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As the Future Catches You: How Genomics & Other Forces Are Changing Your Life, Work, Health & Wealth (平装)
by Juan Enriquez
| Category:
Non-fiction |
| Market price: ¥ 158.00
MSL price:
¥ 148.00
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MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
The 1990s version of John Nesbitt's Megatrends, this book is an excellent introduction to our future society. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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Nicholas Negroponte (author of Being Digital) (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
After reading As the Future Catches You, shocking propositions feel like common sense. Juan Enriquez will change your view of change itself. |
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Roger Fisher (coauthor of Getting to Yes) (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
By far the best book I know to help us understand and cope with the powerful technologies that are about to change every aspect of our lives. |
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Hamilton O. Smith (Nobel laureate in medicine) (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
With amazing insight and a graphical, almost poetical style of writing, Enriquez describes how computers, genomics, and other new technologies are shaping our present and future. |
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Charlie Guenther (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
As the Future Catches You, by Juan Enriquez, is a great book that explains the future, past, and present state of the economy. The book is written in many different types of font, which makes it interesting when the reader becomes tired of facts. It includes many statistics that amaze the reader by how large a gap there is between the wealthier countries and the poorer countries. The book is hard to understand at times because of the business language and confusing information. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in business and is willing to take the time not only to read it, but also understand the content. Also the reader might want to be of a certain age before they try to read it so they can have a better understanding of it. The book focuses on four main countries, USA, Mexico, China, and Japan. The writing style was clear and had a new approach that made it enjoyable. The information presented made it impossible to stop reading because you wanted to learn what happened next to the country. Each country took form and was a type of character that the reader sees through the tough times and through the good times. This book helped me understand how fast the economy is changing and how much more business is coming to depend on knowledge and not manpower or natural resources. |
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Philip Carl (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
With a blend of lightweight prose, interesting statistics, and the ability to draw important conclusions from our current state of technology and science, Juan Enriquez delivers a book that you'll read in one sitting. As part of a team of scientists and software engineers that is building a genomic knowledge base, I completely agree that the unraveling of DNA sequences and the functions that each of the genes and proteins are coded for will forever change our future.
The author illustrates key changes in human history as being brought on by the introduction of a new language and makes the point the digital technology is really the language of zeros and ones and that our life sciences will be written in a language of 4 characters.
I was happy to see the author tackle the social impacts brought on by the rapid march of technology. He's keenly aware of the digital divide in the standard of living between countries that are harnessing and growing their technology skills and those that are not. The point is clearly hammered home when you see the large gap in the number of patents issues by a country like Mexico versus the United States. The situation is not being helped by many of the brightest minds leaving their lesser-developed homelands for greater financial rewards in the United States. The book offers up some obvious solutions for addressing the global divide in technology, but not at length. In all, the book serves as an excellent appetizer for getting a taste of our future direction. |
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Henry Koether (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
Every now and then there is a book that absolutely captures the imagination. As the Future Catches You clearly caught me. The writing style is more like poetry than prose, but works very well. Rather than sorting through detailed text, Enriquez hits you with bullet point after bullet point to get his message across. Loaded with facts, insight and some futuristic dreaming which you become convinced is more reality than dream, the book fascinated me from start to finish.
I think Enriquez is absolutely correct in his assessment of the critical importance of knowledge in the future. He focuses on genomics as the main wave, but certainly points out the importance of the data technology wave. The one wave that is missing is the demographic wave of the rapid aging of the Western world. That force, I believe, only further validates his arguments for the importance of knowledge and the dangerous ledge upon which Europe is perched.
Europe is fighting the genomics wave and is about to be overwhelmed by the demographic wave. An interesting follow up to Enriquez' work would be the future of Europe.
Great book. Captivating and thought provoking. If you want a glimpse of the future, get this one.
My only complaint is what appears to be a mixing of some financial facts. Comparing Microsoft's market capitalization to the exports of Latin American in a given year is comparing wealth to income. It seems this is done often, but the points being made are still valid. |
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M. Barry (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
The PowerPoint text-heavy style makes for a book than can be picked up and read in a series of bursts. The genomics component was relatively new to me, but with a little research I was able to observe differences between what the author forecast in 2001 and today. Enriquez' observations and point of view on economics and education are more telling four years later, however. They provide a solid frame of reference in which to understand why the genomics "revolution" has been slowed. More importantly, the economic and education discussion offers an explanation of the widening gap between haves and have nots that helps explain current events. Simply put, societies that apply technology and value science provide the basis for immense wealth creation to take place. Societies that, in the author's words, expect the umbrella of a glorious past to protect them from forces of change driven by advancing technology are doomed to fall behind.
Immediately after this book I picked up "Dream Palace of the Arabs" and realized that many backward-looking middle eastern societies professing "love of the land" and desires to restore "homelands" are completely missing any opportunities for catching up with western culture [or at least its potential for economic productivity] and are doomed to falling further behind. Societies where poets are glorified and contributions of engineers are denigrated can't be helped by any amount of economic assistance and even those that export natural resources today will be in trouble when those source of income start to fall off. Reading As the Future Catches You with an eye toward today's headlines of unrest and resentment of the US in the middle east and misguided protests over globalization and offshoring of jobs provides deeper insight than offered by the popular [but shallow] media. |
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Daniel Maloney (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
I have been hypnotized by this seemingly brief book for over a month now. Initially, I was attracted to the cover of the book (ideas catching fire) - at least enough to take a closer look inside - what I now consider one of the most important books to be published this year.
