51 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Accelerating World Change, December 30, 2009
This review is from: Sonic Boom: Globalization at Mach Speed (Hardcover)
As I write this review in late 2009, pessimism about the world economy and other matters seems fashionable, yet Gregg Easterbrook has written a book that forcefully states a contrarian point of view--namely, that the world is well on its way to an accelerating "globalization" that will result in many positive developments for the world. (That's the author's theme, not necessarily my own.) Frankly, I wish Easterbrook used a different word than globalization to describe the world economic development he sees (maybe "world integration" or something like that), not because globalization is entirely inaccurate, but because once you say that word, a number of people stop thinking and start shouting. Anyway, the word is out there, and now we're left to access the author's arguments on the basis of how much sense they make. Nobel Prize winning economist Gary Becker and Google CEO Eric Schmidt really like this book, so this is a serious book worthy of careful analysis and discussion.
Although I wouldn't necessarily agree with all of the author's arguments (and I suspect few readers will), he makes a number of good, common-sense points. For example, he notes that history shows that when a crisis interrupts a larger trend, as soon as the crisis ends, the larger trend resumes. It's easy to react "of course," but despite U.S. economic growth that has persisted beyond the crises of a major civil war, two world wars, a depression, dozens of recessions (or "panics" as they were called years ago), a cold war, ever-possible nuclear Armageddon, politics as usual (by which I mean messy, often counter-productive actions), high inflation, high unemployment and assorted other problems, long-term economic growth has persisted. It's realistic, therefore, to think the present economic turmoil will give way to more growth, even though there are a number of alarmists out there today.
In the process of increasing globalization (or world integration), Easterbrook foresees continued movement toward freer societies--North Korea, Iran and some Arab nations notwithstanding. He notes that a generation ago, only about a third of the world's nations had multiparty elections, whereas today the number is closer to 80%. If you think the rate of change in the world has been rapid in recent decades, Easterbrook sees that rate of change accelerating. In this matter, he reminds me a bit of Alvin Toffler and his 1970s book, Future Shock. (Oops, I've dated myself.) Easterbrook envisions lots of changes, such as an effective shrinkage of the distance between parts of the world, due to advances transportation and, more importantly, the willingness among the world's people to trade with each other.
The author also points to advances in literacy rates, the greater assimilation of women throughout the world into the workforce (harnessing additional brainpower), and the emergence of a global middle class. Those are some of the easier themes to agree with. He also envisions more cooperative superpower relations, fewer arms races, and worldwide inflation being held in check--themes that may appear less obvious.
In developing his arguments, Easterbrook takes the reader through 10 cities (11, if you count "your town") to develop examples of his themes. Briefly, these cities are: Shenzhen (China), Waltham (Mass.), Yakutsk (Russia), Erie (Pa.), Leipzig (Germany), Arlington (Va.), Chippewa Falls (Wisc.), Camden (S.C.), Los Angeles, and San Jose dos Campos (Brazil). Importantly, not all the changes the author foresees are good ones. For example, he expects continued (and increased) job turnover, as the world's demands for skilled labor change more quickly, and he foresees increasing income inequality in a world where job skills are more important than ever.
In the final analysis, Easterbrook has presented a thoughtful and sometimes provocative look at the future. Nobody bats 1.000 in predicting, so I am not going to be shocked if some of his analysis proves to be off the mark. The real question for a potential reader of this book is whether or not the author has provided a sufficiently reasoned and articulate set of discussions and conclusions so that the reader will be challenged to think independently and intelligently about the future. I'd say he has.
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19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Caution: May contain information-like substance, February 18, 2010
This review is from: Sonic Boom: Globalization at Mach Speed (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
As a long time fan of Gregg Easterbrook, I really wanted to like Sonic Boom. After all, it has a catchy title, and the subtitle even rings true (Globalization at Mach Speed). However, much like the articles he writes about the NFL on Tuesday Morning Quarterback, a lot of the book approaches information-like substance but fails to close the deal.
As others have written, I read the entire book and I'm still not sure what a "Sonic Boom" is. It seems to create conditions of significant change, and to happen in may places where growth is occurring rapidly, but I can't say I'd recognize it if I see it. In many of Gregg's articles about football coaches who punt on fourth and one, he claims they are chicken. Well, if you have a major thesis but fail to adequately define it, that seems fairly similar.
Next, the book is written with a lot of interesting insights, specifically based on cities that indicate a trend or a major change. Erie, Pennsylvania is used as an example of a city that boomed when the railroads grew, but failed as the railroads moved to a single track size, which Erie fought. Standing athwart the gates of history and holding back change hasn't worked well historically, and didn't for Erie. But is that news? Silicon Graphics failed to see that the graphics accelerator would simply become part of the operating system and is now headquartered in Chippewa Falls, while Google occupies its original headquarters. Tragic tale? Yes, possibly. Shenzhen China grows from a small fishing village to one of the largest ports in the world. Interesting information, but what to learn from it?
The book is full of interesting stories and ideas that indicate that change is accelerating, and that the shifts don't necessarily have to be bad. Global warming may be good for the arctic tundra near Yakutsk, freeing up minerals and oil deposits. The only problem will be getting all that value to market, considering the lack of physical infrastructure!
At this point in a typical Easterbrook column on football, we'd have an obligatory photo of a cheerleader who'd tell us what she'd take with her to a desert island. One of my favorite responses was "a yacht". No kidding. While this is a fast book to read, it left me trying to figure out if it was a long news article - are you aware of all this interesting change - or a book trying to analyze what all the change means - here's what a sonic boom is and how you can benefit - or a feel good book promising a better tomorrow. I think Easterbrook tried for all three, and failed. Easterbrook went for the all-out blitz (something he castigates football coaches for) when he should have settled for the base defense.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A bit of a slog, June 5, 2010
This review is from: Sonic Boom: Globalization at Mach Speed (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The book discusses an interesting issue, the prospect of increased globalization and its likely advantages (material prosperity, better health) and disadvantages (increased stress, uncertainty, and economic inequality). Unfortunately, the discussion itself isn't as interesting as the issue.
In each of 10 chapters, Easterbrook takes a city, finds a corporation or other entity in that city doing something relevant to the global economy, and uses that as a springboard for discussing some aspect of globalization. That approach sounds promising, but in most chapters the discussions include too much of what looks like mere laundry lists of corporations, corporate projects, and their resulting benefits and drawbacks. In one chapter, for example, the central issue is education. That's potentially a very interesting topic, and Easterbrook does make some interesting points, but to get to those points, you also have to slog through a list of what Easterbrook considers to be the top 30 or so U.S. colleges and universities, another list of the next best 70 or so, another list of the top dozen or so foreign schools, and then another list of the best state schools. What is the point of all those lists?
Many of the other chapters have the same "laundry list" problem, though to a lesser degree. And laundry lists just aren't that interesting.
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