Technology has been both a boon and a curse throughout history, upsetting the apple cart of the established order with new opportunities for some and great losses for others. Consider the impact of the automobile, first on the horse and buggy industries, then on railroads. Television almost destroyed the movie business until the more creative people adapted. eBooks currently threaten longstanding bookstores and traditional publishers. The pace of technological advance has accelerated during the last half-century, challenging cultures, societies, and individuals to adapt to the new environment.
The benefits of technological advances are disproportionately enjoyed among the world’s communities, exaggerating the differences between those countries with stable, modern economies and those yet to develop. Even within a single economy, the benefits generally accrue to those who are better educated, more flexible, and less invested in the status quo.
In the past, technology primarily leveraged or expanded man’s physical and mental skills. The coming advances have the capability of replacing those skills, eliminating the need for man’s labor or direction. Simply stated, machines are capable of replacing much – if not most – of the jobs in our industrialized societies.
As the transfer occurs, how will cultures, economies, and political systems adapt? Will the future be the long-sought utopia, or the beginning of a cultural apocalypse, the societies depicted in science fiction novels such as “1984,” “The Hunger Games,” or “Soylent Green“?
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Lewis Interview with CBAC Funding
Michael R. Lewis is a man of many accomplishments. He has led a colorful life which has seen him party with rock stars, play Black Jack in Vegas, trade on the floor of the NYSE, travel around the world, and make and lose millions of dollars in business. Each time he has emerged stronger and continued realizing his dreams. Somewhere along the way he began to start channeling his vast knowledge and considerable experience into consulting and writing.
We asked him about a host of things, from material success and handling finances to what has influenced him the most, and he responded in a heartfelt and philosophical manner. His openness has made for a delightful read.
Budding entrepreneurs or those struggling with balancing their personal life and career ambitions will love this. And so will those who just like to wonder about the nature of success, life, and why people do what they do. In short, there’s something for everybody here, if you have an eye for the things that really matter.
Interview with Michael
What excites you the most about the world of business?
While I enjoy the business of business, its most intriguing quality and challenge is the requirement to continuously improve, to be a little smarter, work a little harder, and be a little better every day. In the world of business, success and failure are moving targets. A good businessperson has to be smart, flexible, willing to work hard, and a leader; a great businessperson has those same qualities plus the ability to see and articulate a vision that inspires and motivates those around him.
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