Future Shock - Alvin Toffler

Very much enjoyed Toffler's Future Shock, especially the second half.

The first part of the book explains at somewhat tedious length the titular psychological condition (the complete breakdown of adaptive functioning Toffler asserts is caused by overwhelming levels of change and novelty), which Toffler argues will become epidemic as society continues to change at an increasing pace. Although the quaintly-phrased doom and gloom is a bit tiresome, I agree with his overall theory, that there may be optimal levels of transience, novelty, and choice in society (which we are heedlessly zooming past), beyond which the average person finds it difficult to cope. Although I won't attempt to prove these connections here, I also believe that many of the psychological ills of our time (such as widespread Generalized Anxiety Disorder) are fairly linked to these same tendencies in society. (Also fascinating that this book was written in 1970, before the explosion of the internet, which has radically transformed our society in ways undreamt of even in this work!)

More interesting to me, however, is the second part of the book, which proposes individual and society-wide methods for treating the symptoms of change, as well as more radical proposals to control change itself. Toffler rejects the "regressive" hippies who would shun all technology and change, but he applauds the creation of enclaves of the past, which he sees as a sort of insurance against devestating disasters in the broader community. His strongest weapon against FS, however, is "imagineering" of the future by EVERYONE, and vast systems to integrate these predictions and disseminate findings about the most likely futures, according to the logic "forewarned, forearmed." He speaks in praise of science fiction here, as a "sociology of the future," an especially progressive stance at a time when the genre was held in "contempt" - his word. (I think William Gibson is personally carrying that torch for our whole society!)

What was a bit depressing about this book were the ways in which Toffler's predictions have NOT come true. Extrapolating logically from the increases in technological efficiency and output which had increased the standard of living for many, Toffler assumed that we would quickly use this wealth to end radical poverty inequalities, and with basic needs satisfied for all, could focus our surplus on moving up the needs hierarchy to focus on loftier goals like fulfillment and meaning. (He was not a socialist, by the way, his assumption that this would happen was not ideologically driven, but simple deduction.) Sadly, while this may have made sense at the optimistic time at which he was writing, on the contrary, wealth has become even MORE concentrated in the hands of a greedy few, and we haven't even begun to work on these deeper issues.

Much food for thought here!