Disequilibrium: A World Out Of Kilter

"Disequilibrium" is an essay at the intersection of economics, geopolitics, and political and environmental science: it connects the dots between various academic disciplines and does a great job at simplifying the increasing complexity of today's world. It contends that in the foreseeable future, our world will be lurching from one global crisis to the next as it becomes much more susceptible to shocks and surprises than just a few years ago. Consequently, we will all have the impression of being on the verge of constant instability, with random occurrences happening all the time. Essentially, the world has become a conveyor belt for constant surprises.

The book provides a conceptual framework that explains why this is so (looking in particular at how ever-increasing interdependency, complexity, velocity and transparency interact with each other, creating feedback loops in the process). It also analyses what this all means for decision-makers and argues that the complexity of the world is progressively overwhelming their capabilities (particularly in the case of politicians and bankers) to make sensible, well-informed decisions. The last chapter (largely based on interviews and conversations with key decision-makers and leading investors) provides some important insights and “tips” not only on how to cope with, but also on how to benefit from these dramatic changes.

"Disequilibrium" has been endorsed by some of today's most prominent thinkers and decision-makers. It contains a foreword by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, an organization famous for its annual gathering of global thinkers, global CEOs, and some of the world's most famous opinion and policy-makers in Davos.