Pendulum: How Past Generations Shape Our Present and Predict Our Future [Hardcover]

Roy H. Williams (Author), Michael R. Drew (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 2, 2012

Politics, manners, humor, sexuality, wealth, even our definitions of success are periodically renegotiated based on the new values society chooses
to use as a lens to judge what is acceptable.

Are these new values randomly chosen or is there a pattern?

Pendulum chronicles the stuttering history of western society; that endless back-and-forth swing between one excess and another, always reminded of what we left behind.

There is a pattern and it is 40 years: 2003 was a fulcrum year, as was 1963, its opposite.

Pendulum explains where we have been as a society, how we got here, and where we are headed. If you would benefit from a peek into the future,
you would do well to read this book.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Pendulum offers fascinating insights into the surprises and revelations of shifting social trends throughout history.  Roy H. Williams and Michael Drew answer the age-old question:  What makes us tick?”
—Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
 
“If you're trying to get a grip on why we do what we do, there's a way forward: It's  Pendulum. Roy Williams and Michael Drew have explored the profound shifts in society from ancient times to now and created a blueprint to civilization. To understand your clients, to understand the market, to understand your own motivations – read  Pendulum.”
—T. Harv Eker, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Secrets of the Millionaire Mind
 
“How do you predict what kind of society we're in?  How do you know when's the right time to make a difference? In Pendulum, Roy H. Williams and Michael R. Drew have combed through history's ups and downs and the cultural shifts that ripple through every generation. They've written a unique guidebook that has an interesting perspective for marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone is thinking about how to live in the now—and in the future.”
—Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos and New York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness

“In today's business environment you need to anticipate and understand consumers as never before. You need to drive change and create step-and-repeat processes. Roy H. Williams and Michael R. Drew nail it in Pendulum. They've looked in the mirror of history, and found a reflective pattern. And while every businessperson is running the gauntlet of business, they can use the book to become more competitive, nimble and ready to drive change and grow! Every generation thinks a bit differently than the previous one – and Pendulum tells you why. Saddle up for an insightful read, and an essential tool.”
—Jeffrey Hayzlett, Former CMO Kodak, Global Business & Marketing Authority and bestselling author of The Mirror Test and Running the Gauntlet

“If you want to better understand the world we live in, then read Pendulum. Roy H. Williams and Michael Drew have uncovered the secrets to how society shifts from generation to generation—and why that matters to all of us.”
—Marci Shimoff, New York Times bestselling author of Happy for No Reason

“If you've ever wondered why people did what they did, why cultural change happened and even what led to some of mankind's greatest discoveries, then Pendulum has the answers. Roy H. Williams and Michael Drew take you through three millennia on an astounding roller-coaster ride of shifts in society to get at the heart of why we do what we do—and how we can understand not only where we are, but where we're going.”
—Greg S. Reid, co-author of Think and Grow Rich: Three Feet from Gold
 
“Pendulum is a profoundly powerful read. This revelatory new book provides insight to social trends that will emerge in the years to come. Pendulum impacted how I approach business and it will change how you view the world.”
—Rich Christiansen, entrepreneur and USA Today bestselling author of The Zig Zag Principle

“If you want to know where the future is headed and prepare for what is to come, then you have to read this book. Pendulum will help you better understand society and social behavior like it has never before been explained. This book is a true gem and a must-read.”
—Randy Garn, CRO of Prosper Inc., and co-author of the New York Times bestseller Prosper: Create the Life You Really Want

"Pendulum may be the most important book you read all year. This is not a book about business but one about how culture has changed, which will dramatically alter the way you must do business. It will open your eyes to exactly what is happening in the world today and how your business must respond. "
—Eric Rhoads, Publisher, Radio Ink

“We've all heard how history repeats. Now we know why. We humans swing from selfish to social every generation or so, and civilization swings with us. In their surprising, insightful and witty new book, Pendulum, Roy H. Williams and Michael Drew explain us to us. They explore the real reasons behind some of civilization's greatest advances—and retreats. They show us why we repeat ourselves—but they also give us the tools that might prevent future catastrophes.”
—Robert J. Hughes, former Wall Street Journal reporter and author of Late and Soon
 
