Biography
- Alvin and Heidi Toffler
- Heidi helped Alvin write some of his books, but credited them as Alvin Toffler
- Influenced many leaders around the world
- Described by “Financial Times” as the “World’s most famous futurologist”
- Also mentioned in “People’s Daily” as one of the top 50 foreigners that shaped modern China
- “Toffler Associates”, the executive advisory firm formed by Alvin and Heidi Toffler
– helps commercial firms and government agencies to adapt to the change described in their books
- Wrote about 6 books including “Future Shock” and “The Third Wave”
- Known for discussing:
– digital revolution, communications revolution, corporate revolution, and technological singularity
Theory: “too much change in too short a period of time”
- Society undergoing an enormous structural change – a revolution from an “industrial society to a “super-industrial society”
- Toffler’s philosophy and most of his key ideas are summarized into three of his twelve books: Future Shock (1970), The Third Wave (1980), and Powershift (1990).
– Future Shock looks at the process of change (how change affects people and organizations)
– The Third Wave focuses on the directions of change (where today’s changes are taking us)
– Powershift deals with the control of changes still to come (who will shape them and how)
Proof
- Future Shock (although written more than 30 years ago) has predicted:
– the break-up of the nuclear family
– the genetic revolution
– the “throw-away” society
– the rebirth of emphasis on education
– the increased importance of knowledge in society
Pros and Cons
- Strength: It is a practical, relevant theory that many people agree with
- Weakness: At the same time, many people feel the exact opposite of this theory: that there is not enough change in a short period of time
