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  • The Fourth Industrial Revolution

  • Written by: Klaus Schwab
  • Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith
  • Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (66 ratings)

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The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Written by: Klaus Schwab
Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith
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Publisher's Summary

World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolution, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work.

Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope, and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital, and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries, and governments and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human.

Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones, and virtual assistants to 3-D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wearable sensors, and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3-D printed liver are already in development. Imagine "smart factories" in which global systems of manufacturing are coordinated virtually or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials.

The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society, and individuals. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future - one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; in which progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frameworks that advance progress.

©2017 Klaus Schwab (P)2017 Random House Audio

What the critics say

"Only organizations driven by purpose and values will be fully able to shape and benefit from the seismic technological, social and economic transformations underway. Klaus Schwab compellingly outlines why all of us must work to ensure that the fourth industrial revolution has at its heart the stakeholder principle, ensuring that the benefits of transformation are as much a public good as a private gain. This book is required reading for my entire leadership team." (Marc R. Benioff, chairman and chief executive officer, Salesforce)
"In The Fourth Industrial Revolution, professor Klaus Schwab puts forth a thoughtful framework for leaders to meet the challenge of maximizing the benefits of the profound technological, social, and economic transformation reshaping society. Drawing on over four decades of bringing together governments, private sector, and other parts of civil society, Schwab starts a wide-ranging discussion on how we can help to ensure that the fourth industrial revolution drives progress for humankind."(Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and founder of LeanIn.Org)

What listeners say about The Fourth Industrial Revolution

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Out to lunch

Completely disregards so many ideologies ideas etc you can tell this was written with an agenda in mind

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5 people found this helpful

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Truly a Waste of Time

I can save you the trouble of reading.

Soon in the world we will have X percent of the population adopting Y technology. Z percent of respondents believe this will be adopted by 2025. Insert cool story about Y tech you’ve probably already heard. Now guess why this is good, guess why it is bad and guess why it’s good or bad. Listen to this over and over and over again till you’ve wasted over 5 hours on the ramblings of So called WEF experts trying to solve the problems some of the experts think we may need to address sometime in the future.

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Poop

Hates it.

If 2020-21 is any indication where humanity in the 4th IR is headed: Count me out.

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3 people found this helpful

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Global elites are convincing you that their world domination is good

Tech is part of our everyday life for a reason. This book outlines the agenda to have society dependant on the world government controlled services.

My advice: use cash, drive gas, no smart home monitoring, remove as many electronics from your everyday life as possible. Those who are self reliant and independent cannot be controlled. Stay safe

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another globalist elite

Klaus schwab is just another globalist pushing outlandish fantastical ideas jockeying for a power position and lobbying for a one government world.
this book is trash 🗑

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Important Story that Puts Me To Sleep

The message contained in this book is very important and I believe the author is extremely qualified to broach it, but I must admit that the way it is read, I am rarely able to stay focused on listening. The voice is clear enough, but it is so methodical that it puts me to sleep.

Secondly, because there are a lot of subheadings obviously contained in the book, it's hard to tell what is the start of a new topic or chapter and what is simply a sub-heading of a topic already under discussion.

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klaus schwab is a russian sabotuer

this book is a misleading disgrace! its only purpose is to frighten and Disinform anyone who reads it. terrible.

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Interesting

I got this to know what the WEF had in store for us. I discovered that I will be just fine in his fascist utopia, yet those that support his Left Wing Minions will pay the heaviest toll. It is Ironic.

Great information to follow different stocks and sectors to invest in for the future.

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hindsight is 20/20

This book did a remarkable job of predicting trends and direction of progress in technology.

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fascinating read

It was pretty good, lot's of accurate "predictions" and insights. The author is a high IQ individual.

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