Shaping Things to Come Strategies for creating alternative enterprises Colin Coulson-Thomas Blackhall Publishing, €31.68: Luddite is a term of abuse used to describe those resistant to change. Luddites were the physical manifestation of those deeply troubled at the changes wrought by the industrial revolution in Britain as new technology ousted the traditional master craftsmen.
Luddites smashed the mass spinning and steam-driven machines that were lowering wages, making obsolete traditional occupations and luring millions from the countryside into overcrowded slums huddling in the shadow of the "dark, satanic mills".
The modern equivalent of the industrial revolution is electronic. New technology has brought about major changes in how we work, where we work and when we work, and has consequently provoked unease and fear in equal measure.
With mobile phones and e-mail making working hours elastic, and an ever-increasing rate of change, many are busy running to stand still without ever considering what the changes mean and, more importantly, what they could mean.
Coulson-Thomas has joined the ranks of those preaching the gospel of taking on board the fact that e-life is here to stay and it is up to us to make the technology be a servant rather than a master.
Coulson-Thomas's answers fall into line with what others in the field are saying, although it is specifically aimed at business and those who make the decisions within organisations rather than a general discussion of what the electronic revolution means for the general populace.
The work/life balance is discussed and Coulson-Thomas urges directors to take cognisance of the fact that people are beginning to place as much, if not more, emphasis on what happens after work rather than during.
He also makes the point that status in the future will not be linked to salary and perks but rather the ability to say no. Time will literally be money and business leaders who ignore this will do so at their peril.
Coulson-Thomas also emphasises the importance of good relations with the communities within which business operate.
This is a trend amongst many such authors, which implies that the days of responsibility to shareholders only is coming to an end.
At the end of each chapter he provides a useful checklist for those wishing to put his arguments and theories into practice. However, the overall impression of the book is academic and is not for those wishing to dip their toes.
