Jeremy Rifkin

A disturbing bit of prescience - this was published at the turn of the last century, and correctly pegs the effect of the information age on the economics of capitalism. Markets are secondary now to networks, property is mostly an intangible "experience" and access has replaced ownership. About the only things missed here are the overwhelming rise of online shopping and the contributions of online social networks to the destruction of culture, but other than that, this book could have been show more written earlier this year. Unfortunately there are no real solutions proposed here, but I suspect that's because the author was secretly hoping his speculations were wrong. Read it and weep, then worry. show less

Some interesting and hopeful ideas around financing projects with e.g. pension money bogged down by the entire rest of the book which is a collection of half-truths, mistakes, naivete, bad math, self-promotion, and ignorance.

Which shouldn't be a surprise. This is Rifkin's schtick, this is his game. He was wrong e.g. 20 years ago on fuel cells (which, given another 20 years, will probably be ready for widespread usage.) He got smacked down in the 80's by, amongst others, no less than Stephen show more Gould for his ignorance on evolution and genetics. He's at it again, wildly promoting plans and ideas supported by little more than conjecture and promises, with a handful of cherry-picked evidence.

We need to deal with fossil fuels and carbon. We need to prepare for climate change as already baked in. We need something like a "green new deal." But with friends like these, who needs enemies? show less

Rifkin gives an insightful analysis of the shift from property ownership to the information economy and how access to information becomes evermore critical. The value of his thoughts for me have to do with his insights about how the the market, which in past societies was a off to the side, but has now become more and more the driving force shaping human culture and interaction. Access to the "market place" is now controlled by marketing interests and not by more traditional forces of show more religion, philosophy, politics. show less

The book's perspective fascinates and well as entertains. The reliance on a theory of early migrations of neolithic people was not fully disclosed to be controversial. However it appears that it is well enough respected. The book's revelations about the rail road industry and financing the West expansion by British and Scottish banks was very interesting. Definitely worth the time and effort to read as a start to new pastures of scholarship.