A wake up call to what we are loosing in the west.

No relentlessly pessimistic with a few practical answers to the problems this book is worth a listen to because it will wake you up to some of the areas that we all need to pay more attention to.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A unifying book for left and right

This book outlines what all sensible people knew to be true but didn’t have the educational background to piece together to understand the problems we see in society holistically. It’s none ideological, and brings in a much needed historical account of the past which coupled with its evidence of today, predicts the future.

It reminds us that, those who are ignorant of history, often become it’s victims.

Amazing book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A must read for anyone who cares about their future.

A very concise and accurate portrayal of the meta trends at work. I think to get a more accurate picture one also has to take into account the other historical cycles at play. Read Wheeler, Armstrong, Harari, Davison and Rees-Mogg + Howe and Strauss to get a really accurate understanding of how the coming neo-Feudalism fits into the changing epoc of human interaction; the Information Age.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Great read

A must read, explanations for much of what is transpiring right now. Knowledge is power

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Well read book with some good information.

I enjoyed this book its well narrated and there is some good information but I'd recommend it more for people that havnt followed modern politics too closely. it didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

An important topic poorly examined.

I agree with the two main themes; there is a worrying concentration of wealth, and anti climate change measures are disproportionately harming the poor.

However, the author used a lot of rhetorical fallacies, including presenting stat's and quotes to "prove" arguments without context or nuance. The author's personal and cognitive biases pepper this book.

I'd say this reads like someone trying to bludgeon the audience into accepting what they feel is right rather than an examination of ideas.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

very educational and eyes opening

Very educational and eyes opening, what our children are facing in their near future, problems which have been brought upon us by the greed and will to multiply the profits on the cost of the rest of the society

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Well researched, but lacking courage of his convictions

A well put together and researched book, and for 6 hrs 15 mins I enjoyed and agreed with many of Kotkins points.
But when it got to his values proposal he bottled it and reverted to every bad idea pushed by his social democrat ilk for the past 50 years.
I find people like Kotkin infuriating they see how badly let down people have been by liberal democracy and find it easy to hide behind statistics which prove the point.
But when required to come up with ways to stem the tide they are so scared of being kicked out of the liberal social democratic circle they revert to type.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Essential to understand the current times

This explains alot of the manouverings going on today. Democracy is dying. We need to build up our resilience, resistance, and unleash a rebellious spirit towards our would be technocratic overlords.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

interesting and insightful but has some flaws

Kotkin's overview of current society, raises several points suggest a decline of the middle class in importance, prosperity and morality. It also makes a point of a moral collapse. This seems deeply flawed leading to a "young people suck these days" argument which damages the overall thesis. it adds fuel to the misnomer that the media keeps peddling serving as a distraction to what unabashed captial disparity is doing to our soceity. There also seems a lack of engagement with where we should go from here, other than to try a revert back fifty years. Something that seems complete pipe dream since Reagan and Thatcher. It however still has some very accurate points of a economic trend which is certainly happening. His historical summaries are also fairly insightful. Worth a read if this stuff is of interest to you- it probably should be but take it with a pinch of salt. He values the middle class above all which gets laughably bizarre at some points, as if he is correct its already far too late and ultimately inevitable.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful