Synopses & Reviews
We are undergoing a historical transformation in the way we create and disseminate energy. Together, Internet technology and the reality of renewable energy are creating a new type of electrical grid, one in which energy is stored and distributed on an individual basis. Soon, hundreds of millions of human beings will be generating their own green energy in their homes, offices and factories, and sharing it, just as they now create their own information and share it on the Internet. In just a few years, millions of buildings and even cities will become energy self-sufficient, signaling the end of our reliance on fossil fuels. This transformation is already underway in Europe, where author Jeremy Rifkin serves as EU advisor on a project that will revolutionize the continent's energy supply, with Asia to follow. We even see shades of it in Texas, Colorado, and California, where electrical companies will be laying down parts of the Smart Grid over the next several years.
But it's not just about the promise of clean energy. Rather, this “Energy Internet” will fundamentally change every aspect of the way we work and live. It will foster continental markets and the creation of continental political unions to oversee new expansive commercial opportunities. It will signify the end of needless wars fought over energy sources, and the dawning of an era of true international cooperation. Finally, it offers the hope that we can get to a post-carbon era by mid century and avert catastrophic climate change. Here, Rifkin explains how the United States can embrace this ambitious vision of the future, end its decades-old crisis over foreign oil, and ensure its continued status as world power. He also paints an accessible, anecdotal picture of what our lives will look like in this new global order-if we can summon the political will to join it.
Review
Praise for The Empathic Civilization:
“[T]he kind of reading fans of Jared Diamond and Richard Dawkins can sink their teeth into, with a contagious sense of urgency.” -Publishers Weekly Praise for The Age of Access:
“Visionary activist and author Jeremy Rifkin exposes the real stakes of the new economy . . . page after page bristles with cogent analysis, factually buttressed and lucidly delineated.” -The Seattle Times Praise for The End of Work:
“Fascinating . . . poses real questions that we've spent too little time thinking about.” -The Washington Post
Review
“Jeremy Rifkin’s The Third Industrial Revolution is more than thought provoking. It is a call for action to policy makers and business leaders to embrace the opportunity of a society and economy driven by sustainable innovation and powered by renewable and distributed energy. It offers a practical game plan to create new business models and eco-systems for growth in the post-carbon era.”--Rudy Provoost-CEO, Philips Lighting
“Jeremy Rifkin’s book gives us a brilliant new economic paradigm to guide the human journey in the 21st century. His comprehensive Third Industrial Revolution vision, which is the centerpiece of Rome’s long-term economic development plan, provides a blueprint for every city in the world to create a sustainable and prosperous society.”--Gianni Alemanno- Mayor of Rome
“Jeremy’s intellectual rigor, combined with lively and engaging prose, has produced a timely and important work on how to diversify our energy sources in order to create a world in which people can live well and within the limits of the planet.”--Bjorn Stigson- President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
“Jeremy has provided a road map on how to change the economic paradigm. As the chairman of a global real estate services company, I’m convinced that Jeremy’s vision of rethinking buildings as green “micro-power plants” is the future. But to do this, we need the courage to act quickly and lay the foundation for the Third Industrial Revolution. So let’s get on with it.”--Bruce Mosler, Chairman, Cushman & Wakefield Global Brokerage
“This is a remarkable piece of work. Rifkin, who is one of the foremost thinkers of our time, has blended economic, sociological and technical knowledge to come up with a new economic development model that ensures the sustainability of our natural resources and ecosystems…a visionary and innovative approach to the challenges facing civilization.”--Rajendra Pachauri, Chief, United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
“Jeremy Rifkin’s The Third Industrial Revolution sets forth a comprehensive, realistic, technically sound, market-driven model for transitioning the global economy into a more sustainable future. Rifkin’s vision of 'Distributed Capitalism' strikes a powerful chord among leading CEOs in the design and construction industries who will be tasked with turning the theory and promise of a Third Industrial Revolution into reality.”--Mark Casso, President, Construction Industry Round TablePraise for The Empathic Civilization:
“[T]he kind of reading fans of Jared Diamond and Richard Dawkins can sink their teeth into, with a contagious sense of urgency.” -Publishers Weekly Praise for The Age of Access:
“Visionary activist and author Jeremy Rifkin exposes the real stakes of the new economy . . . page after page bristles with cogent analysis, factually buttressed and lucidly delineated.” -The Seattle Times Praise for The End of Work:
“Fascinating . . . poses real questions that we've spent too little time thinking about.” -The Washington Post
Review
"Jeremy Rifkin was always ahead of his time. The New Industrial Revolution confirms that the times have caught up with him. It is no longer possible to ignore his vision for the future of humankind."—Calestous Juma, Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School
"Jeremy Rifkin argues that green energy and the internet will revolutionize society and the environment...With the European Union already on board, this is a big idea with backbone."—Nature
“Impeccably argued…a compelling and cogent argument to overhaul our society and economy in favor of a distributed and collaborative model.”--Publishers Weekly
