Customer Reviews

Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism: Seven New Trends That Will Transform How You Work, Live, and Invest

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In their 1982 title Megatrends, Patricia Aburdene and her former husband John Naisbitt talked about the birth of the Information Economy; in Megatrends 2000, published in 1990, they predicted the networked, technology-driven Internet era. The coming megatrend, Aburdene asserts, will not be driven by external, social, or technological forces so much as "the internal dimension of change" that will reinvent free enterprise. And she's predicting that this spiritual megatrend will take firm hold of the American way of business by, say, 2010.

In seven chapters the book identifies the major facets of the new megatrend, including:

* The Power of Spirituality - From Personal to Organizational
* The Dawn of Conscious Capitalism
* Leading from the Middle
* Spirituality in Business
* The Values-Driven Consumer
* The Wave of Conscious Solutions
* The Socially Responsible Investment Boom

Along the way, Aburdene offers many intimate portraits of the people behind the spiritual evolution in business, from meditating CEOs to value-driven consumers and socially responsible investment counselors. In "Leading from the Middle," Aburdene suggests that conscious capitalism will spell an end to the era of high-profile CEOs who are outrageously overpaid not only to provide symbolic leadership of corporations, but to take virtually all the credit and blame for their companies' fortunes.

The question is what this and all the other "conscious capitalism" trends really portend for the future of American commerce. To Patricia Aburdene, this future will be one in which "the spiritual transformation of capitalism" will shift the American way of doing business "from greed to enlightened self-interest, from elitism to economic democracy, from the fundamentalist doctrine of `profit at any cost' to the conscious ideology that espouses both money and morals." If the author is overly optimistic, one hopes that she's not too far off the mark. In a time when natural disasters and accelerating environmental decline are colluding with exceptional political ineptitude to stress the great American experiment as never before, it might just be the approaching enlightenment of capitalism that illuminates a sane, sustainable path ahead for us all. -- From the Fearless Spotlight Review by D. Patrick Miller

I've been a fan of the MegaTrend series since the beginning.. but was apprehensive when I saw that John Naisbitt was not involved in this book.

Even while reading, I kept thinking.. this isn't what I expect from a Megatrends book.

Despite this disconnect.. and especially upon further reflection, I've found that MegaTrend 2010 has indeed followed the major trends and is very appropriate for today.

Amazing research is sited showing that more and more people are expecting good corporate citizenship. Aburdene tells us this proves Milton Friedman wrong "A corporation exists for the benefit of it's shareholders"... though I'd compromise and say that now "A corporation exists to benefit it's shareholder according to their current values"

Besides, several examples are cited where a corporation doing the right thing MAKE MORE PROFIT. That's got to benefit the shareholders.

This is one of the trends. Thought provoking, important issues for our time, and great for planning ahead.

If you're going to be around for a few years... read this book.

Megatrends 2010
by Patricia Aburdene
Aburdene writes of Megatrends or "large, over-arching directions that
shape our lives for a decade or more." She says, "changing values and
economics are changing capitalism." She gives examples that convince her
that the world is becoming more compassionate, businesses more
other-oriented and people in general more spiritual." She writes
"Spirituality is the world's greatest megatrend."
She quotes authors Ray and Anderson's book, The Cultural Creatives, as
saying this culture, that of the Cultural Creatives, is 26% of the
population and growing 1% a year. She describes the Cultural Creatives as
folks who value nature, authenticity, spirituality, peace, relationships,
feminism, social justice and social responsibility.
In this book, Aburdene gives as models many companies, businesses and
individuals who are working at making changes from greed and selfishness,
power and materialism to more lasting kinds of satisfaction, to more
gentleness and consideration.
As examples of individuals becoming more conservative in their
materialism she writes about the Green movement in business and industry,
organic and natural food focuses, the CERES Principals, hybrid autos and
many areas where humans can help make huge changes.
I hope she is right. Since she doesn't list any of the many companies
and CEOs who are still into greed and corruption it is not possible for
me to believe that the majority are or will become less self-oriented. I
don't remember her once mentioning the corruption and crookedness of so
many in our officials in government at present or their inattention to those less well off than themselves.
I suggest you read this yourself, and decide whether her view is one that
is acceptable and makes sense to you.

An informative and inspiring read overall. As the extended title states, the book traces the rise of trends in workplace, lifestyle and relationship to investments that promise to align the world closer to "spirit". The author cites numerous examples of the trends and quotes leaders in the emerging movements, both from their writings and from personal interviews. This is a very well researched book and the author makes full use of her level of access to make leaders and experts come across intimately.

