Earlier this week I logged this book.

The prologue and the first chapter are now available in PDF.

Table of Contents:

1. From Strollers to Walkers
2. Truth is Worse Than Fiction
3. Driving in LA with a Map of New York
4. Popular Tonics, Snake Oils, and Other Easy Fixes
5. Going Critical
6. Changing Course
7. Grab Your Life Jacket
8. Securing Your Future

The Coming Generational Storm | Sample Chapters

Today, physics is enjoying a revival in the social, political and economic sciences. In "Critical Mass", Philip Ball shows how much we can understand of human behavior when we ... look to the impact of individual decisions -- whether in circumstances of cooperation or conflict -- on our laws, institutions and customs.

This book will be published in June.

Critical Mass: How One Thing Leads to Another

A senior US defense official denied the report, telling Reuters it was "another piece of stray voltage that's passing around out there."

Can you say 'traceroute'?

US denies Iranian report of Bin Laden capture

It is always difficult to decipher just what the often-opaque Fed chairman means.

The New York Times shares your confusion.

Mr. Greenspan's Warning

But what has really carried Google to the top is a change in our perception of the Internet.

Memestreams is a core Internet technology.

Behind the Rise of Google Lies the Rise in Internet Credibility

In "The Future of Work", renowned organizational theorist Thomas Malone argues that a convergence of technological and economic factors -- particularly the rapidly falling cost of communication -- is enabling a change in business organizations as profound as the shift to democracy in governments. For the first time in history, it will be possible to have the best of both worlds -- the economic and scale efficiencies of large organizations, and the human benefits of small ones: freedom, motivation, and flexibility.

This new book, published by Harvard Business School Press, is either already out (according to HBSP) or soon to arrive (Amazon).

The Future of Work

Fortune magazine recently ran a story describing a study conducted by Peter Schwartz and Doug Randall for the Department of Defense.

Here is the public report of that study. (22 pages)

The purpose of this report is to imagine the unthinkable -- to push the boundaries of current research on climate change so we may better understand the potential implications on United States national security.

We have interviewed leading climate change scientists, conducted additional research, and reviewed several iterations of the scenario with these experts. The scientists support this project, but caution that the scenario depicted is extreme in two fundamental ways. First, they suggest the occurrences we outline would most likely happen in a few regions, rather than globally. Second, they say the magnitude of the event may be considerably smaller.

We have created a climate change scenario that although not the most likely, is plausible, and would challenge United States national security in ways that should be considered immediately.

National Security Implications of Abrupt Climate Change [PDF]

The authors analyze trends in and the implications of shifting demographic patterns, the pace of technological change, and the path of economic globalization.

If you are presently underemployed or deeply interested, it is worth spending the time to read the full 304 page report. You can also check out the research brief on the same topic; here's the abstract for the brief:

Trends in workforce size and composition and in the pace of technological change and economic globalization will have implications for the future of work. Employees will work in more decentralized, specialized firms; slower labor growth will encourage employers to recruit groups with relatively low labor force participation; greater emphasis will be placed on retraining and lifelong learning; and future productivity growth will support higher wages and may affect the wage distribution. Given this, some policies may need to be reexamined.

I recommend reading the summary, which consists of approximately 30 pages at the beginning of the full report.

The 21st Century at Work

There is a very good reason why Alan Greenspan is the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. It is unfortunate that John Edwards' "average Americans" do not pay more attention to the things that Greenspan tells them. Consider the 30-minute nightly local newscast; how much time is spent on Greenspan as compared to sports?

A critical aspect of wealth creation is the level of knowledge and skill of the population. Today, the knowledge required to run the economy, which is far more complex than in our past, is both deeper and broader than ever before. We need to ensure that education, formal or otherwise, is supplying skills adequate for the effective functioning of our economy.

The real income earned by a worker depends importantly on his or her intelligence and skill. ... The never-ending necessity to learn new skills is due to the gradually but inexorably changing nature of our economy. ... This rising complexity has required the labor force to be more and more technically oriented.

We need to be forward looking in order to adapt our educational system to the evolving needs of the economy and the realities of our changing society. Those efforts will require the collaboration of policymakers, education experts, and -- importantly -- our citizens.

It is an effort that should not be postponed.

Alan Greenspan on the Critical Role of Education

I was just wondering.

And has anyone seen my little puppy? His name is Compassion, and I can't find him anywhere. I'm afraid he may have been put to sleep, but it's also possible he's being detained as an unlawful combatant. There's really no telling; perhaps I'll never know. Regardless, the grave and gathering danger of unleashed Compassion has been contained. For the moment, anyway.

Put in perspective, this is all for the best, because Compassion felt really out of place in a post-9/11 world. Back in 2000, he was a real v^hgo-getter, but has since become a dog that just couldn't hunt.

I'm thinking a Collie is what I need now ...