The Age of Speed
Learning to Thrive in a More-Faster-Now World
By: Vince Poscente
Published: Aug 26, 2008
ISBN: 9780345506191
Format: Trade Paperback, 256pp
Publisher: Ballantine Books
"Today we want speed, and we can get it - on a level never before experienced", writes Canadian speed skiing record holder Vince Poscente in his insightful book The Age of Speed: Learning to Thrive in a More-Faster-Now World. The author believes that people not only want more speed, but that speed is essential to propel businesses forward to even greater success.
Vince Poscente understands that ever increasing speed is an integral feature of modern life. The demand for acceleration of every aspect of personal and business life creates new products and services, as well as new companies offering them. That same desire for speed has also blurred the lines between work, home, and leisure time in unimagined ways. Speed has destroyed the older paradigm of compartmentalized life, where work, play and home life were separate. Speed removed the walls between them freeing people to enjoy life more fully. Faster work times leaves more free hours for pursuing personal passions. Speed, according to the author, enhances the quality of our lives.
Vince Poscente (photo left) recognizes that not everyone craves and welcomes the speeding up of modern civilization. Not only are there individuals seeking a slower pace, but there are many businesses resisting the move to an ever faster society. The author breaks down business acceptance of speed into four categories.
At one corner of the grid is the Zeppelin, not only preferring to go slow, but being left behind by more nimble companies. The Balloon moves slowly but also travels outside of speed, and ignoring it. The Bottle Rocket moves quickly, embracing speed and change, but burns out in the end. The Jet not only internalizes speed but even creates faster change in society. The book provides memorable case studies for each of the four categories.
For me, the power of the book were the powerful insights into the changing nature of society, and how people choose speed regardless of the circumstances. If anything can create more productive time, and less delay, that innovation will become the industry leading product or service. The analysis of how all aspects of life from work, leisure, and family have blended together due to speed is very insightful. The changes in time and space for each activity not only are faster in time, but altered in space and location as well. By seeking and anticipating even more speed, people are empowered to pursue their passion, without the trade offs deemed unavoidable in the past.
I highly recommend the powerful and prophetic The Age of Speed: Learning to Thrive in a More-Faster-Now World by Vince Poscente, to anyone who demands more speed in their lives whether at work or at nome, and also to anyone who feels overwhelmed by the faster pace of modern life. The author describes in detail how to use speed to enhance a person's quality of life, rather than detracting from it.
Read The Age of Speed: Learning to Thrive in a More-Faster-Now World by Vince Poscente and discover how to put speed and rapid societal change to work for you. Instead of fighting speed, harness it to improve your work and business, and to create more personal time so you can stop and smell the roses.