The tone is at times too colloquial and it detracts a little from what is being discussed, however, the general effect is still convincing. I should mention that I had just read Naomi Klein's No Logo before picking up Megatrends 2010. I'd have to contrast the two by saying that the Klein book hit like a ton of bricks and was very tightly crafted but left me feeling numb and powerless while I took Megatrends lightly at first, it pushed me further into believing in social change through business and wanting to take part in it. A valid critique of Megatrends is that it does not expose and confront the dark side of capitalism, or, more generically the world, but rather seems to dance around it a bit.

The power of this book and its contribution will truly be reflected in the changes and actions it will inspire in the readers. In addition to talks with visionary CEO's and founders, Patricia emphasizes the quiet leadership and influence that middle managers and everyday consumers can have over even our global economy. After finishing it, you will know that it is ok to dream of a better world and that there are facts also on the side of your faith. No entrepreneur or manager who stands up for what they believe is right will feel that they are standing alone.

The message of this book, well-presented and abundantly documented, is that we're on the threshold of a new era in corporate leadership. Aburdene, a veteran of authoring trends books going back to the original Megatrends with John Naisbitt, forecasts a growing movement toward socially responsible corporate policies as a counterbalance to the equally legitimate objective of earning a reasonable profit. "Welcome to the Dawn of Conscious Capitalism-a popular, decentralized, broad-based crusade to heal the excesses of capitalism with transcendent human values."

Enough with the greed, asserts Aburdene. The shift will be toward spirituality, social awareness, emphasis on values, and community service-for the corporations themselves and for their employees. Citing company after company that is actively committing to operating differently, Aburdene believes that "...the quest for Conscious Capitalism-that is, integrity, transparency, enlightened governance as well as higher social and environmental standards-is regaining momentum." This orientation is good for the world, the community, the company, and its people, she says, pointing out the moral companies often outperform the market.

People are changing, their expectations are changing, their behaviors are changing. People and organizations are transforming-which sounds like one of those "big bang" theories about cataclysmic change. Not so, says Aburdene. "...when we talk about transformation, it's not a shift from the profane to the sacred. What is transforming is our awareness. We are waking up and smelling the roses-that is, the presence of Spirit all around us-and the scent is both comforting and intoxicating."

This is what you will read in this Megatrends book. This is the story of The Spiritual Transformation of Capitalism currently underway. I'm not sure the movement is as strong as the author would have us believe, but we are hearing more about social responsibility in the corporate world. Whether the influence is coming from Sarbanes-Oxley or CEOs with higher motivations, something is happening out there. This book will give you greater insight into the who, what, how, and even why.

The presentation is well-documented, with 20 pages of end notes. I was impressed with the index-14 pages of small type entries that make this book endlessly useful. Extra value was added with the resources section in the back of the book. Provided to the reader are page of references on Socially Responsible Investing, Spirituality in Business-Centers and groups and Practitioners, and Conscious Consumption.

Finally, I was impressed by the way this book walks its talk. On the back page is a message from the publisher: "For this print run, 21,000 pounds of post-consumer waste used instead of virgin fiber saved 253 trees, 11,858 pounds of solid waste, 107,557 gallons of water, 43,255 kilowatt hours of electricity, [and] 23,295 pounds of net greenhouse gases." Right in keeping with Aburdene's message.

There are certainly a lot more trends-and megatrends-to be discussed as we look into the future. This volume looks narrowly at one of those trends, but treats it well. Let us not lose sight of the fact that there is much more than this one perspective.

Against the recent exposures of the "shadow-side" of capitalism (Enron, Worldcom, accounting scandals), author Patricia Aburdene heralds a bright transformation occuring. It is a transformation towards a more responsible, human, ecological and long-term view of business and consumerism. It is one having more to do with "heart and spirit" than with facts and figures. It is about businesses being concerned with other considerations beyond their legal obligation to increase shareholder value. It is about consumers who look for companies who have like-minded values to their own - and not just buying the cheapest product at Wal-mart. It is about developing a more expansive philosophy of life and subtly encorporating one's beliefs and values into one's work to make the world a better place. It is about giving back and not just taking from people and the planet.

At the heart of this trend, Patricia Aburdene suggests, is a deep spiritual transformation of both companies and consumers alike. So, are the days corporate scandal over? According to Ms. Aberdene (and a good part of the media), this may be the case as a new emphasis on corporate responsibility and consumer consciousness is (thankfully) emerging that won't tolerate such excess. And, as she asserts, this transformation is being led by more conscious CEO's who practice daily meditation (like Bill Ford), shareholder activists, inspired middle managers, socially responsible investors as well as a new generation of conscious consumers who practice "LOHAS" (A Life Of Health And Sustainability). Forget the narrow, hippie-fringe image of those interested in the environment, solar energy, organic food and social causes ... it is a strong mainstream trend here to stay. And businesses who ignore it, will do so at their own peril according to the author.

