The Exponential Age, Azeem Azhar
The Exponential Age, Azeem Azhar
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The Exponential Age
How Accelerating Technology Is Transforming Business, Politics, and Society

Author: Azeem Azhar

Narrator: Azeem Azhar

Unabridged: 9 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/06/2021

Synopsis

From Azeem Azhar, renowned technology analyst and host of the global tech podcast Exponential View, comes a bold exploration and call-to-arms over the widening gap between AI, automation, and big data—and our ability to deal with its effectsWe are living in the first exponential age.High-tech innovations are created at a dazzling speed; technological forces we barely understand remake our homes and workplaces; centuries-old tenets of politics and economics 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 founded companies bought by Amazon and Microsoft, served as the Economist’s first ever internet correspondent, and created a leading international tech newsletter and podcast, the Exponential View.Now, Azhar offers a revelatory new model for understanding how technology—especially that of Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and Spotify—is changing the world. He roots his analysis in the idea of an “exponential gap,” in which technological changes rapidly outpace our society’s ability to catch up with them. Azhar shows that this divide explains many problems of our time—from political polarization to ballooning inequality to unchecked corporate power. With stunning clarity of vision, he delves into how the exponential gap is a near-inevitable consequence of the rise of AI, automation, and big data. And he offers a set of policy solutions that can prevent the growing exponential gap from destroying our societies.The result is a wholly new way to think about technology. It will transform your understanding of the economy, politics, and the future.

About Azeem Azhar

Azeem Azhar is the creator of the Exponential View, a global platform for in-depth tech analysis. His weekly newsletter is read by nearly two hundred thousand people from around the world, and his chart-topping podcast has featured guests including Yuval Noah Harari, Reid Hoffman, and Tony Blair. Over the last three decades, Azhar has founded and invested in a number of successful tech companies bought by firms like Amazon and Microsoft. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council, a senior advisor to a number of C-level executives, and a contributor to publications including the Financial Times, Prospect, and MIT Technology Review. He served as the Economist’s first ever internet correspondent. He lives in London.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Brian on September 22, 2021

This book produces distinct mixed feelings. It's both bad and good at the same time. Let's get the good in there first. Although not a particularly original observation, Azeem Azhar's portrayal of the exponential rise of technology in the modern world is important, both to emphasise why it is genuin......more

Goodreads review by Chris on October 08, 2021

I’ve been a tech guy my whole life, but I typically don’t enjoy books on technology, but this one was incredible. Azeem managed to take a topic that can sometimes be dull and boring and make it relevant for anyone who picks up a copy. The book starts by breaking down the accelerated pace of technolo......more

Goodreads review by Simon on December 31, 2021

The central thesis is that tech grows exponentially, but humans adapt linearly. Azhar calls this the 'exponential gap.' Human adaptation is slow through legislation, habits, producing physical goods, adapting to new increases in productivity and getting disrupted by companies that do it better is sl......more

Goodreads review by Michael on January 05, 2024

Technology and IT are not the same thing, but there is some overlap between the two in this book. It summarizes how information technology (IT) came to be, from the beginning to the present, and what the expansion of technology and IT means for society, governments, businesses, and individuals. There......more

Goodreads review by Ed on October 16, 2021

Non-fiction like this is typically too dry, even when well written, for me to score 5 points, but this was really well done. The author's voice was good for narration, so kudos. And the subject areas were laid out in a logical order with their impact to the premise clear. A very compelling audio boo......more

Quotes

“Azeem Azhar is one of the best-regarded thought leaders in the industry. But more importantly, he has a broad understanding of the exponential ways technology can be used to solve our biggest problems, shape our society, and bridge cultural divides.” Daniel Ek, founder and CEO of Spotify

“While many talk about the rate of innovation, too few talk about its direction. Azeem’s new book helps bring that directionality to the surface through a dynamic understanding of the connections between economic, social, and technological forces. Read this book if you are interested in how we can design a more inclusive and sustainable system with a redirection of technological change at its center.” Mariana Mazzucato, professor at University College London and author of Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism

“Azeem is a master at interpreting a dazzling array of trends and illuminating the future. The Exponential Age is a must-read to understand the problems, promise, and paths forward on the exponential journey ahead for us as individuals, businesses, and society.” Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s Group chief executive, technology and chief technology officer

“Azeem’s kinetic mind is uniquely able to connect social, political, economic, and technological trends in ways that inspire and challenge. The Exponential Age is a natural extension and expansion of Azeem’s ability, on display in his podcast and newsletter, of isolating, unpicking, and retying the threads which make up the fabric of our technosociety.” Carly Kind, director of the Ada Lovelace Institute

“As high-tech innovation accelerates in ways that deliver huge benefits to society but also create unique challenges, Azeem Azhar delivers a comprehensive but lively take on the key issues informing what he calls the Exponential Age. It’s an essential addition to the ongoing discourse about where these remarkable new technologies can take us and where we should be aiming to go. Highly recommended!” Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn and author of Masters of Scale

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