Digital Shock: Seven Shocks that are Shaping the Future - Hardcover

Sheth, Dr Jagdish N.; Sharma, Suresh K.; Publishers, Vibrant

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1636513034 ISBN 13: 9781636513034

Publisher: Vibrant Publishers, 2025

Synopsis

In a world where technology shapes every aspect of our lives, “Digital Shock: Seven Shocks That Are Shaping the Future” delves into the profound disruptions we face today—and those still to come. Digital technologies like the Internet and social media have thrust us into unforeseen and new ways of life. We are also witnessing rapid advancements in fields such as Codifying Trust, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, and others.

In this digital age, technology has transformed mobility and agriculture, but it has also led to resource depletion and health issues.

How did we manage these shifts in the past, and how will we cope with even greater changes in the present and future? Will we survive in the current world of the Internet, mobile phones, eCommerce, and social media? Or, are we in for a rude shock? Will we adapt or become a lonely ‘Society of One’?

“Digital Shock,” written by prominent global thought leaders and some of the most published authors of our time, identifies seven shocks we are all experiencing in the 21st century. These include coping with digital addiction, families living like roommates, the emergence of virtual communities, the borderless world of social media, lack of governance, and the need to adaptively reuse physical assets like factories and malls.

Contrary to doomsday thinkers, we believe humanity will not only absorb each shock but also consider it as an opportunity for more discoveries and innovations. We foresee that with our cognitive capabilities, and some proactive planning by each individual and society, we will once again embrace the future not only to survive but also to thrive.

Hence, this book is neither academic nor prescriptive, nor is it a treatise on technology. It differs in its execution and engagement of this critical subject that impacts all our lives.

About this title

About the Authors

Dr. Jagdish N. Sheth Born in Myanmar (former Burma) in 1938, Jag got uprooted at a very young age along with his family in 1941 due to the Japanese invasion of Burma during the WWII. They all moved back to their native rural roots in Kachchh, Gujarat (India) – only to soon relocate to Chennai (India) in search of better opportunities. He grew up there to earn his bachelor’s degree from Loyola College by 1960. Although still virtually a refugee, and his family trying to stabilize, he immigrated to the USA in 1961 in pursuit of a new life. Always a curious, creative, and brilliant mind, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in consumer behavior from the University of Pittsburgh by 1966. Since then, for almost six decades now, his personal and professional journey has been an expanding universe of outstanding accomplishments, contributions, and accolades in fields of education, research, literature, and thought-leadership. He has become a unique living legend in his own right.
An altruist of global knowledge, words are not enough to describe his clear vision, futuristic insights, and deep expertise in multiple areas of business, industry, commerce, research, economics, marketing, consumer psychology, innovation, policies, and education. He is well known for his people - and economics-driven holistic understanding of global geopolitical alignment, international strategy, trade, and investment policies.
On the business front, many Fortune 500 companies have benefited from his advice globally. He has served on the Board of several well-known publicly listed companies including Nordstrom (USA), and WIPRO (India). Among other notable contributions, he has also been a strategic advisor to governments of Singapore and India for many years. His entire body of work can easily fill a library on its own strength. No wonder the world looks upon him for pearls of wisdom on any topic; be it in business, life, or future.

He was awarded the “Padma Bhushan” in 2020, one of the highest civilian honors awarded by the Government of India for exceptional global contributions in education and literature. He has also authored and co-authored more than 40 books and a few hundred peer-reviewed papers.

Author or Co-author of more than 40 books, a few hundred peer-reviewed papers, and Dr. Sheth has made numerous keynote presentations in over 20 countries.

Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Business @ EMORY UNIVERSITY Goizueta Business School, Atlanta GA

Suresh K. Sharma In addition to being a well-known author, Suresh is a dynamic former GE executive-turned-entrepreneur who exemplifies pragmatic business leadership, technology insights, and a deep understanding of commercializing innovations for lasting impact and transformational economic growth.

Unlike a traditional specialist, be it a professional executive, academician, investor, or subject-matter-expert, Suresh believes that “life is the final arbiter”, and therefore, he seamlessly endeavors to weave all that it takes into a holistic tapestry for meaningful societal outcomes. He has shared his life and professional career not only through widely applauded business books but also through a number of peer-reviewed and well-cited scholarly journal papers. Several times, his reviewers described him as “one intellectual business leader”.

At the core of his career and life-long passion lies his proven hands-on ability to build integrated innovation ecosystems for economic growth with sustainability (“Vision-to-Impact”), including alignment with community, policies, culture, and capital. It would result in a futuristic community or a city where people can live, work, recreate, innovate, and commercialize to unleash their full potential. In the book Industrializing Innovation (2019), he insightfully brings out the immense human potential that is yet to be unleashed in the 21st century. The best is yet to come.

Working in top global industry and technology R&D organizations like GE Global Research, GE Energy, British Aerospace, NASA

Langley, and Georgia Institute of Technology, he successfully ran major Operations, led P&Ls, and built startups. Suresh uniquely demonstrates a 3600 understanding of what it takes to commercialize “deep tech” from an industrial or university R&D system to the marketplace. These include industrial, real estate, and today’s digital technologies. With the above-mentioned overarching passion, he founded Open Range Capital Partners (2018) and has significantly contributed to various large smart city or iHUB projects (each project over 100s of million dollars), especially at Gainesville, FL, Oklahoma City, OK, Atlanta, GA, and Clarksville in Southern Indiana, and nearby Kentucky region.

Earlier in the 1990s, he was a core member of the pioneering GE globalization team that paved the way and laid the foundation of today’s BPO industry in India, China, Mexico, Canada, and Europe. His first book in 2005 – Global Outsourcing – was a by-product of these experiences in globalizing businesses.

Later, in 2005, Suresh joined hands with Dr. Jag Sheth to be part of a non-profit policy research institute that Jag had founded for emerging markets – the India China and America Institute (https://www.icainstitute.org/) – an idea and an organization that has stood the test of time for over two decades.

Suresh has advanced educational degrees and professional training in mechanical and aerospace engineering, business management, and global leadership from BITS, Pilani (India), British Aerospace (UK), University of Florida (U.S.), and General Electric (U.S.).

Vibrant Publishers is focused on presenting the best texts for learning about technology and business as well as books for test preparation. Categories include programming, operating systems and other texts focused on IT. In addition, a series of books helps professionals in their own disciplines learn the business skills needed in their professional growth.

Vibrant Publishers has a standardized test preparation series covering the GMAT, GRE and SAT, providing ample study and practice material in a simple and well organized format, helping students get closer to their dream universities.

Edition details

• Publisher: Vibrant Publishers
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1636513034
• ISBN 13: 9781636513034
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 322