"Times change, but some things remain consistent: People either think of themselves or of others. The question is, how do you know when (and what does it mean) Roy H. Williams and Michael R. Drew have figured that out in Pendulum, their razor-sharp look at cultural shifts over the last 3,000 years (and the next ones too). Whether you try to come up with a new dish at KFC, a special pie at Pizza Hut or a menu change at Taco Bell, you need to know your customer. Pendulum gives you that knowledge.
— Jonathan Blum, SVP and Chief Public Affairs and Global Nutrition Officer of YUM brands

About the Author

Nicknamed “the Wizard of Ads” by an early client, Roy H. Williams and his staff have often been the unseen, pivotal force in amazing come-frombehind
victories in the worlds of business, politics, and finance. A lifelong student of humanity, Roy has spent a quartercentury asking, “What makes people do the things they do?” With over forty branch offices in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Guatemala, Wizard of Ads, Inc. serves the advertising and marketing needs of business owners around the globe. Roy’s books and Monday Morning Memos are a constant source of fascination and entertainment for his students and friends. His previous books, The Wizard of Ads, Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads, Magical Worlds of the Wizard of Ads all reached bestseller status. Roy teaches creative thinking, strategic planning, and human persuasion in a three-day Wizard Academy that, since its launch in May of 2000, has attracted a roster of students that includes many of the world’s most forward-thinking and successful CEOs, educators, journalists, inventors, and consultants.

Since the age of nineteen, Michael R. Drew has become a leading book marketer in the publishing industry, propelling nearly 75 books onto national
bestseller lists, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The New York Times, and garnering over 1,000 #1 rankings for books on Amazon.com through his Promote A Book services. Michael heads a marketing agency that strives to build strong and real relationships with his clients and their audiences, increasing sales in a natural manner, and maximizing the depth and longevityof that relationship through its Persona Architecture and Platform Building programs. Michael has presented the Pendulum theory on stage with and for the Dali Lama, Sir Richard Branson, and Steven R. Covey, and privately for the Executive Committee at Franklin Covey. Michael lives in Austin, Texas.
 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Vanguard Press (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593157061
• ISBN-13: 978-1593157067
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Since the age of nineteen, Michael R. Drew has become a leading book marketer in the publishing industry, propelling some 80+ books onto national
bestseller lists, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The New York Times, and garnering over 1,000 #1 rankings for books on Amazon.com through his Promote A Book services.

Michael heads a marketing agency that strives to build strong and real relationships with his clients and their audiences, increasing sales in a natural manner, and maximizing the depth and longevity of that relationship through its Persona Architecture and Platform Building programs. Michael has presented the Pendulum theory on stage with and for the Dali Lama, Sir Richard Branson, and Steven R. Covey, and privately for the Executive Committee at Franklin Covey.

Michael has also helped writers and authors, thought leaders, speakers and entrepreneurs build upon an essential component of continuing success, creating a platform for their writing and their message so that they can expand their audience and adapt to social shifts.

Through Michael's skills in website creation, his strengths as a speaker, his career coaching, and in his innovative use of personas to intensify the effectiveness of all sorts of writing, Michael has been a force in the creation of a new generation of thought leaders. He has helped them to become even more effective entrepreneurs who nourish today's idea-hungry marketplace.

And as shifts in society continue, Michael has expanded Promote A Book's services to include consulting and planning on everything from Internet distribution and website-building to video creation, book trailers, podcasting and more.

In his personal time, Michael loves cheering for BYU teams, dining at "the best sushi house in North America" -- Uchi's, in Austin, Texas -- and spending time with his daughter, Savannah.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating, and ACTIONABLE Look At Historical Patterns October 8, 2012

By J. Sexton

Format:Hardcover

First, full disclosure: I'm a business partner with Roy Williams and a friend of Mike Drew's. If you want to take my review with a grain of salt because of this, I understand. But I think the intriguing and compelling ideas presented in this book are able to speak for themselves, quite apart from whatever my personal endorsement might bring to the table.