Compared to other books on corporate responsibility and sustainable development, this book goes into depth about the personal spirituality that often initiates such transformations. Ms. Auberdene is clearly an enthusiastic proponent and practitioner of personal spiritual development and dedicates a large portion of the book to describing how many top executives and entire companies are encorporating various "methods for spiritual tranformation." She gives a wide variety of examples of what this looks like from the perspective of various beliefs or philosophies (including atheists who she cites as being "equally committed to do good"). However, not all might be familiar - or comfortable - with her more "New Age" vocabulary of "Spirit," the "Corporate Shaman," "visualization" or even meditation.

Her account is not academic in tone but flows easily and is packed with many interesting stories, facts and trend data that paint a bright possibility of a better way of living and doing business. If there is any criticism of her perspective of this megatrend it is that she may be way too optimistic that the average consumer stressed from all sides in life is going to take the time and effort to care about things like if their coffee is fair trade or if their kid's clothes are made of organic cotton that does not use pesticides or herbicides. Also, compared to previous megatrend volumes, this 2005 release is more "mono-thematic" and highlights seven sub-trends to the overall megatrend of "conscious capitalism." So, it does not cover many of the other trends that are occuring (as other reviews note). But, her treatment of the topic is enlightening and hopeful, albeit optimistic. 4.5 stars.

If you were to read three books that delivered the most accurate insight into the pulse of the business industry in the last few decades, they would have to be Megatrends, Megatrends 2000 and now Megatrends 2010.

Megatrends, published in 1982, predicted what authors Aburdene and Naisbitt termed the "information economy". In 1990, this husband and wife team went a step further with Megatrends 2000 and forecast the massively technology-driven age of the internet and its far-reaching consequences. Megatrends 2010, written solely by Patricia Aburdene, asserts that business will not be driven by external, social, or technological forces so much as "the internal dimension of change". What she's predicting is a spiritual megatrend that will define and take firm hold of business as we know it.

Aburdene's projected megatrend looks at ethics, values and spirituality in business as well as socially-responsible investing. It explains why firms are taking a stand for corporate social responsibility and why so many people are choosing to buy from companies who share or reflect their values and lifestyle choices. She sees both new-economy and old-guard companies alike, tapping into the "rise of conscious capitalism" in order to do any or all of the following: clean up the corporate image, save the environment, help the less fortunate, and, of course, boost the bottom line.??

What I find most heartwarming about Aburdene's inspired vision is the overwhelming numbers of dedicated meditation practices popping up in corporation after corporation, in large and small companies all over North America. A trend she sees growing and deepening. Ahhh...

While I strongly believe in the both the message and the vision Aburdene communicates, I found myself disappointed by her dodgy analysis of green mutual stocks funds. While the figures she quotes sound impressive, when you actually look at the performance of many of these funds they are severely under performing the market, year after year.

http://www.socialfunds.com/

or

http://www.lohas.com/weekly/stockcharts/default.htm

I wish green investing paid better--frankly I don't see why it doesn't. Having said that, now be the time to get in on the ground floor of something that may take off in the future. Still, I think Aburdene oversells her point in the book.

I've maintained some green funds since the 80's, but as a statement of philosophy, hardly as an investment.

Whether or not you agree with Patricia Aburdene's projected megatrends that include such themes as ethics, values and spirituality in business as well as socially responsible investing, the book presents persuasive evidence that the trends are underway right now. Indeed, these megatrends are taking hold so rapidly and firmly that everyone needs to be fully cognizant of these issues if they are to succeed in today's and tomorrow's business world.

As other reviewers pointed out, Aburdene argues that the 21st century will be transformed by ecological awareness, spirituality and other positive trends.

First, the author fails to see contradictions among those trends. One person's spiritual belief (e.g., only marriages count as meaningful relationships) conflicts with someone else's (e.g., relationships with partners, dogs and friends can be meaningful). No problem until these beliefs get translated into benefits and norms, i.e., "Your family celebration doesn't count."

Second, the widespread discussion of "spirituality" can lead to shallow interpretations. I don't always agree with Carolyn Myss, an example of New Age spirituality. But I have to respect her. She walks the talk. She studied. She doesn't promise easy answers and in fact she warns that being spiritual is very hard.

In contrast, I once attended a bookstore talk where the leader asked everyone, "Raise your hand if you are on a spiritual path." Gimme a break.

I've also heard spirituality defined as attracting what you want, including money, love, and beauty.

Third, the book ignores a counter-trend, the rise in books about atheism and a backlash against organized religion. My career clients aren't reporting a great wave of love and humanity in their working worlds.

The book also ignores other trends, such as the shrinking world, the increased access to information and choice, and the kinds of trends described in The Long Tail.

But my biggest complaint is the author's obvious enthusiasm and support for these trends. Earlier megatrends books seemed more impartial and objective. There's nothing wrong with enthusiastically embracing ideas, but I like books that let you know up front whether you're dealing with argument or analysis. It's especially frustrating to expect the latter and get the former.