The New Normal: Great Opportunities in a Time of Great Risk Hardcover - 2004

by Roger McNamee; David Diamond (With)

Back in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, it was fairly easy to plan for a secure future. People picked a career, a spouse, and a place to live, and those basic decisions put them on a predictable course for the rest of their lives. Especially if they were lucky enough to land at a big corporation with great benefits and smart enough to buy stocks.

In the 70s, 80s, and 90s, technology and global competition transformed the world. An increasingly strong economy masked spiraling instability in the workplace and the world. A rising stock market lulled people into thinking they were in control of their lives.

But now we've entered a totally new era, which Roger McNamee calls the New Normal. It's a time of great uncertainty about terrorism, corporate scandals, the outsourcing of jobs overseas, and much more. The old safety nets aren't coming back, even when the economy recovers. But the good news is that the New Normal also offers tremendous opportunities. This book by one of Silicon Valley's most insightful and successful investors explains how to make the most of your life, career, and money by embracing the future.

The New Normal is the era of the individual. In companies large and small, each person now matters more than ever before. The Internet has finally made it easy to launch and grow a real business. For entrepreneurs and managers, the global economy opens previously untapped sources of supply and demand, cost savings and innovation. Individual investors now have access to tools and knowledge that were, until recently, restricted to professionals.

Roger McNamee has written a sweeping book in the tradition of Megatrends that clarifies this new era and gives readers a practical blueprint for success.