Futurist Bookshelf

The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude by P. M. Forni. St. Martin’s Press. 2008. 166 pages. $19.95.

It’s a rude world, but there are ways to help make it more polite, says literary professor Forni. He notes that polite people may be overwhelmed by the rudeness that confronts them every day—loud cell-phone conversations, aggressive drivers—and can feel tempted to be rude in return. Forni discourages this reaction, and shows ways to civilly answer an inconsiderate action or remark with more than one hundred examples that span the whole range of human interactions with family members, coworkers, friends, relationship partners, salespersons, and others. He explains rudeness, how it works, and how we can defend ourselves against it politely.

The Competition of Ideas: The World of the Washington Think Tanks by Murray Weidenbaum. Transaction Publishers. 2008. 118 pages. $34.95.

Having served five major think tanks as analyst, speaker, and writer, Washington University economics professor Weidenbaum is highly knowledgeable about what is right and wrong with these influential but little-understood institutions. He shares his wisdom in this commentary of think tanks’ operations, funding streams, functions, influence over public policy, and the fundamental attitude changes they must make to stay relevant and helpful to national policy discussions.

Think tanks are vital sources of information and expertise. But their positions are often predictable, and they compete too fiercely with each other for resources and visibility, Weidenbaum notes, and the war of ideas often obscures the search for truth. He calls upon think-tank leaders to enhance their quality of scholarship, become more relevant, and cooperatively share research with each other. With substantial reorientation of their activities, they can help Americans achieve badly needed common ground amid deep partisan divides.

Dead Pool: Lake Powell, Global Warming, and the Future of Water in the West by James Lawrence Powell. University of California Press. 2008. 283 pages. $27.50.

Water shortages loom like circling buzzards over the great North American desert metropolises of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, according to physical-sciences professor Powell. He eyes signs of the trouble ahead in Lake Powell, bordering on Utah and Arizona, which has atrophied to less than half its original size under the strains of a dam and reservoir system that continually releases more water than the lake receives, as well as a burgeoning population and escalating farm industry that both consume too much of the Colorado River, Lake Powell’s mainstay.

The problem is likely to worsen due to global warming and warming-related drought, the author warns. Developers built the dams and reservoirs in the nineteenth century to direct the river’s water toward thirsty communities; those communities thrived as a result. Only in hindsight, Powell says, we are realizing that the system’s developers grossly overestimated the river’s capacity, and did not anticipate either population booms or a warming climate. Business as usual cannot continue, he argues. Public officials at all levels will have to effect change—reformed water-management policy locally, and decisive action against global warming nationally—lest their populations suffer an arid future.

Evolution’s Edge: The Coming Collapse and Transformation of Our World by Graeme Taylor. New Society Publishers. 2008. 306 pages. Paperback. $24.95.

Our global system is about to collapse and be replaced by a budding new one, according to sustainable-development consultant Taylor. Our current ways of greed, overconsumption, and violence are not sustainable, he asserts; we must therefore make a fundamental evolution toward conservation, cooperation, and equality or become victims of our own success like the many great civilizations that have come and gone before us.

That evolution is already taking place, says Taylor. We can see it in the institutions and organizations around the world that are shifting toward holistic ideas, values, and technologies. He explains why their shift represents the crucial evolution that our world must undergo, and presents the actions we can take to accelerate it.

Free Market Madness: Why Human Nature Is at Odds with Economics—And Why It Matters by Peter A. Ubel. Harvard Business School Press. 2009. 240 pages. $26.95.

How free should we really be? Ubel, a physician, examines this question while considering the many patients he has treated for conditions that arose from their poor decision making: overeating, excess alcohol consumption, smoking, and other behaviors. Though some of his patients’ behaviors are genetic, much more of them are due to their susceptibility to modern marketing advertising, he argues. People often choose things that are not good for them. In a free marketplace, one is free to make unhealthy decisions.

Ubel encourages a societal reexamination of freedom and self-control. Government should put some restrictions in place for the sake of people’s well-being, but people should in turn learn to practice sufficient self-control and long-term thinking so that it may not have to.

Global Catastrophes and Trends: The Next Fifty Years by Vaclav Smil. MIT Press. 2008. 307 pages. $29.95.

Geographer Vaclav Smil discusses the factors that will shape the next 50 years of life on Earth in both positive and destructive ways. Change comes about in gradual trends as well as in sudden catastrophes. Gradual trends in demographics, economics, and resource consumption will substantially impact the futures and fortunes of every prominent player on the world stage: Europe, Japan, the Middle East, Russia, and the United States.

If we do not pay close attention to the trends, we may be surprised by consequent catastrophes such as viral pandemics, terrorist attacks, and wars. It is crucial that we keep aware of change, says Smil; if we do, we may be able to reverse the negative trends and minimize future catastrophes.

Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth by Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener. Wiley-Blackwell. 2008. 290 pages. $24.95.

Happiness is healthy, but only in moderate doses, according to psychology professor Ed Diener and his son, psychologist Robert Biswas-Diener. The duo share the findings of the latest research on human happiness: the benefits of happiness, what makes people happy, what does not, and ways we can become happier.

A sunny outlook can benefit your physical health, enrich your social relationships, increase your income, lengthen your life span, and make you more altruistic. But too much happiness is not so good for you; you need to be happy for the right reasons and in the right ways, the researchers warn. This means seeking long-term life satisfaction, or psychological wealth, and not limiting oneself to short-term euphoria. The authors describe what psychological wealth entails and how to get it. A truly feel-good read.

Imagining America in 2033: How the Country Put Itself Together after Bush
by Herbert J. Gans. University of Michigan Press. 2008. 210 pages. $24.95.

In this utopian scenario, it is 25 years since the 2008 elections, and the excesses of the Bush administration are a distant memory. Sociologist Gans imagines a hopeful future scenario for an America that is freer, more humane, and more just. Its citizens, their elected officials, and the three succeeding Democratic presidencies leading them have made the economy more equitable, the democratic process more participatory, and all institutions more responsive to the needs of the people they are meant to serve. People are less polarized, less angry, less paranoid, more trusting of others, and more confident in their government.

Gans lays out a step-by-step process for how this better time might come into fruition, including the policies that three hypothetical Democratic administrations succeeding Bush might pursue—and political battles they might wage—in the realms of domestic, foreign, and social policy.

In the Name of Justice: Leading Experts Reexamine the Classic Article “The Aims of Criminal Law” edited by Timothy Lynch. Cato Institute. 2008. 176 pages. $35.

Criminal justice needs to evolve, argues a panel of judges and scholars in essays compiled by Lynch, project director on criminal justice for the libertarian think tank Cato Institute. The essays weigh in on the congested court dockets, voluminous legal codes, overcrowded prisons, and other trends that raise concern within the U.S. criminal justice system, as well as the unique challenges posed by terrorism, drug trafficking, and sexual predators. They identify a problem of “overcriminalization,” or too many laws and too little public awareness of them; millions of well-meaning adults are technically criminals and don’t even know it. The writers conclude that communities need to work with courts to design an upgraded system that is simpler, clearer, and more respectful of individual liberty.

Men to Boys: The Making of Modern Immaturity by Gary Cross. Columbia University Press. 2008. 316 pages. $29.50.

The “boy-man” is everywhere in American society today, according to historian Cross: boyfriends who never commit to marriage, professional males who obsess over video games, fathers who fight with their sons’ Little-League umpires, husbands who prefer tinkering with their cars to family interaction, and leaders of business or government who exhibit garishly immature behavior. All are symptoms of deep confusion among men about what “maturity” is and whether they want to achieve it, Cross writes. Too many opt to live like teenagers forever, shirking marriage and personal commitments while reveling in comic books, extreme sports, and the endless pursuit of personal experience and self-gratifying thrills.

The problem is historic: Members of the “Greatest Generation” were steady providers but emotionally aloof, whereas the baby boomers were very sensitive and expressive but ambivalent toward steady providing. Generation X dismissed both models and dived into cynicism and sensuality that negated growing up. And while rejecting old models of maturity, the Gen Xers failed to generate any new ones. It is up to today’s young people to find a new ethos that reconciles personal desire and ethical adulthood, Cross argues. Men need to recognize their adult responsibilities to their partners, families, and communities. A thought-provoking read for men and women of all walks of life.

Networked Publics edited by Kazys Varnelis. The MIT Press. 2008. 176 pages. $35.

Are we more connected than ever, more isolated, or both? Architecture professor Varnelis and 11 other scholars from a cross-section of disciplines explore the ways that communications technologies are transforming human society for better and worse. The technologies are great democratizers of media and information access, but they have the power to undermine democratic society and corrode public discourse. They can empower an individual to take on many commitments, but only at great cost to his or her non-digital commitments.

The authors discuss issues of privacy, net neutrality, intellectual property, the Internet’s effects on political expression and mobilization, and many more. The book is the collaborative result of a year-long fellowship program at the Annenberg Center for Communication at the University of Southern California.

Philanthrocapitalism: How the Rich Can Save the World by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green. Bloomsbury. 2008. 298 pages. $27.

Changing the world is big business, Economist editor Bishop and development-expert Green report in Philanthrocapitalism. The two authors take stock of the new generation of wealthy humanitarians such as Bono, Bill Gates, George Soros, and Angelina Jolie, who invest vast fortunes in social change and promote their causes through business and marketing strategies. They mark a sharp break from the philanthropists of yesteryear, who only donated funds.
These new philanthropists are investors, not donors, the authors observe. These investors donate funds and then commit their career lives to keeping their beneficiaries accountable and successful, and the world owes them for this work.

In decades ahead, as governments struggle to meet environmental and societal challenges despite shrinking tax bases, philanthrocapitalists may be a crucial force for good. Bishop and Green weave together personal profiles and anecdotes with big-picture analyses.

The Power of Sustainable Thinking: How to Create a Positive Future for the Climate, the Planet, Your Organization and Your Life by Bob Doppelt. Earthscan. 2008. 218 pages. $29.95.

Resolving the climate crisis will require major changes in the way we think, according to psychologist Doppelt. He psychoanalyzes the world’s socioeconomic status quo and identifies destructive patterns of thinking running rampant throughout: overcompetition, individualism, short-term thinking, a make-take-waste view toward resources, cheaper-is-better, blind faith in technology, and others. Humanity must reframe its thought patterns and embrace a new logic of personal, social and environmental costs and benefits.

Doppelt proposes a stage-based recovery program that individuals, teams, organizations, and society as a whole can adopt to develop sustainable mind-sets and motivate others to do likewise.

Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country by Sudeep Chakravarti. Viking. 2008. 352 pages. $24.

India’s much-hyped economic growth masks persistent and widespread social inequalities, according to futurist-journalist Chakravarti, who tells the story of the Maoist insurgency that has been waging combat in cities, jungles, and villages against their nation’s capitalist system since the 1960s. The “Naxalists,” as the insurgents are called after their home base in the West Bengali village Naxalbari, grew over time from a local militia movement into a present-day leftist political phenomenon that unites peasants and sympathetic intellectuals across 15 of India’s 28 states. Naxalite-organized strikes and counterstrikes in which demonstrators and police are killed have become common news fodder in India’s daily press.

Chakravarti recounts his travels through Naxalite zones and his discussions with Naxalite leaders and sympathizers, combining interviews and anecdotes with extensive background history to present a grim behind-the-scenes view of India and the dangers that lie ahead for it. Followers of economic and world news will find this an enlightening and disturbing account.

Space Enterprise: Living and Working Offworld in the 21st Century by Philip Robert Harris. Springer Praxis. 2008. 616 pages. $39.95.

Governments around the world are now pooling their resources to explore, and one day colonize, outer space. International management professor Harris details how their endeavors might unfold. He examines the current efforts in China, Europe, Japan, Russia, and the United States toward achieving space-based living, and assesses the challenges to continued progress—technical difficulties, physical and psychological hazards, coordination among sometimes hostile nations—and what it will take to overcome them.

Harris delves into the nitty-gritty commercial, legal, and political complications, and the long-term ways that global space exploration will transform the world’s cultures, economies, and political systems. Appendices speculate on particulars such as a Declaration of First Principles for the Governance of Outer Space Colonies, a Lunar Solar Power System, the development of space-based health-care teams, and the plans for the International Lunar Observatory, now under construction and expected to be operational within the next two years.

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey with Eric Hagerman. University of California Press. 2008. 283 pages. $27.50.

Our best defense against mood disorders, learning disabilities, addictions, and the symptoms of menopause and Alzheimer’s is not a new drug—it’s aerobic exercise, according to physician Ratey. He explores the many scientifically demonstrated ways that exercising boosts brain activity. Our brains gain strength when we stay physically active. There is much truth to the old aphorism of “a sound mind in a sound body,” and Ratey thoroughly demonstrates it with a complete list of reasons for us all to take exercise seriously.