Perhaps the best way to introduce this book is thru the authors’ words in the foreword: they introduce this book as being,
more than a finished work in and of itself, an invitation to join an ongoing exchange of opinions among people who wish to think innovatively about the
implications of the connected economy.
Such an introduction is perhaps inevitable for a book that attempts to sketch on one canvas such a wide panoply of issues, as the shifts in thinking needed to compete and live successfully in the ‘new’ economy. The authors come with impeccable credentials, working for Ernst & Young’s CBI, which has been a thought leader on the implications of the ‘new’ economy. The first named author is the Director of the CBI, and the second author has ample credentials for writing such a book, in the form of three earlier books on similar themes.
The central theme of the book is that the ‘new’ world will be best characterized as a BLUR, by the following three factors that mutually interact and positive-feedback each other: speed – the fact that every aspect of reality in the new economy is changing rapidly and dramatically; connectivity – the fact that every player in the new economy is increasingly being interconnected thru electronic means; and intangibles – the fact that the intangible component of transactions is constantly on the increase.
The book has an
accompanying website, www.blursight.com. I visited the site, and true to its promise, it features discussions organized by the book’s chapters. The quality of participation seemed to be fairly impressive. Sample quote from one random posting: "I am a firm believer that it is not so much what we know that defines us, but the questions we ask". There appeared to be a few dead-end links on the site, though.
One claims I found quite intriguing is the authors’ contention that the distinction between the individual as a capitalist and as a laborer is being blurred. My first reaction was, are we seeing the natural demise of the venerable capitalist-laborer divide, so denigrated by Marx et al, and that too with no intervention whatsoever from any government, irrespective of ideological persuasion?! The authors do make a fair substantiation for this somewhat difficult claim – read the book to see it! The book ends with a chapter that has an irresistible title – 50 ways to blur your business, and 10 ways to blur yourself.
Overall, a valuable guide for those grappling to make sense of the rapid technological change all round us, and the demographic and social implications of that change (I am certainly one!). Although a bit dated (1998 seemed ancient at first sight, but much of the issues are very relevant today), it amply serves the purpose it purports to, viz., to launch the reader into thinking coherently about living and working in the new economy. Also, the accompanying website effectively serves to constantly update the views expressed in the book.
Anybody who has an inquiring mind, who feels positively stimulated by the breathtaking possibilities being opened up by the new economy, will not find this a waste of time.