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Rating: 
Summary: Reforming the Prophet
Review: I found Mr. Clement's work fascinating and disturbingly plausible. He draws an analogy between our time and the beginning of the Renaissance when inconceivable changes were poised to sweep the Western world, initiated by things that at the time seemed relativly insignificant. Similarly, the author makes a very believable case for enormous changes impending in today's world. Just as perspective art had far-reaching consequences which no one at the beginning of the Renaissance could have imagined, it's very likely that the Internet will have larger consequences faster than we can imagine. As complexity and interconnectedness increase, changes in one place affect the rest of the system faster. Speed builds upon speed, just as knowledge builds upon knowledge, and only the nimble will survive. I actually read the book about half a year ago. When my reading list gets thinned down again, I will probably re-read it. It's too big to fully digest in one reading, but well worth the re-reading in my opinion. My only problem with the book is the author's mistaken use of "hyperspace" (a term for hypothetical 4+ dimensional physical space) when he should be using "cyberspace." Aside from that one nitpick, it's a visionary book. I only hope I'm going to be one of the sufficiently nimble...
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding and a little unnerving
Review: I found Mr. Clement's work fascinating and disturbingly plausible. He draws an analogy between our time and the beginning of the Renaissance when inconceivable changes were poised to sweep the Western world, initiated by things that at the time seemed relativly insignificant. Similarly, the author makes a very believable case for enormous changes impending in today's world. Just as perspective art had far-reaching consequences which no one at the beginning of the Renaissance could have imagined, it's very likely that the Internet will have larger consequences faster than we can imagine. As complexity and interconnectedness increase, changes in one place affect the rest of the system faster. Speed builds upon speed, just as knowledge builds upon knowledge, and only the nimble will survive. I actually read the book about half a year ago. When my reading list gets thinned down again, I will probably re-read it. It's too big to fully digest in one reading, but well worth the re-reading in my opinion. My only problem with the book is the author's mistaken use of "hyperspace" (a term for hypothetical 4+ dimensional physical space) when he should be using "cyberspace." Aside from that one nitpick, it's a visionary book. I only hope I'm going to be one of the sufficiently nimble...
Rating:
Summary: Reforming the Prophet
Review: I think the author should stop for a moment an consider how similar Islam is to many currents of the Reformation before he gets too hopeful. Islam is best understood as a heresy, albeit one that started outside of Christendom rather than within such as Clavinism. Without the groundwork left by Arianism, Islam would never have taken hold. Like most heresiarchs, Mohammed oversimplified what were basically Christian tenents. His movement was basically a "Reformation" and we can find numerous affinities between Islam and the Prostestant Reformers-- on images, the mass, celebacy, the incarnation, and predestination. For a better treatment of the issue, consider "The Great Heresies" by Hilaire Belloc
Rating:
Summary: New World Blunder
Review: If you have ever wanted to read about the Evil Empire from the point of view of the mouse next to the elephant, this is the book for you. It is a book on eco/politico/social change that we all are experiencing whether we acknowledge it or not. Very few individuals that are privileged to know the inner workings of the indrustrial military complex ever have any of their writings declassified for public eyes. It is obvious and frightening that although many of the large transnational corporations and governments blunder around in the perceived era of the NWO, many of thinkers in their tanks are perfectly aware of these mammoth entities' incapacity to effect change in the coming era. Boiled down, the author is telling us that we are on the verge of a new era in perception. Examples used in this book (two of the most basic) are the use of 3D perspective in Renaissance art, quantum mechanics as espoused by Einstein and Planck. Both are two blatant examples of quantum shifts in the level of abstraction. The most common level of abstraction for people today is still the use of money, although more and more of us are using another level of abstraction, N-space (the internet). This book is dense, as is James Burkes' "Connections" book was, but it does describe analogies and connections on levels that are not readily apparent to those of us (the masses) not in the loop. It is well written and easy to understand, you get the feeling of a career military officer receiving a series of one hour briefing dumbed down so that it will all sink in. While written a a series of essays, causing a slight repetition of some ideas and themes (which is forgivable), this book is of as great intellectual importance as Marshall McLuhan's "The Medium is the Message" because we ARE experiencing this era transition...NOW, as you read this review...by reading this review. Of particular interest to this reader was the analysis of the intellectual, social and effective political collapse of the Arabic world under Islam and the implications of other fundamental and dogmatic (read American Christianity) religions. If every 1st year economic student read this book, we'd all be better off.
Rating:
Summary: New World Blunder
Review: If you have ever wanted to read about the Evil Empire from the point of view of the mouse next to the elephant, this is the book for you. It is a book on eco/politico/social change that we all are experiencing whether we acknowledge it or not. Very few individuals that are privileged to know the inner workings of the indrustrial military complex ever have any of their writings declassified for public eyes. It is obvious and frightening that although many of the large transnational corporations and governments blunder around in the perceived era of the NWO, many of thinkers in their tanks are perfectly aware of these mammoth entities' incapacity to effect change in the coming era. Boiled down, the author is telling us that we are on the verge of a new era in perception. Examples used in this book (two of the most basic) are the use of 3D perspective in Renaissance art, quantum mechanics as espoused by Einstein and Planck. Both are two blatant examples of quantum shifts in the level of abstraction. The most common level of abstraction for people today is still the use of money, although more and more of us are using another level of abstraction, N-space (the internet). This book is dense, as is James Burkes' "Connections" book was, but it does describe analogies and connections on levels that are not readily apparent to those of us (the masses) not in the loop. It is well written and easy to understand, you get the feeling of a career military officer receiving a series of one hour briefing dumbed down so that it will all sink in. While written a a series of essays, causing a slight repetition of some ideas and themes (which is forgivable), this book is of as great intellectual importance as Marshall McLuhan's "The Medium is the Message" because we ARE experiencing this era transition...NOW, as you read this review...by reading this review. Of particular interest to this reader was the analysis of the intellectual, social and effective political collapse of the Arabic world under Islam and the implications of other fundamental and dogmatic (read American Christianity) religions. If every 1st year economic student read this book, we'd all be better off.
Rating: 
Summary: A guide to the changes going on in the world today
Review: The basic thesis of this book is that we are undergoing a radical shift at the way we look at the world and everything in it. The cause of this shift comes from the revolution in physics started by Einstein and continued by Bohr, Planck, Heisenberg and others, although another major factor is the increasing importance of computers and the growth of cyberspace . He compares our era to the Renaissance, another period when everyone's world-view changed. The author has had a varied career, having been a soldier and a software designer, among other jobs. He is currently a policy consultant to the Canadian government, looking at the trends in the world and advising them on how to respond. One of the main targets of his criticism is the New World Order. His critique is not based on some paranoid fear of World Government, but rather the idea that the managers of the major corporations are capable of making decisions outside their specialty, which is making short term money for their stockholders. In fact, they are not so good at doing that anymore, as he illustrates using examples like IBM, once perhaps the greatest corporation in the world and now a lumbering giant always trying to play catch-up with the smaller companies able to take advantage of the incredible rate of change in the computer industry. I found the book a fascinating combination of history, business, philosophy, and current events. My one complaint is that is could have used a little editing. It is too long and repetitious in spots.
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