Exponential

How to Bridge the Gap Between Technology and Society

By: Azeem Azhar

Narrated by: Azeem Azhar

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

A revelatory guide to how technology is changing the world, from the creator of Exponential View.

We are entering the Exponential Age.

Over the last decade, Azeem Azhar - writer, technologist and creator of the Exponential View platform - has become our leading thinker on how technology is transforming business, politics and society. Now, Azhar offers a holistic way to think about the effects of new tech. Our society, Azhar argues, is afflicted by an 'exponential gap' - the gulf between the growing pace of technological change, and our institutions' struggle to keep up.

Exponential reveals how this exponential gap can explain the most pressing problems of our age. The gulf between traditional businesses and fast-growing digital platforms. The inability of nation states to deal with new forms of cyberwarfare. The polarisation between tech-savvy urban elites and the rest of the population. And the sclerotic response of liberal democracies to fast-moving social problems.

But the exponential gap is not inevitable. Drawing on fields as varied as economics, political science and psychology, Azhar sketches out how we can harness the power of tech to serve our real needs - fostering new forms of politics, innovative ways of working and fresh approaches to national defence.

Exponential technology can become a force for good. This book explains how.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Azeem Azhar (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Azeem Azhar is one of the best-regarded thought leaders in the industry. But more importantly, he has a broad understanding of the exponential ways technology can be used to solve our biggest problems, shape our society and bridge cultural divides." (Daniel Ek, founder and CEO of Spotify)

Good examples and overview, more focused on policy rather than business aspects

It’s a nice book, well written and delivered. It offers lots of examples and outlines key concepts such as the exponential gap but at the same time it doesn’t go into too much detail about the exponential technologies of the future and they implication on the business of today which is a bit disappointing.

Relevant, well written and well read

The exponential technologies in computing, biotech, additive manufacturing and energy are going to alter the world and challenge the existing institutions in a way that is unprecedented. While one comes across a lot of literature that either scares one about the future, or those that are overly optimistic, one rarely comes across a balanced, deep and cutting edge analysis of all four. I have been following Azeem's newsletters and podcasts, but this book certainly goes a step beyond and synthesizes most of his wisdom to come up with a very relevant read for any technology enthusiast, policy maker, politician, and general curious public. A full five star for his narration that is crisp and clear if you listen to it on audible!

Nice but no Wow

The book is well written and nice but the contents are similar to older books with no unique new idea or concept. Among all the exponential technologies that it mentions, it completely missed out on Blockchain, defi, NFTs, VR and the impact those will have on our lives.

Note saying something new

DeVaux start is a promise to end even organised some of the phenomenon nice and indifferent wait then before that is the book progress the promise or the premise is not fulfilled and is the book rich the end I can’t say that they learned anything new

Concerned about this one thing.

The book is heading in the right direction however the author either by accident or on purpose made a statement regarding Kyle Rittenhouse that I found misleading. The author's statement and the facts of the event don't align. The Rittenhouse statement made by the author in this book seems careless and cherry-picked to serve a purpose that I think is irrelevant in the context of this book. Is the author jumping on the sensation station?. (perhaps it was made for this very reason, so people like me would write reviews like this so so the “search factor” would improve .. cynical I know✌️) I don't believe that, do I?

I am just interested in the truth. No Fake news, please. No sensationalism for me. We need to hold each other accountable.