fiction
Toffler's Future Shock is something similar to what science fiction writers have discussed many times. What happens when you throw advanced technology and concepts at a more primitive people (human/alien/mineral/vegetable) or whatever.

Here he is talking about us, and the seeming increasing pace of change, and the general inability of people to keep up with it. While this may be true for some, being in his 35 years ahead future now, with all the people on the planet wandering around with mobile phones, is this really the case for mankind in general?

The History of the Future
After reading The Deviant's Advantage, Media Virus, and a little bit of what Faith Popcorn wrote I wanted to find the source of their wisdom. Aside from personal experience, where do a lot of our ideas come from? I think one of those sources is a visionary named Alvin Toffler.

Even though this book was written in 1971, it is still totally relevant. I you want to know where society is headed you need a thorough understanding of where we came from, where we are currently, and what the best in the field once predicted where we will be. Even though Toffler wasn't completely accurate, his trajectory of foresight was both accurate and enlightening.

Future Shock provides a model for the future aspiring Futurist. His theories merge physics, math, and sociology(acceleration, and growth of society); sociological architecture (designing society for the short term but making it adaptable for the future); an extremely accurate parallel to Douglas Coupland's Generation X (transient youth and the resulting political apathy); I could just go on - Future shock is a treasure trove of insights.

What I loved the most was his prediction of "neural devices that increase sensitivity to texture..." Faith Popcorn made the same prediction - a FULL 30 years after Toffler! Even Faith seems to borrow from a 30 year old book.

This book has something for every one interested in the humanities, business (Marketing was my reason), or just reading interesting books.

Was and is ahead of its time
If you need to understand the reasons behind our indefinite confusions, or loss of stability, then I suggest Future Shock, and the other ones in the series.

Most specifically the third wave. There are many essays written in much complicated terms, explaining what Alvin Toffler explains in this book. He wrote this book 30yrs ago, and that factor alone is very important.

He provides insight into the alarming signs that were to cause today's anxieties, migrations, and instabilities. He does not limit this to United States, yes for that.

He provides a global perspective that covers Iran to the dawn of the paper cup in France.

In fact, the paper cup caused a revolution of a evolutionary kind, its something that is perfectly explained by Alvin.

The only flaw is the constant use of the word, future shock, over and over, yes we understand!!!!