Book

The Next Boom

What You Absolutely, Positively Have to Know About the World Between Now and 2025

Jack W. Plunkett

Plunkett Research, 2011

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Editorial Rating

Qualities

Eye Opening
Visionary

Recommendation

Corporate adviser Jack W. Plunkett compiles and publishes almanacs, such as the Engineering & Research Almanac and the Telecommunications Almanac. His long career of generating such overviews uniquely qualifies him as a specialist on the big picture. He mines his vast knowledge of how the world works now to suggest how it might work in 2025. Plunkett describes current conditions in research, education, nanotechnology, communications and demographics, and links them to underscore his belief that sustained economic growth awaits just over the horizon. However strong his argument, his grasp of the present sometimes dominates his idea of the future, and he may rely on factoids when a more unified narrative would be extra convincing. An optimist, Plunkett sees opportunity everywhere. Some might regard this as willful blindness, others as a precise guide to the next new thing. getAbstract recommends this far-reaching panorama to anyone deciding where to invest and wondering about the shape of things to come.

Summary

“Nothing Is New and Everything Changes All the Time”

A cellular phone is an updated telephone, which is an updated telegraph, which is an updated semaphore. Teleconferencing is a form of meeting, and people have met since the dawn of time. Being able to find existing structures within new developments will help you keep your bearings amid evolving technologies and strategies that leave less-flexible thinkers behind. No business, technological, medical or educational paradigm will stay the same. Change is the status quo.

“Building Blocks”

Worldwide markets are suffering a grievous downturn. Nations hover near insolvency. Consumers are retrenching and spending less. Yet “the foundations of the ‘Next Boom’ are already being laid.” Visionaries and those looking past yesterday’s dismal financial reports will see a universe of opportunity. Boom and bust cycles have been the nature of markets ever since one human traded with another. Just as the current bust cycle is playing out its final chapter, the next boom is building. Expect a “significant, multiyear era of growth in GDP that is positive for most of the world’s modern and emerging technologies.” The boom will...

About the Author

Jack W. Plunkett, CEO of Plunkett Research Ltd., is the author of more than 30 books. He is an adviser to top corporations, consulting firms, universities and government agencies.

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A. T. 1 decade ago

not very nostadamic ...a generic projection ..could be more detailed and factual..
D. B. 1 decade ago

In a sea of books that look at doom and gloom as the only logical conclusion of our current day crisis, it is refreshing to read something that is optimistic, yet convincing. The abstract talks about growth opportunities in general trends. I'm guessing I would have to get the book to obtain more specific investing ideas. I would recommend this abstract.