Kindle Book on the Future Job Market and Economy -- The Forbidden Truth

RobertShaw · 05-12-2011, 03:43 AM

I came across this kindle book after hearing an interview with the author on NPR's "All Things Considered." The book talks about how technology is advancing faster and faster and how that is going to impact the job market over the next 10 years and beyond.

The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future

http://www.amazon.com/Lights-Tunnel-...dp/B002S0NITU/

This is a well-written and easy to read book that discusses a problem that is going to become a huge issue as technology continues to advance. Already, we are seeing that the so-called "recovery" is creating fewer jobs than at any time in the past. And most of the jobs getting created are low-paying "McJobs."

"The Lights in the Tunnel" talks about how technology like artificial intelligence and other advanced software is being used more and more to do "knowledge" jobs that are taken by college graduates. And we already see massive unemployment and underemployment for new college grads. Kids are coming out and taking jobs waiting tables even though they have huge student loans. A recent article in TIme magazine said 85% of grads are moving back in with their parents after college.

This is a really big issue. Jobs of all kinds will be impacted, and it will get worse even as we wait years for the economy to recover. Yet, no one talks about it. This is an important book that I recommend everyone should read, and then think about.

Donnageddon · 05-12-2011, 04:14 AM

Hi RobertShaw, and congrats on your first post to MobileRead! Not only a first post, but a first poll, hyping an ebook.

But before I answer your poll, why don't you tell us more about yourself? I'd love to get to understand your interest in ebooks, and how you came to get interested in them.

What's your favorite color?

mike_bike_kite · 05-13-2011, 03:53 PM

Do you know the author personally by any chance?

Todd Young · 05-14-2011, 12:27 AM

I really can't vote. I think I need another option other than yes or no. If it came to the point of us having androids (humanoid), then we'd basically be back to the point in history when people had slaves to do the menial work. People then might not wish to be employed. If everyone had a personal slave, and all the work was carried out by various forms of robotics, employment (other than what you chose to personally employ yourself doing) would be obsolete.

odiakkoh · 05-14-2011, 01:54 AM

"Do you think Computers/Robots/AI/Automation will make unemployment worse?"

Nope. The machine might take over some guy's job but there will always be a guy behind the machine fixing it every time it breaks.

carld · 05-14-2011, 09:51 AM

Actually, it's already happened. The rise in productivity in the US, driven by computerization and automation, is the true cause of our current unemployment problem.

Rizla · 05-16-2011, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odiakkoh

"Do you think Computers/Robots/AI/Automation will make unemployment worse?"

Nope. The machine might take over some guy's job but there will always be a guy behind the machine fixing it every time it breaks.

Yes, but the machine does the job of a hundred people and you only need one guy to fix it.

Marx predicted that humans would have to compete with machines for work, and in so doing, would become more machine-like. Marx was right.

anamardoll · 05-17-2011, 01:57 PM

I think that automation CAN affect unemployment, but it doesn't need to.

Take something like the "self-checkout" stations at grocery stores. The typical response for stores seemed to be to layoff buckets of employees because, hey, don't need checkers anymore! And now it's just as difficult (if not worse) to find an employee when you have a question, can't reach something, or when the self-checkout station seizes up because the 1 gallon milk you're buying supposedly weighs 2 gallons and BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

If the grocery store had kept all the "surplussed" checkers and retrained them in Customer Service, I'd be a happier customer all around and I'd be more likely to make THAT grocery store my "single source" instead of just stopping wherever is convenient when I arbitrarily remember that we need milk and cat litter.

I'm a software engineer that currently works in a field where we automate tedious software programming tasks to free up the engineers' time so that they can program more, better, and faster. The first thing I always tell my new clients is AUTOMATION DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN FIRE A SINGLE ENGINEER. It's also the second, third, and fourth thing. In addition to everything else, automation requires a LOT of maintenance and upkeep.

Any "surplussage" as a result of automation should be invested in making your product better, NOT in quick layoffs to get the same poor quality and service as before at a slightly smaller cost.

Of course, ask me if I think our corporate overlords REALIZE that or care about anything other than the short term...

