Normal isn't what it used to be. There's stock market volatility, CEOs getting caught cheating and lying, airports that never seem truly secure, not to mention the turbulence of war. In The New Normal, Roger McNamee, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist, and contributing writer David Diamond suggest that happiness these days requires that we embrace the new status quo instead of resisting it.
The four characteristics of what they dub "the New Normal" include the rise of individual power (as opposed to old institutional power); an increasing array of choices; opportunities that develop from the convergence of technology and globalization; and limited time—and making the most of it.
On the subject of choice, for instance, McNamee clarifies, "Faced with a deluge of choices, we have to make innumerable decisions. Only a handful of these decisions really matter. The rest are not worth worrying about. Part of my inspiration for writing this book was seeing so many of my friends paralyzed when it came to making decisions. They were out of work or in jobs they hated, unable to see the opportunities out there, much less act on them. Even if things at work were going well, they were inundated with choices on other fronts. Focus your energy on the important decisions, the ones related to family and career. Be decisive. Inaction is not a good option."
While McNamee describes how the four characteristics can be used as opportunities to enhance all aspects of life, including relationships and financial investing, his observations on career development are especially convincing. He reminds readers that they can no longer rely on former institutional safeguards such as the right to steadily climb the corporate ladder. Instead, they must take new responsibility for managing their careers by being proactive and taking advantage of the prospects that the global free market offers.—Mallory Stark
Table of Contents:
Introduction: Four secrets of the new normal
- Technology: It's about you
- Government: Out of the driver's seat
- Business: The courage to act
- Media: Digital changes everything
- Careers: Never an idle moment
- Finance: Everybody's a professional investor
- Education: It never ends
- Family: The institution you can save
- Individuals are more important than ever
- It's a global economy—period
- Innovation—and everything else—moves to the edges
- Time is a secret weapon
- Winners are always connected
- Small is bigger and better
- There's new life at the top
- The investing playing field is (finally) level
- New rules for winning on Wall Street's level field