Eighty percent of the world's wealth is created by only one sixth of the world's population.
11/17/2003
Should global capitalism be left to develop on its own? Or should the U.S. and others exert force to ensure that instability is minimized, less-developed nations are brought along to the party, and American interests are served? Thurow, a former dean of MIT's Sloan School of Management, comes down on the side of the latter approach. Calculated risks must be taken by bold people to accomplish substantial and sustainable growth, be it in a company or in society. History is filled with examples from cultures that were able to acquire new technologies and use them in productive ways, he says. Thurow suggests the need for chief knowledge officers who would provide a competitive advantage by helping organizations navigate the developing global knowledge-based economy. He ends the book with an adage, "Those who leap sometimes lose, but those who do not leap always lose."