View Poll Results: Do you think Computers/Robots/AI/Automation will make unemployment worse?
YES	7	31.82%
NO	15	68.18%
Voters: 22. You may not vote on this poll

05-12-2011, 03:43 AM	#1
RobertShaw Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kindle	Kindle Book on the Future Job Market and Economy -- The Forbidden Truth I came across this kindle book after hearing an interview with the author on NPR's "All Things Considered." The book talks about how technology is advancing faster and faster and how that is going to impact the job market over the next 10 years and beyond. The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future http://www.amazon.com/Lights-Tunnel-...dp/B002S0NITU/ This is a well-written and easy to read book that discusses a problem that is going to become a huge issue as technology continues to advance. Already, we are seeing that the so-called "recovery" is creating fewer jobs than at any time in the past. And most of the jobs getting created are low-paying "McJobs." "The Lights in the Tunnel" talks about how technology like artificial intelligence and other advanced software is being used more and more to do "knowledge" jobs that are taken by college graduates. And we already see massive unemployment and underemployment for new college grads. Kids are coming out and taking jobs waiting tables even though they have huge student loans. A recent article in TIme magazine said 85% of grads are moving back in with their parents after college. This is a really big issue. Jobs of all kinds will be impacted, and it will get worse even as we wait years for the economy to recover. Yet, no one talks about it. This is an important book that I recommend everyone should read, and then think about.

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05-12-2011, 04:14 AM	#2
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	Hi RobertShaw, and congrats on your first post to MobileRead! Not only a first post, but a first poll, hyping an ebook. But before I answer your poll, why don't you tell us more about yourself? I'd love to get to understand your interest in ebooks, and how you came to get interested in them. What's your favorite color?

05-13-2011, 03:53 PM	#3
mike_bike_kite Digitally confused Posts: 500 Karma: 1500000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: London, UK Device: KPW, K2i, Nexus 7 32gb, Kobo Mini	Do you know the author personally by any chance?

05-14-2011, 12:27 AM	#4
Todd Young Addict Posts: 243 Karma: 1004164 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kindle 2	I really can't vote. I think I need another option other than yes or no. If it came to the point of us having androids (humanoid), then we'd basically be back to the point in history when people had slaves to do the menial work. People then might not wish to be employed. If everyone had a personal slave, and all the work was carried out by various forms of robotics, employment (other than what you chose to personally employ yourself doing) would be obsolete.

05-14-2011, 01:54 AM	#5
odiakkoh Guru Posts: 823 Karma: 1818344 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: iPhone 5s	"Do you think Computers/Robots/AI/Automation will make unemployment worse?" Nope. The machine might take over some guy's job but there will always be a guy behind the machine fixing it every time it breaks.

05-14-2011, 09:51 AM	#6
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Actually, it's already happened. The rise in productivity in the US, driven by computerization and automation, is the true cause of our current unemployment problem.

05-17-2011, 01:57 PM	#8
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	I think that automation CAN affect unemployment, but it doesn't need to. Take something like the "self-checkout" stations at grocery stores. The typical response for stores seemed to be to layoff buckets of employees because, hey, don't need checkers anymore! And now it's just as difficult (if not worse) to find an employee when you have a question, can't reach something, or when the self-checkout station seizes up because the 1 gallon milk you're buying supposedly weighs 2 gallons and BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! If the grocery store had kept all the "surplussed" checkers and retrained them in Customer Service, I'd be a happier customer all around and I'd be more likely to make THAT grocery store my "single source" instead of just stopping wherever is convenient when I arbitrarily remember that we need milk and cat litter. I'm a software engineer that currently works in a field where we automate tedious software programming tasks to free up the engineers' time so that they can program more, better, and faster. The first thing I always tell my new clients is AUTOMATION DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN FIRE A SINGLE ENGINEER. It's also the second, third, and fourth thing. In addition to everything else, automation requires a LOT of maintenance and upkeep. Any "surplussage" as a result of automation should be invested in making your product better, NOT in quick layoffs to get the same poor quality and service as before at a slightly smaller cost. Of course, ask me if I think our corporate overlords REALIZE that or care about anything other than the short term...

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