On first glance, once I saw that As the Future Catches You dealt with what appeared to be "scientific" topics, I was inclined to put it back down on the counter and move on. The pure sciences have never been my greatest interest or strength. Yet, as I started to read the headings of the sections of the book, and sampled some of the initial ideas, the fire that the cover portrays lit inside me! After reading the first ten pages I was absolutely 'ablaze'.
Ironically, this short book has taken me longer to work through than most 500 or 600 page books I have read. It is a collection of facts, cases, arguments, criticisms and scenarios that demand some serious and sometimes sobering thought and reflection. My now well worn book is filled with notes and underlining, along with personal reflections that grew out of points that the author made, or catalyzed, in my own mind while considering his presentation.
Juan Enriquez writes very clearly and compellingly about how the future will be significantly different than the present. While many of us are quite proud of the change we have managed to adapt to in the past decade as technology diffusion took place and changed our world in record time, we have likely given little thought to what other changes we might need to prepare ourselves to face in the short term. As the Future Catches You - does just that. It gets our attention in a very big way.
Juan Enriquez informs us that the rapidly emerging advances in genome research, coupled with technology and economics will change us in ways that will make the technological revolution of the past decade seem minor
The author presents a book that appears playful on the one hand because of the layout and creative use of type font but all of that is actually hypnotically deceptive. This little `playful' book is a very serious instrument, which clobbers us over the head, page after page, with particularly compelling facts, conclusions and new food for thought - page after page, over and over.
Enriquez urges us to prepare for what is to come - not by looking in our rear view mirrors while driving onward- but by opening our eyes, facing front, hanging on tight, getting ready for the ride and a fast one it will be at that!
The genetic revolution is well underway. This is not a "could happen" book. In As the Future Catches You, we meet figures whose names are not yet known in many households- yet these are names that will become as important, if not more so, that the greatest change leaders our world has ever encountered. These are the researchers and other members of the `knowledge' community, all seekers, who are already far beyond most of us in their thinking and in what they have already achieved. These folks are not celebrity figures. We don't hear about them everyday. There isn't much interest in their personal lives. Theirs is not a `sexy' medium or industry. Yet, these trailblazing scouts are already far out on a pretty uncharted path drawing up some maps that many of us will eventually come to likely know like the `back of our own hands.' These men and women are leading the charge on a new and very dramatic wave of changes in scientific, social, ethical, psychological, physical, spiritual and personal realms.
Every educated person needs to know more about these men and women and their work. And we need that information YESTERDAY!
Genes, Computers, Economics, Knowledge, Globalism, Education. In combination, within new fields, some of which we don't even know what to call, we are about to see a diffusion of innovation that is building to a launch speed unlike any timeframe or pace we, or our ancestors and their forbearers, has ever witnessed.
Enriquez seems to want to shake us, shock us, electrify us, cajole us, insult us and use whatever means he can to get us to make a personal "leap of faith" toward better preparedness for the future. His efforts did that to me. I am sitting up straight and paying lots of attention!
This initially reluctant reader is convinced that Juan Enriquez is absolutely on target. The train is leaving the station. Our choice is whether we want to be on the train or we want to watch its rear end as it leaves - whether to be a part of the trip or to be left behind! This is the decision that each of us will need to face. So too, every country around the world will need to pay complete attention to this same question. A journey is starting. Are we going to be a part of it? Or, will we be left behind wondering what we didn't know that we obviously have lost out as a result of our ignorance.
While we may seek to dismiss the ideas Enriquez outlines as possibly overblown, or far too science-fiction- like, his research is so completely thorough, his arguments so compelling and clear and his conclusions so obvious, that it is hard to dismiss what is reported to us.
I believe that this is a book every college and university should immediately add into its curriculum as required reading for careful study. Any person being initially educated for tomorrow's world at this point must be steeped in the language that Juan Enriquez only introduces us to in his small effort.
For those of us who have completed our formal education, it's time to get our minds in full gear again; it's time to do a bit of studying and learning all over again! While some of us may have had some fantasies about a slower paced tomorrow - at least slower than the last ten years of change - it seems we "ain't seen nothing" yet! So we better get ready! It's time to travel - forward!
An Outstanding Mind Expanding Read! |
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Lee Carlson (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
After reading this book, it could be said with fairness that the author has written it for the reader with voracious curiosity, for the reader who is aware of the dizzying rate of technological change sweeping this century, for the reader who is giddy with delight at the sheer quantity of current scientific advances, or for all three. He wants to convey to the reader the excitement he feels about living in these times, and he succeeds in doing so. The book is sparse, with an abundance of room between the sentences and in the margins. The author has purposely made this space available, for the reader's notes, questions, or contemplations. There is a lot to fill in these spaces: the following is just a short sample of this reviewer's fillings: a modest summary of developments that even though valid this week may be obsolete the week after next (or even sooner).
