The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power Is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World
The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power Is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World book cover

The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power Is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World

Paperback – January 8, 2013

Price
$13.78
Format
Paperback
Pages
304
Publisher
St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0230341975
Dimensions
6.09 x 0.9 x 9.32 inches
Weight
11.3 ounces

Description

“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, 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 Rifkin's 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“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 Jeremy Rifkin is president of the Foundation on Economic Trends and the bestselling author of twenty-two books, including The Third Industrial Revolution, The Zero Marginal Cost Society, The Green New Deal , The End of Work, and The Empathic Civilization . 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. Since 1994, Mr. Rifkin has been a senior lecturer at the Wharton School’s Executive Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Rifkin is ranked 123 in the WorldPost / HuffingtonPost 2015 global survey of “The World’s Most Influential Voices.” Rifkin has been an advisor to the leadership of the European Union since 2000. He also serves as an advisor to the People's Republic of China.

Features & Highlights

  • 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. Rifkin's 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 insider's 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.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

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(275)
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15%
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7%
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Most Helpful Reviews

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Some new ideas

Some interesting new ideas. But we should focus on reducing pollution not climate change which is influenced primarily by the sun
2 people found this helpful
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Clear path to green energy economy

I read this on the plane on my way to see Jeremy Rifkin speak at the Omega Institute. Concise, wonderfully written book that I wish all U.S. politicians would read. The book left me hopeful that at least other countries will make the transition to the new economy swiftly.
2 people found this helpful
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Very optimistic!

The author paints a very optimistic outlook for the immediate future. While I appreciate the exciting insights he provides on the power of the eco based future, the state of technology that is driving it, and how he has been able to win many political leaders global wide to his message, I am not fully convinced yet that it is as revolutionary as he would like me to believe.

Oil continues to be a very dominant chemical in civilization. We need it for so many essential every day goods - clothes, plastics, building materials, footwear, furniture, tires, cars, planes, books, computers, electrical wiring, 3d printing material, etc. I grasp that various technologies are producing evolutionary changes in society, but a majority of man made materials seem to depend on oil and the book provides no thinking on how these will be substituted. Herein lies the problem for me. I just don't see how oil is going to dissappear without humanity having the will to go back to an earlier level of existence.

But I still enjoyed reading the book to get a sense of how global leaders are impacted by individuals who are able to communicate a complete solution using forward moving technologies to problems that may take much much longer to resolve. We are always in need of optimists such as Rifkin, just need to balance them with a good sprinkling of pragmatists!
1 people found this helpful
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Book: Third Industrial Revolution.

As always, Jeremy Rifkin presents economic information in an easily understood style and relevant to current issues. Numbers and statistics are kept to bare minimum and sufficient to key assertions. This book contrasts Europe forging ahead, to our own energy dogma. Distributed energy vs centralized top down structures. More citizens should read his work (even go back to his 1995 book "The End of Work" for which he was attacked for exposing truth but is now recognized as insightful projection of how we got to today's enigma.
1 people found this helpful
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An excellent and informative book with solutions

This book is a perfect transitional colelction of stories of innovation and rpactical solutions....
I got a broad overview a comprehenvie insight in to some of the current affairs in the industry and in policy as well as in Rifkins successes and visions for a post carbon society...

Cannot truly compare it to any other I personally have read.
he is going straight for solutions rather than rehashing the failures of the giant utilities and coporations like others do. it is time to quit debating and install the infrastructure albeit diverse.

that governements and communities are making the quantum leap to innovations they have to and they are willing do go for the practical bit by bit colutions without more legislative nonsense and debates.

Wish the fobidden areas could be discussed like seperating hydrogen from oxygen in water //a simple simple technique //to produce two volatile energy sources ...from water.

.and more about photosynthesis the model for solar cells and solar efficiency
it is good to pinpoint who and waht companies are stopping progress and their conenctions to big companies and oil-coal-gas.
1 people found this helpful
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Highly Recommended Read

This is an exceptional and provocative read for those who are interested in future studies. Rifkin presents a compelling vision for a world that needs to adjust to declining fossil fuels. The vision presented by Rifkin is both plausible and invigorating for those concerned about the ever increasing reach of government. Distributed capitalism is the next economic wave that will define how we work and live.
1 people found this helpful
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Ok read

just okay
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The FOURTH industrial revolution is suggested on the internet.

Very USA, 2013 focused. Not suitable for here in Australia, 2019. Better to watch the many YouTube channels of this book & topic. The comments there update this "old" book, with its old USA-only ideas.
The FOURTH industrial revolution is suggested on the internet. There are many ways to decide how to classify these three or four revolutions.
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Parts Perfect

Worked perfectly
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Interest in future energy needs

Book was interesting, but somewhat technical.