Frank Lavin talks with Olaf Groth, the author of “The Great Remobilization” and discusses the six major trends that will drive decisions in our personal lives, government policies, and business decision-making: 1. Covid and CRISPR; 2. Cognitive Technologies; 3. Crypto and distributed power; 4. Cyber security; 5. Climate Change; 6. China. Olaf moves on to discuss how corporations and governments should respond to meet – and perhaps even benefit from – these challenges. Olaf also suggests reading Ezra Klein’s “Abundance” and the work of our previous guest, “Apple in China” by Patrick McGee.

Frank Lavin talks with Patrick McGee, the author of “Apple in China” and discusses how Apple came to enjoy enormous success in China and eventually came to pay a price for that success, which Patrick terms “Faustian.” It is a fascinating book that encompasses some of the more important themes in the world today, including Globalization, the rise of China, tech policy, and supply chains. Patrick suggest also reading “The Maniac” by Benjamin Labatut.

Frank Lavin talks with Allen Weiner, the author of “The Highflier Handbook: How to be Seen and Become a Leader at Work” and discusses why some people fail to move ahead, even if they are strong performers. It has a lot to do with soft skills, collegiality, and perceptions. Allen challenges us as to how we can stand out while still being true to ourselves. In addition to reading his “The Highflier Handbook” Allen also recommends the Tom Clancy novels for insight as to how people can communicate and shape a consensus to advance their goals, starting with “Clear and Present Danger.”