This is a book about improving global living standards and the standards that need the most help are those found in the developing world. This raises a second question. For those of us living in the developed world, why should we care? After all, there are plenty of important issues facing us here at home. Both US unemployment rates and foreclosure rates are soaring, so humanitarian reasons aside, should we really waste our time working toward an age of global abundance?
The short answer is yes. Our days of isolation are behind us. In today’s world, what happens “over there” impacts “over here.” Pandemics do not respect borders, terrorist organizations operate on a global scale, and overpopulation is everybody’s problem. What’s the best way to solve these issues? Raise global standards of living. Research shows that the wealthier, more educated, and healthier a nation, the less violence and civil unrest among its populace, and the less likely that unrest will spread across its borders. As such, stable governments are better prepared to stop an infectious disease outbreak before it becomes a global pandemic. And, as a bonus, there is a direct correlation between quality of life and population growth rates—as quality increases, birth rates decrease. The point is this: In today’s hyperlinked world, solving problems anywhere, solves problems everywhere.
Moreover, the greatest tool we have for tackling our grand challenges is the human mind. The information and communications revolution now underway is rapidly spreading across the planet. Over the next eight years, three billion new individuals will be coming online, joining the global conversation, and contributing to the global economy. Their ideas—ideas we’ve never before had access to—will result in new discoveries, products, and inventions that will benefit us all.
~ Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler
