What will life be like in America, Europe, Japan, and China in the year 2020?
As the world grows increasingly interconnected and inter-related by globalization, economic crisis and new technologies, the answer to this important question depends largely on the paths taken by the world's major nations. In" Futurecast," Robert J. Shapiro, a man world leaders and heads of industry look to for straight talk on the global economic, political and financial affairs, sketches the future with a critical eye to tell us what our world will really be like over the next decade. In this brief time, he foresees monumental changes caused by three historic new forces-- globalization, the aging of societies, and America's role as a sole superpower with no near peer-- that will determine the paths of nations and the lives of countless millions.
- The U.S. and China will be the world's two indispensable economies, dominating the course of globalization.
- Globalization will continue to shift heavy manufacturing and millions of high-end service jobs from advanced countries like the U.S., to China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Romania, Turkey and other developing nations.
- Europe's major nations and Japan will face the prospect of serious economic decline and critical problems in their retirement pension systems, pushing them further towards the periphery of global economic and geopolitical power.
- Every major country--the U.S., Europe, Japan, China--will face critical problems maintaining their health care systems, and the entire world will face a slow-motion crisis over energy supplies and the need to confront climate change.
In an unstable world, Robert Shapiro's "Futurecast" is a necessary road map to the coming years.
Robert J. Shapiro is chairman of Sonecon, LLC, an economic advisory firm, and a fellow at numerous academic and research institutions. He served as Under Secretary of Commerce from 1997-2001 and as Bill Clinton's principal economic advisor in the 1992 campaign. He also advised the campaign and transition of Barack Obama. He lives in Washington, D.C.
In" Futurecast," Robert Shapiro, former United States Under Secretary of Commerce and Chairman and Co-founder of Sonecon, looks into the future to how the world will be changing in the dozen years between 2008 and 2020. Though that time span seems brief, Shapiro foresees monumental changes caused by three forces--globalization, the aging of societies, and America's role as a sole superpower--will determine the paths of nations and the lives of their citizens. What will the job market look like? What will happen to health care? How safe will people be at home or abroad? Even more so than they do today, the economy, the health system, and an individual's safety will depend on where he or she resides.
According to Shapiro's predictions, the U.S. and China will be the world's two indispensable economies, dominating the course of globalization. Even as China expands its military and its economy, America will be the world's sole superpower for at least the next generation, and continue to lead efforts to preserve global security and stability.
Meanwhile, Shapiro says, globalization will continue to shift most heavy manufacturing and millions of high-end service jobs to China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Romania, Turkey and other developing nations. Europe's major nations and Japan will face the prospect of genuine economic decline and critical problems in their retirement pension systems, moving further towards the periphery of global economic and geopolitical power.
Every major country will face critical problems within their health care systems. The worldwide energy crisis and climate change will continue to create challenges across the globe and the consequences will become increasingly apparent in daily life.
The threat of terrorism, Shapiro warns, will add a wildcard to what is already the most challenging period in modern times. These global developments will impact every nation's plans for the future. "Futurecast" is a portfolio of information to guide individuals as they prepare for the years to come.
"Rob Shapiro's prescient and insightful book probes the confluence of challenges that society will face in the coming years. He argues that our world has become increasingly interdependent, and we must foster global cooperation to achieve a sustainable existence with equal opportunity for all. "Futurecast" is a vital resource for anyone seeking to understand the world our children will inherit."--President Bill Clinton
"A storm warning at a time when food shortages, higher energy prices and a credit crunch are forcing our heads out of the sand: if they turn to "Futurecast," they will find an argument that gives us a measure of what we should expect from our political leaders--and from ourselves--if we are to continue our civilisation on the high plateau we have managed to reach."--"The Financial Times
""Alarming but challenging. A dense yet well-written overview of the heavy factors that will remake the world. A thorough and gifted analysis."--"Management Today
""A new world economy is emerging before our very eyes. Robert Shapiro not only understands the breadth and depth of these enormous changes but also is able to communicate them in a way that is clear, powerful and readily understandable. This is a brilliantly written book and a compelling analysis--that provides extremely valuable insights into the enormous and historic transitions now underway that will profoundly affect the world's major economies for decades to come."--Robert Hormats, Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs International
"In America today, we are sorely in need of the big ideas that will elevate our electoral and legislative processes above the level of fundraising and high stakes lobbying. In "Futurecast," Robert Shapiro creates the fertile ground from which these big ideas will spring by accurately predicting how a
