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A review by katkeigher
Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future by Martin Ford
3.0
Ford’s voice makes the abstract ideas he tackles both approachable and interesting. His candor and humor weave seamlessly with the hard data and scientific research he references. While with another author this might limit his ethos, with Ford it does just the opposite. His colloquial tone conveys a sense of confidence and gravitas that gives his reader no option but to believe him. Though much of his subject matter is undeniably bleak, Ford gives readers information like a tool for their tool kit.
Ford’s ability to connect with readers is undeniable. Consider his reference to the 2013 film Elysium--pop culture references are another one of the reasons why Ford’s narrative is so engaging--where Ford warns of the dangers of a potential global economic collapse (pp. 220-221, 2016). His ability to take something so distant and bring it into an understandable context is one of the reasons why Ford has become one of the most well-known and well-respected futurists. He can, simply, explain the future in the language of today. Even a layman like me was able to follow and engage with concepts well beyond my expertise.
If Ford’s goal was to simultaneously warn, educate, and entertain his reader then Rise of the Robots is a resounding success. He achieves a gentle balance of information and entertainment without losing any of his authority in the process. It’s no wonder that economist Lord Robert Skildesky of the University of Warwick said, “This is a book that everyone concerned with the future of the world must read” (as cited in Ford, 2016).
Ford’s ability to connect with readers is undeniable. Consider his reference to the 2013 film Elysium--pop culture references are another one of the reasons why Ford’s narrative is so engaging--where Ford warns of the dangers of a potential global economic collapse (pp. 220-221, 2016). His ability to take something so distant and bring it into an understandable context is one of the reasons why Ford has become one of the most well-known and well-respected futurists. He can, simply, explain the future in the language of today. Even a layman like me was able to follow and engage with concepts well beyond my expertise.
If Ford’s goal was to simultaneously warn, educate, and entertain his reader then Rise of the Robots is a resounding success. He achieves a gentle balance of information and entertainment without losing any of his authority in the process. It’s no wonder that economist Lord Robert Skildesky of the University of Warwick said, “This is a book that everyone concerned with the future of the world must read” (as cited in Ford, 2016).