Exponential

byAzeem Azhar, Azeem Azhar (Read by)

How Accelerating Technology Is Leaving Us Behind and What to Do About It

The first book from the creator of the hit podcast Exponential View

We are entering the exponential age.


New inventions are created at a dazzling speed; our homes and workplaces are remade by technological forces we barely understand; centuries-old political and economic norms are upturned by new technologies. It all points to a world that is getting faster at a dizzying pace.

Azeem Azhar knows this better than most. Over the last three decades he has served as the Economist's first ever internet correspondent, founded companies bought by Amazon and Microsoft, and created one of the world's leading tech newsletters and podcasts, Exponential View.

Now, Azhar offers a revelatory new model for understanding how technology is changing the world. His analysis is rooted in the idea of an 'exponential gap', in which technological changes outpace our society's ability to deal with them. Azhar shows that this divide can explain many of the social problems of our time - from political polarisation, to nascent forms of warfare, to unchecked corporate power. With stunning lucidity, he delves into how the exponential gap is a near-inevitable consequence of the rise of AI, automation and big data. And he offers set of policy solutions that can prevent the exponential gap eroding our societies.

The result is a wholly new way of thinking about technology. It will transform your understanding of the economy, politics and the future.

Valuable and timely . . . The importance of the book lies in its diligent and comprehensive definition of a new phase in human affairs . . . An enticing and necessary read.

Sunday Times

About Azeem Azhar

Azeem Azhar is the creator of Exponential View, Britain's leading platform for in-depth tech analysis. His weekly newsletter is read by 200,000 people from around the world, and his chart-topping podcast has featured guests including Yuval Noah Harari, Tony Blair and Kate Raworth. An active startup investor, Azhar has advised the World Economic Forum, McKinsey and Accenture. He is a contributor to publications including the Financial Times, Wired and the MIT Technology Review. His first book, Exponential, was named a Book of the Year by Financial Times and The Times.
Details
  • Imprint: Cornerstone Digital
  • ISBN: 9781473590991
  • Length: 583 minutes
  • Price: £13.00
All editions