Synopsis
Argues that society's values are changing as the industrial age gives way to an information society
Reviews
Millennial murk that, under the title Chika Kakumei, was a 1985 best-seller in Japan. A former official at his homeland's redoubtable Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Sakaiya prophesies a brave new postindustrial world in which leisure time and wisdom abound but material as well as human resources are in short supply. In the Arcadian environment he envisions, the mass-produced manufactures that underpin modern consumer societies will yield to goods that somehow combine utility with the equivalent of intelligence and distinctively personal appeal. Unfortunately, the author is decidedly vague as to what constitutes a so-called knowledge-value product, making it almost impossible to gain more than an impression of what the near- and longer-term future might hold--if his predictions come true. Paradoxically, perhaps, Sakaiya's projections are based on notably specific conclusions drawn from selective surveys of Middle Eastern, Oriental, and Western civilizations. The author espouses cyclical theory to the extent that he dwells on instances from the past illustrating how conspicuous consumption gave way to thrift, and materialism to spiritual values. In like vein, Sakaiya makes a persuasive case for the proposition that art and fashion are harbingers of marketplace trends. Of particular interest to US readers who bear with the author's discontinuous critique is his conviction that America's open society is better equipped than that of conformist Japan to capitalize on New Age economics. Be that as it may, Sakaiya's musings are too mystical and mystifying to provide a decent return on any time invested trying to make sense of them. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Soar with Sakaiya on a dizzying journey with this prophetic view of the future. His latest work (he has written 30 books) has already sold over 500,000 copies in Japan and should be successful in this English edition. Sakaiya easily transcends other works in this genre, such as Alvin Toffler's The Third Wave ( LJ 4/1/80) or Daniel Bell's The Coming of Post-Industrial Society ( LJ 7/73), as he describes a future knowledge-value society. Knowledge-value is "the price of and the value created by wisdom, and the worth, or price a society gives to that wisdom." Massive changes will characterize this brave new world, and Sakaiya describes the three main "disrupters" as technological advances, population shifts, and dwindling resources. His review of history and broad-brushed approach without footnotes may frustrate some. This is sure to be in demand by CEOs and futurist thinkers and is strongly recommended for most libraries.
- Dale Farris, Groves, Tex.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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