Book club suggestion…

I just completed reading Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know, and Many Others You Will Find Interesting, by Ronald Bailey and Marian L. Tupy.  Here’s a surprising statement, the world is not as bad as you think it is!  In fact, there is a tremendous amount of progress that’s being made by people living in diverse countries all over the world.  Working together, collaborating, to solve problems so positive change may take place.  No, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns, climate change and heath trends do create some real challenges as we look forward.

I was surprised by numerous trends, including people, work, technology, and our natural resources when reading this book.  It’s amazing how things used to be, in 1900, 1950, 1980s, when compared to where we are today.  Being a gen X kid born in the early 70s, much advancement has taken place in so many areas it’s rather stunning when you read about it.  This book puts trends in perspective and backs it up with facts, figures, and cool colorful graphs to easily grasp the concept shared.  You could read the book in a single sitting or go straight to chapters outlining specific trends that are of interest to you.

I previously suggested a similar book on last summer’s reading list, Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong about the World-And Why Things Are Better Than You Think, by Hans Rosling.  Another great read and one that shines the light on progress taking place around the globe.

It’s human nature to talk about the dark doom and gloom every day as opposed to reporting on positive progress.  This progress often arrives via small steps, not all at once so it doesn’t get the attention or grab the headlines it deserves.  I feel it’s important we keep perspective on where trends have evolved from and the advances we’ve made (and are continuing to make) around the world.  This leads to increasing our understanding and knowledge outside the bubble we may often find ourselves living in.  We’re human after all, we won’t always agree on how to best handle challenges and opportunities as they present themselves.  However, we may become better listeners and communicate our beliefs and ideas with a foundation in education so progress may continue for our children and grandchildren’s future.

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