The New Barbarian Manifesto: How to Survive the Information Age

by Ian O. Angell and Ian Angell Ian O./Angell

Book Overview

Ian Angell, dubbed ""the Angell of Doom"" by The (London) Times, lays out his manifesto for the New Barbarians who will lead the economic elite into a Brave New World over the next two decades. He rejects the long-held view of information technology as our benign liberator from mundane work. Instead, he regards it as the seed for a new society, in which the winners in the knowledge economy will construct their own ""smart regions"" founded on libertarian...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0749435054
• ISBN13: 9780749435059
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Kogan Page
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.8" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Academic derivative work that reads like a potboiler!

This is a very cool book because the synthesis is done by a academian who writes like a potboiler novelist! The paragraphs are shock full of references to deep philosophical and academic treatises, but done in an entertaining manner. Every paragraph is like poetry. Excellent derivative work.In a nutshell, the author is taking a theme first exposed by Alvin Toffler "Future Shock" "Third Wave" and developing it further to synthesize the way the world's economies have performed in the last 20 years.Outstanding! Don't be put off by the seeming "facist" or "harsh" tone of some of this writing--the author is tell you how it is, not how it should be--hence the term "barbarian" in the title. The old guard will attempt to smooth over raw, naked capitalism but in the opinion of the author it will be a losing battle (I'm not so sure, since I believe most old people, having been raised by the Welfare State, will never go quietly, so it will take another generation or two to renounce the Nanny Welfare State.I give it four stars not five because the opinions are thrown out without much argument or development. It is a derivative work where you have to understand some background first. So it's not really a beginner's book.

A provocative view of the Dark Side of the New Economy

Angell's work is really very good, even if the author is sometimes too heavy handed. I saw him on the BBC and he admitted that his book was aimed at stirring the pot. He does that, no doubt. Rather than the glib views of how IT will change our world, Angell suggests that IT and technological change may well have some very serious and unforeseen consequences. It is a must read for all those who blithely toss around the term e-commerce. Read this and get another view!