“Rifkin connects the two defining technologies of the 21st Century — the Internet and renewable energies — giving us a powerful new economic vision for the future. As we look to regrow the economy, generate millions of jobs, and create a sustainable future for our children, the Third Industrial Revolution offers an indispensable roadmap.”--Arianna Huffington—President and Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post Media Group
“Mr. Rifkin clearly outlines the challenges facing our global community, and creates a vision for business leaders, government and citizens.”--John Chambers—Chairman and CEO of Cisco
“The creative thinking of Jeremy Rifkin has been inspiring policy makers and citizens alike. This book shows the key role renewables and modern technologies can play in our transition to a low-carbon economy.”--José Manuel Barroso—President of the European Commission
“This is a remarkable piece of work from one of the foremost thinkers of our time…Rifkin has come up with a visionary and innovative economic development model that ensures the sustainability of our natural resources and ecosystems.”--Rajendra Pachauri—Chairman of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
“A brilliant new economic paradigm to guide the human journey in the 21st century. Jeremy Rifkins comprehensive Third Industrial Revolution vision, which is the centerpiece of Romes long-term economic development plan, provides a blueprint for every city in the world to create a sustainable and prosperous society.”--Gianni Alemanno—Mayor of Rome
“More than thought provoking… a call for action to policy makers and business leaders to embrace the opportunity of a society and economy driven by sustainable innovation and powered by renewable and distributed energy.”--Rudy Provoost—CEO of Philips Lighting
Synopsis
The Industrial Revolution, powered by oil and other fossil fuels, is spiraling into a dangerous endgame. The price of gas and food are climbing, unemployment remains high, the housing market has tanked, consumer and government debt is soaring, and the recovery is slowing. Facing the prospect of a second collapse of the global economy, humanity is desperate for a sustainable economic game plan to take us into the future.
Here, Jeremy Rifkin explores how Internet technology and renewable energy are merging to create a powerful “Third Industrial Revolution.” He asks us to imagine hundreds of millions of people producing their own green energy in their homes, offices, and factories, and sharing it with each other in an “energy internet,” just like we now create and share information online.
Rifkin describes how the five-pillars of the Third Industrial Revolution will create thousands of businesses, millions of jobs, and usher in a fundamental reordering of human relationships, from hierarchical to lateral power, that will impact the way we conduct commerce, govern society, educate our children, and engage in civic life.
Rifkins vision is already gaining traction in the international community. The European Union Parliament has issued a formal declaration calling for its implementation, and other nations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, are quickly preparing their own initiatives for transitioning into the new economic paradigm.
The Third Industrial Revolution is an insiders account of the next great economic era, including a look into the personalities and players — heads of state, global CEOs, social entrepreneurs, and NGOs — who are pioneering its implementation around the world.
Synopsis
With the Keystone Pipeline dominating the news, and America's addiction to oil showing no signs of waning, it is more urgent than ever that we reconsider our energy needs in light of economic reality. In this New York Times bestseller, Jeremy Rifkin explores how Internet technology and renewable energy are merging to create a powerful new engine of economic growth, wherein hundreds of millions of people will produce their own green energy in their homes, offices, and factories and share it with each other in an “energy Internet." This process will usher in a fundamental reordering of human relationships, from hierarchical to lateral, that will impact the way we conduct commerce, govern society, educate our children, and engage in civic life. The Third Industrial Revolution is an insiders account of the next great economic era, including a look into the personalities and players—heads of state, global CEOs, social entrepreneurs, and NGOs—who are pioneering its implementation around the world.
About the Author
Jeremy Rifkin is president of the Foundation on Economic Trends and the author of eighteen bestselling books, including The Hydrogen Economy and The End of Work. He has been a guest on Face the Nation, The Lehrer News Hour, 20/20, Larry King Live, Today, and Good Morning America. The National Journal named Rifkin as one of 150 people in the U.S. that have the most influence in shaping federal government policy. He has also testified before numerous congressional committees, and since 1994, Mr. Rifkin has been a senior lecturer at the Wharton Schools Executive Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Rifkin is chairman of the Global CEO Business Roundtable, which includes IBM, Cisco, Cushman and Wakefield, and has served as an adviser to various global leaders, including Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Angela Merkel of Germany. His monthly column on global issues appears in many of the worlds leading newspapers and magazines, including The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian in the U.K., Die Süddeutsche Zeitung in Germany, Trud in Bulgaria, Clarín in Argentina, and Al-Ittihad in the U.A.E. He lives in Bethesda, MD.
Table of Contents
Introduction
PART I: THE THIRD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
The Real Economic Crisis Everyone Missed
A New Narrative
Turning Theory to Practice
PART II: LATERAL POWER
Distributed Capitalism
Beyond Right and Left
From Globalization to Continentalization
PART III: THE COLLABORATIVE AGE
Retiring Adam Smith
A Classroom Makeover
Morphing from the Industrial to the Collaborative Era