WTF?

What's the Future and Why It's Up to Us

By: Tim O'Reilly

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Silicon Valley's leading intellectual and the founder of O'Reilly Media explores the upside and the potential downsides of our future - what he calls the "next economy".

Tim O'Reilly's genius is to identify and explain emerging technologies with world-shaking potential - the World Wide Web, open source software, Web 2.0, open government data, the Maker Movement, big data. "The man who can really can make a whole industry happen", according to executive chairman of Google Eric Schmidt, O'Reilly has most recently focused on the future of work - AI, algorithms, and new approaches to business organization that will shape our lives. He has brought together an unlikely coalition of technologists, business leaders, labor advocates, and policy makers to wrestle with these issues. In WTF, he shares the evolution of his intellectual development, applying his approach to a number of challenging issues we will face as citizens, employees, business leaders, and a nation.

What is the future when an increasing number of jobs can be performed by intelligent machines instead of people or done by people only in partnership with those machines? What happens to our consumer-based societies - to workers and to the companies that depend on their purchasing power? Is income inequality and unemployment an inevitable consequence of technological advancement, or are there paths to a better future? What will happen to business when technology-enabled networks and marketplaces are better at deploying talent than traditional companies? What's the future of education when on-demand learning outperforms traditional institutions? Will the fundamental social safety nets of the developed world survive the transition, and if not, what will replace them?

The digital revolution has transformed the world of media, upending centuries-old companies and business models. Now, it is restructuring every business, every job, and every sector of society. Yet the biggest changes are still ahead. To survive, every industry and organization will have to transform itself in multiple ways. O'Reilly explores what the next economy will mean for the world and every aspect of our lives - and what we can do to shape it.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Tim O'Reilly (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

pretty interesting, but got a little political

Good narrator. great section on gov't as a platform...code America info was cool. too much reliance on Google economist

Good book to understand implications of future

Thoroughly enjoyed. Hope the future will be better with new tools and platforms. Look forward for more such books on agricultural automation for productivity

The insides in this book is really cool

liked the explanations, and I really enjoyed the insides, but I want to be wow'ed more for 5 stars

Inspiring book

I really enjoyed listening to this inspiring book on Audible. Not always easy to follow when the author gets deeper into the intricacies of technology, it’s overall a great read. The narration is excellent.

Really, WTF?

Overall I enjoyed this work. I found the information provided to be interesting and in line with other works in a similar vein. Voice work was avuncular and resonated well.

Resplendent with Insights

I've been a big fan of Mr. O'Reilly's initiatives since I was cutting my teeth on his publishing house's books coming up through both my academic and functional education. This is a great book; readable and accessible for a wide audience while getting into the nitty gritty of the forces changing our world. I couldn't put it better than the luminaries who have given their thoughtful endorsement to this work already, but I can say that it is not just the topic or the details at hand here, but it is Mr. O'Reilly's worldview and perspective that is so refreshing and encouraging. Reminiscent of the laudable mentality Woz, Feynman, and other pioneers, this is a refreshing overview for possiblists old and new. Those of us who are lost and overwhelmed by the state of disruption in many industries and fields can safely rely on this book to become a bit more informed on each of the issues on the agenda here. The discussion of techniques and mentalities to cultivate, where there can be documentation provided of those people and groups who change things and why is very relevant and useful. I was especially impressed by the discussion and analysis of the economic challenges ahead, and the case studies and other details presented are very choice and relevant in each case. As someone who is well read, the narrative is varied and engaging, although the issues discussed here are vital enough in each and every case that is documented here, the sense of asthetics for the vocabulary chosen makes it easy to settle in for a nice enjoyable read. Additionally the mentality of the author is one of clarity without bias; a welcome distinction. Of course, that doesn't mean that there is not opinion on display here, rather the opinions expressed are so well tempered with compassionate reason hopefully the readers will find it a fun challenge to find points of contention, though that is one of the ways I read, I couldn't find very much at all that was editorial in tone. Though the book is quite informative on a good range of topics, the tone is a cut above the spirit of journalistic inquiry that no doubt was one of the instigating factors prompting the writing and publication of this work. Though clearly thorough investigative effort was undertaken on the part of the author, much like with Mr. Gore's latest work, the voice of this work is easy, optimistic, and curious, a balm to those who may find these topics stressful or overwhelming. Overall I would say this book is as broad in it's scope as it is approachable, with level headedness and open minded approach, briefing yourself on these topics with this book should serve any reader well. I am of varied and independent thinking and I cannot find a single notion advocated for here where I differ with the offer, the proposals and insights are just that choice. I very much look forward to hearing much more from Mr. O'Reilly going forward. It is my hope that works like this and those of Mr. Gore can pervade and influence the influencers, notions predominant and endorsed by the author can become prominent in the public conversation, have an appreciable influence on how policy is shaped by individuals, business, governments, and other organizations and groups. This book and the initiatives behind it are among the most encouraging and inspirational I have encountered. My Thanks to the author, I do look forward to your future publications, discussions, and ideas.

Timothy, Delphic.Group

Nice insights

Several interesting insights, but driven heavily by a Silicon Valley view of the world. This view will not please everyone.

Very Insightful

I️ really enjoyed this book. Tim O’Reily writes with such clarity, diligence, and compassion, giving us a comprehensive map of the current and future state of the economy shaped by technology.

Convincing vision

O'Reilly's important message is served in a robotic, monotone voice. I realise this is hard work, but it could have been done nearly as well with text-to-speech software.

Changed my life, but

This is a great, up to date book full of recent innovations and progress. Great in depth overview of big ideas, and peer to peer market, how it was built, why it have worked and a little on what to expect from future.
For my taste, this book was overly optimistic on future possibilities of advancement of human race. He describes mostly an utopian world where everything works perfectly which it never has, never does and most likely never will, due to high complexity of the world. And he also makes a really huge assumptions that, for example something like universal basic income or negative taxation WOULD be implemented, and that people would buy other people's products instead of buying robotics because of authenticity ( whatever that means), considering that robotic produced products would be a small fraction of the cost and of superior quality and I can go on and on, etc. , etc.
But off course it's his subjective view of the future, which are conflicting with mine, and I can't discount any points just because we disagree on subjective opinions.
Other than that, this book provides a unique inside perspective on past developments of technologies like internet,computers and AI, from insiders perspective ( He knew Bezos back in 2000-s). Overall I can recommend this book, and if you read through this review you'll probably be able to finish this book too.