Rambling nonsense 2010-07-08

Reviewer: P. Hartley

If you want to read about Hezbollah terrorists , an amateur analysis on the history of art, and various other hateful or meaningless drivel, read this book.

Change Is Not a Choice 2010-06-09

Reviewer: Rod Collins

Joshua Cooper Ramo has written the manual for harnessing the infectious energy of change to make sense of our unprecedented and unpredictable times. Whether we like it or not, we are suddenly discovering that change is not a choice - it has unavoidably become become the very center of our lives. Ramo's main argument is that we now find ourselves at the dawn of a new revolutionary era of surprise and innovation where we must all learn to act like revolutionaries or risk becoming victims of misjudgments from old ways of seeing and thinking. Leaders who continue to employ out-of-date models better suited for a world now several centuries behind us are ill-prepared for the challenges presented by rapid and surprising change. That's because, in a fast-changing world, what matters most is "often hidden in corners where the usual 'experts' in their professions don't - or can't - easily look."

In the old more predictable mechanistic world, experts applying their linear thinking could provide answers that worked. In more stable times, we could rely on heroes and stars to lead the way. Today is different. A key reality of this new revolutionary era is that its complex emergent problems are beyond the comprehension of any one person. Ramo makes the point that when society's fundamental problems evolve from being linear to nonlinear, the questions change. And when you ask different questions, you get different answers. That's why rapid and surprising change originating from a dorm room at Stanford can remake the business landscape.

Revolutions always produce winners and losers. The losers will be those who can't adapt because they remain trapped in old structures. The winners will be those who embrace new technologies that can accomplish what was previously unthinkable. If you are a leader who wants to be among the winners, this book shows you how to manage differently to thrive in the Age of the Unthinkable.

Warning: This book will make you think 2010-05-30

Reviewer: Tom Bruce

I'm sitting in a bar and one of the four TVs on the wall in front of me is showing the Glen Beck program. There's no sound, but enough character generation for me to discern the topic of the show is three books, "The Survivors Club; The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life" by Ben Sherwood, "America's Prophet; Moses and the American Story" by Bruce Feiler, and this book. Beck is claiming that many are referring to these tomes as a trilogy. After reading all three, I fail to make the connection, but I suppose a trilogy could even be comprised of "Moby Dick," "Huckleberry Finn," and "Peyton Place." Although I enjoyed all three books discussed by Beck and the authors, "The Age of the Unthinkable" is by far my favorite of the trio. Possibly because it's basic premise is one I strongly believe: the world is too complex and out of control to be managed. Author Ramo graphically describes the situation we now face through his "sandpile" theory, which is profound in its simplicity. He presents the history that got us to this point and then offers hope for the future. Ramo goes beyond presenting the pessimistic philosophy of the current state of unpredictability and presents several compelling thoughts about how we can gain control again through unconventional thinking and fresh ideas. He offers a blueprint for the future. My wish is that the world leaders and those who wish to lead take this book to heart. But, the book is not only for leaders. It also gives individuals tasks they can perform to bring about an order to the New World. From Donkey Kong, to Budweiser, to breaking the Internet, this book is rich in thought provoking concepts and fascinating sidebars to history that brought us to this point. Not only is this book entertaining, it's important for us to understand its concepts to secure a possible future for the world around us.

Order Out of Chaos? 2010-05-17

Reviewer:

POWERFUL. Not a fast fiction novel. Well researched and written. (See Bio and Index at the end of the book.) Found myself rereading sentences and paragraphs to get a glimmer of the significance of what I just read. I'll read the book again and possibly again.

Rich exploration of the current world situation 2010-05-10

Reviewer: Carol C. Schwarz

Ramo brings a wealth of experiences to his analysis of our psychological mindset. I hope the current administration reads this book!