The New North: The World in 2050
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Review
Smith's planetary palm-reading would be impressive enough but he also manages to pull it off with literary gusto. --New Scientist
The best new geography book of the year --Fred Pearce
A lively and impressive book --Wall Street Journal
One of the most head-turning books I've ever come across recently --World Politics Review
`... it's refreshing to read a book that avoids the twin dangers of exaggeration and wishful thinking.' --Geographical
`His optimism stems from his hard-headed realism, and his faith in human ingenuity` --London Evening Standard
`The New North is a ... convincing portrayal of the future` --Guardian
'...fascinating...' --Press Association
'Consistently challenging and mind-opening exercise in futurology.' --John Gray, New Statesman
'Compelling' --FT
The best new geography book of the year --Fred Pearce
A lively and impressive book --Wall Street Journal
One of the most head-turning books I've ever come across recently --World Politics Review
`... it's refreshing to read a book that avoids the twin dangers of exaggeration and wishful thinking.' --Geographical
`His optimism stems from his hard-headed realism, and his faith in human ingenuity` --London Evening Standard
`The New North is a ... convincing portrayal of the future` --Guardian
'...fascinating...' --Press Association
'Consistently challenging and mind-opening exercise in futurology.' --John Gray, New Statesman
'Compelling' --FT
Book Description
A book which literally turns the world upside down. The world in 2050 will be radically different from today; Northern countries - notably Canada, Russia and Scandinavia - will rise at the expense of southern ones. Patterns of human migration will change dramatically - and where we are born will more crucial than ever before. But humans are adaptable: there will be gains as a new world takes shape.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This must be the best geography book in a very long time - a really compelling study of the world in 2050 - and of the emergence of a new region, comprising the Arctic zones of North America, Scandinavia and Russia. I was hooked by both these themes, for Laurence Smith writes in a similar, compelling vein to his UCLA colleague, Jared Diamond. He gets his knowledge across very much story-first, beginning with the extraordinary tale of a pizzly - a grizzly bear-polar bear hybrid, and a sign, perhaps of the reality of encroaching climate change. And Smith is a wonderful forager of stats and tables, which he presents with jaw dropping clarity. The growth of megacities (10m plus population), for example, from three in 1975 to 19 today, to 27 projected by 2025. Or the ageing world population, particularly in countries like Japan (already with a median at 44.6 years), but also in places you don't expect like India, where today's median is 25 years but is set to rise to 38 by 2050. There are a lot more of these fascinating projections in The New North. And a lot of legwork, talking to people across the Arctic regions. A highly recommended book.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a fascinating book about science, environment, economics and geopolitics. The author identifies four `mega-trends': climate change; the battle for resources (not just the obvious ones like oil and water but also minerals like copper, silver, indium (used in LCD screens and semiconductors) and nickel; demographics (especially aging populations in the developed countries) and globalisation. But although many places (especially those nearer the equator including California where the author lives) have an uneasy future it's not all doom and gloom. Some countries, he suggests, might even benefit. These are what Prof Smith calls the `Northern Rim' countries - Northern America, Canada, and Russia, Scandinavia - the NORCs for short. Their cities will grow and attract migrants (it's too bad that some of them seem to be among the most dismal places on earth). There's been a lot of discussion the BRICs recently (Brazil, Russia, India and China) as the countries with the most dynamic future. So it's interesting to see that Russia appears in both lists, although it has its own particular problems.
Professor Smith's writing style is really compelling: there's a huge amount of data in the book, but despite the academic rigour that's not overwhelming because he tells some great personal stories too (having travelled in the region for 15 months). Above all it's a book about humans, and how we adapt to the changing world. Although I wouldn't say that the book turns the world upside down (as the blurb says), it certainly gives you an entirely new perspective on a part of the world I knew little about.
Professor Smith's writing style is really compelling: there's a huge amount of data in the book, but despite the academic rigour that's not overwhelming because he tells some great personal stories too (having travelled in the region for 15 months). Above all it's a book about humans, and how we adapt to the changing world. Although I wouldn't say that the book turns the world upside down (as the blurb says), it certainly gives you an entirely new perspective on a part of the world I knew little about.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is an extremely interesting -- and extremely well written -- book. In order to get to its core idea, which is that the far northern part of the world will emerge not just as a coherent new region but as a region of ever-increasing influence, the author cuts a swathe through a wealth of thinking demography, energy, hydrology, climate change, globalisation and geopolitics. Hence we read about urbanisation in Lagos to make sense of the future of Scandinavia, and about demographic shifts in China to make sense of the future of Canada. Like Jared Diamond (who gives a glowing quote on the cover), Smith is both an synthesiser of information and a great writer. What emerges is a complex picture of a region that will increasingly loom large on the world stage, but which will battle with a host of social and practical issues - from indigenous land rights through to the melting of ice roads. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the world we live in and the world we'll soon live in.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A focused insight to what's next.
A very enjoyable read that surprises you in it's ability to keep you turning that page. Very familiar American humour and story telling throughout. Read more
Published 4 months ago by MattyB101
The future
The New North, (A)
The world in 2050
by Laurence C Smith
A review by the Cote d'Azur men's book group
A scientist who turns the world upside down... Read more
The world in 2050
by Laurence C Smith
A review by the Cote d'Azur men's book group
A scientist who turns the world upside down... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ivor R. B. Hibbitt
A farsighted guide to Earth: 2050
Professor of geography Laurence C. Smith makes a fine oracle. His ambitious, candid and accessible book predicts what the world will be like in 2050. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Rolf Dobelli
Knowledge is Power
It is really fascinating reading, an eye-opener on our future resources and much more but with one big mistake. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Carlo Ancilli
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