The genetic engineering of mosquitoes: The author describes them as being "flying hypodermic needles" and proposes that they be genetically engineered to deliver antibodies instead of harmful pathogens or even to immunize against malaria. His proposals are supported by current research, in that it has been discovered that certain proteins in mosquitoes determine the efficacy of the reproduction of the parasite "falciparum plasmodium" in the Anopheles mosquito. In order to infect humans, the malaria parasite has to be able to reproduce in the mosquito. There are actually four proteins involved here, called TEP1, LRIM1, CTL4, and CTLMA2. The proteins TEP1 and LRIM1 are part of the immune system of the mosquito, essentially killing the parasite in the mosquito gut. The proteins CTL4 and CTLMA2 however act to protect the parasite as it develops in the mosquito gut. When these proteins are eliminated, the mosquito immune system is able to rid the mosquito of these parasites. Since over two million people die of malaria each year, if mosquitoes can be genetically engineered to be highly resistant to the falciparum plasmodium and then released in the wild to displace existing wildtype mosquitoes, this would be a worthwhile goal.
Creatures that can thrive in extreme environments: The author mentions the bacterium 'Deinococcus radiodurans' as being one whose habitat happens to be inside a nuclear reactor. He reports that it can survive 3 Mrads of radiation, which is an incredible amount since this amount would clearly kill a human being. This bacterium was mentioned in the context of finding extraterrestrial life (possibly on Mars). Its genome has been completely sequenced, and a perusal of NCBI reveals that it is composed of two chromosomes, a megaplasmid, and a small plasmid, but it is unclear as to why the bacterium is so resilient to radiation. The genome by itself does not reveal why it is. The author reports research that indicates that it is able to do this by possessing many copies of the same gene and a superb capability for repairing. Readers can read the references given for further contemplation on this fascinating organism. If the genome of this organism can be understood in more detail, it may become possible to tune it via transgenic methods or some other genetic manipulation strategies in order to create organisms that are resilient to even harsher environments.
The "Mycoplasma genitalium" parasitic bacterium: The author discusses this organism in the context of the research of Craig Venter and Claire Fraser, which attempted to discover which genes are actually necessary for the organism's survival. Other than viruses, this organism is the simplest living organism known that is able to reproduce itself. The author reports that after eliminating 180 genes, Venter and Fraser refrained from further removal until they consulted ethicists. The specific goal of their research was to find out whether the naturally occurring genes are in fact the true "minimal" genome. Their research indicated that, out of the 480 protein-coding genes of M. genitalium, from 265 to 350 of these genes are essential (at least in the conditions of the laboratory). These experiments are now viewed under the classification of 'synthetic biology', a field whose goal is construct organisms using genetic sequences of one's choice. This will entail a thorough understanding of error correction in the assembly of DNA sequences and of the processes used to precisely join these sequences. This research is very exciting, for if DNA can be synthesized cheaply and efficiently and then assembled into complete and stable genomes, this will allow the creation of organisms on-the-fly, according to various specifications.
These organisms could be synthesized for explicit human benefits (but there is a danger also of some being synthesized for detrimental purposes).
Machine processing power: The author reports that by 2010 a computing machine will have the same processing capacity as the human brain. This prediction is believable if you look at current trends, but it is difficult to understand its relevance. One might argue that such machines will allow researchers to reach the goal of creating machines that have the same type or level of intelligence as humans. But another scenario is possible. There are many machines now that are intelligent and were designed to be so in order to tackle problems that are too computationally complex for ordinary (non-intelligent) machines to solve in an acceptable time frame (due to their speed of computation). The intelligent machines of today are domain-specific and use a number of heuristics in order to avoid the problem of computational complexity. They thus use their limited processing power optimally for solving various problems of interest. But if more processing power is available, as the author believes it will, then this may eliminate the need for intelligence in machines. The machines of 2010 will be able to solve problems by brute-force (non-intelligent) algorithms since they have the computational horsepower to do so. |
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Peter Valentine (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-25 00:00>
This book is about life science called Genomics. It combines information technology and genetics. It is becoming the focus and fulcrum of our future culture and economy as a convergence of the digital revolution, genetics and the knowledge economy. Other sprouting life sciences are biotechnology and nanotechnology.
A major theme of this book is that knowledge is our most important product. It should concern us that America has had 5% fewer graduates every year since 1990 in the high-tech fields. Moralistic concerns and various cultural and legal barriers exist to such an extent in other countries that many of their top scientists end up here - to which we should be grateful for the added expertise.
The new economy is already showing us genetically altered vegetables and many patents on new animal DNA structures. There is a rat, for instance, that is being produced that has a high incidence of cancer and is therefore very helpful in cancer research.
The book addresses possible new concerns as this economy expands and creates an even larger gulf between the living standards of countries that embrace the new knowledge and those that hang on to the old.
We are learning about genes. Genes store an unbelievable amount of information. We can alter genes. Tomorrows computers and health services will benefit enormously from this research.
Absolutely fun and full of facts. It would have been SCI-FI 10 years ago. It deserves a serious look. |
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1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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