Here's what I mean by that: just every 80 years we have a massive big time civic crises (usually involving wars). So you can think of the revolutionary war, civil war, and WWII. All pretty much 80 years apart, give or take a few years. In between you have spiritual awakenings, which are also 80 years apart, making each "awakening" about 40 years out from a civic crises. Of course, spiritual awakenings last a bit longer than wars, but the first "Great Awakening" started in 1720 and ended in 1750, with a mid period 1735. The second Great Awakening starts in 1800 and lasts till 1840, with a midpoint at 1820. The third Great Awakening starts early, but ends about on time, going from 1850-1910 and making the midpoint at 1880. And then there's the 60's, aka "The Fourth Awakening" happening 80 years after 1880. Civic Crises and Spiritual Awakenings occur like clockwork, alternating every 40 years.

Now, if you're a critical thinker, you're probably thinking to yourself that that's an interesting pattern/theory, but there are some holes and questions, right? How do you know I'm not cherry-picking events to fit the pattern and leaving out events that don't fit? And, what if this pattern does really exist -- so what?

In Pendulum, Roy and Michael Drew did the hard research to prove that the pattern is real, that it still exists even when the data is exhaustive and the researcher sets out to disprove the pattern, and that the pattern goes back thousands of years. More importantly, they show the WHY behind the cycles. Every 40 years society moves from an Idealist to a Civic mindset, and that 2003 represented one of those shifts, away from Idealist and into Civic, just as 1963 marked the beginning of a shift away from Civic and into the Idealist "Sixties" era "Me Generation." This is why "being cool" morphed into "Keeping it real." Why the very slick James Bond got Jason Bourned into a far more flawed and vulnerable human being, and so on.

Obviously, major societal shifts like this are pretty important for anyone who considers herself a leader, communicator, persuader, or business person. If you fit into one of those categories, I strongly recommend the book. And regardless of how you classify yourself, if you want to learrn more about this stuff in a fairly quick, enjoyable read -- and especially if you want to know how this pattern will affect you and the people you care about in the coming years -- you should get this book.

It's a book of big ideas and actionable insight in a an engaging, enjoyable package. What more could you want?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love The Ideas In This Book! October 29, 2012

By C. Gallagher

Format:Hardcover

I learned so much about markets and trends from this book and from the videos in the membership area for the book. The presentation is very interesting and intriguing and will help business owners understand how society is thinking and use that to their advantage in their marketing. Definitely recommend this book to any business owner or marketer.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't read the paper anymore without thinking of this book. December 7, 2012

By Brian Massey

Format:Hardcover

There is a compelling amount of evidence presented in this book that Western society swings from an individualistic "Me" culture to a civic-minded "We" and back over 80 years. According to this fascinating book, we are swinging up into a "We" society, a society that will look more like WW II America than the America that elected a movie star for President.

If you choose to read it, you are going to begin to see signs of shifts in the headlines of your daily newspaper or in the feed reader of your Smartphone. We are starting to see in the headlines an America that is gathering around causes. We are also seeing a low tolerance for those who don't fit. The polarization in Washington is one big sign. Even the politicians are "taking sides" and there is little tolerance for moderate positions outside the party lines.

Stories and movies about going green, ending Madison Avenue style advertising, and eliminating processed foods are prolific. These were once hippy sentiments in our individualistic days, but these causes have gone mainstream as our civic society has begun to form groups and work together.

If the book is to be believed, we will soon start to see intolerance and even suppression of outliers. Will the parents of obese children be ostracized at PTA meetings? Will our homes be egged if we don't have solar panels on our roofs? We will find out by the time our Pendulum reaches the top of another swing in 2023.

For anyone in advertising or marketing, this book is a must. It will tell you why our communications have stopped working and what to do about it.

As with any good book, this one raises many questions as it delivers its insights. I highly recommend it.