Book Review
Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think
By Sadia Wali
During
my proofreading session, I found an interesting book to read. To some readers,
it might be dull or boring, to me it seems a unique and interesting one to
read. The author, of the book Peter H. Diamandis (Founder and Executive
Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation) and Steven Kotler (award-winning science writer)analyzed
various aspects and events related to science and technological progress in
near future. In just 250 pages, Kotler
and Diamandis discussed exponentially growing technologies in health, economic,
education, communications and
information and energy that have rapidly transformed our world. According to the author, innovation and
exponential technologies have also improved quality of life, human performance
and help to make better choices. In next twenty five years, the technological advancements
will reshape the world through social, cultural and economic revolution.
Progress
in artificial intelligence, robotics, infinite computing, global broadband
networks, digital manufacturing, nanomaterial, synthetic biology, and many
other exponentially growing technologies will enable us greater advantages in
the next two decades than we have in the previous two hundred years says the
author.
“Abundance
is a big vision compressed into a small time frame. The next twenty five years
can remake the world, but this won’t happen on its own. There are plenty of
issues to be faced, not all of them technological in nature. Overcoming the
psychological blocks—cynicism, pessimism, and all those other crutches of
contemporary thinking—that keep many of us from believing in the possibility of
abundance is just as important. To accomplish this, we need to understand the
way our brain shapes our beliefs and our beliefs shape our reality.”
(Reference: Chapter 3 Book, Abundance- The
future is better than you think)
Readers are introduced to Abundance Pyramid. The pyramid is divided into different levels. First,
ensure food, water and shelter for every person on the planet. Then, guarantee
abundant energy, education and information and communication abundance. Another
important element in our pyramid of abundance is freedom. Freedom here is
referred to as the freedom of speech, the freedom of access to information and
technology and the freedom to human rights. Finally, the pyramid focuses on improving public health
by creating awareness in masses of how to prevent and control global diseases
and epidemic.
The important aspect of the book is help people to gain positive belief
about technology. The author term “the rising billion,” this abundant world
will be one where anything is possible, “a world where everyone’s days are
spent dreaming and doing, not scrapping and scraping.”
The second part of the book focused on reasons and causes that led to the
invention of various medicines and technologies. The author refers to it creating
a world of health care abundance which means providing clean water, ample
nutrition, and smoke-free air environment to the masses.
To conclude, the author hopefully declares
that the
rapid growth in technology is a blessing for human kind. Means of
communication, auto diagnostic equipment’s, artificial intelligence, robotics,
infinite computing and so many other technological developments have raised the
standards of people’s lives. These
fields have also given their best to make this world a global abundant.
I recommend you to read this book and share your views!