Survival of the Richest

Survival of the Richest by Douglas Rushkoff

Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires 

​Who hasn’t had that wishful thinking dream of what they would do if they won the lotto…? The problems you would solve, the good times you would have, the worries you would leave behind….

)Well, this book might be just the ticket for to cure you! I love getting a personal recommendation book and this one kept me fascinated to the end. The mindset of the Billionaire (particularly those who have made their riches via the tech industry.) A digital age has spawned so many start-ups that have exploded with success. Think the Collison Bros and the growth of STRIPE.
 
This book delves deep into the mindset of this sector of society and quite frankly it is far from a grounded wholesome kind. The author introduces us to a group of five gazillionaires looking for advice on how to escape this world from the anticipated apocalypse. The mindset of winning is hardly a bad thing, but it comes at a cost which seems to err into a territory that doesn’t end well. In effect the success means a distinct distancing from reality!
 
The earth is a resource to be plundered and dominated to achieve the anticipated growth of success. When it looks like the resources are running out it is time to escape…
 
Ok, I cannot relate to the craziness of it all, but I do like how Douglas brings it back to us mere mortals who operate in more circular economies of co-operatives and mutual aid. Closed loops that replenish the earth and resources. We can’t fix the world, it’s a process. He urges us to engage more fully with the present. It is what we have. Perhaps my eye is tuned into finding all these links with co-operatives because it is what we do but instinctively it does feel right. No money can buy that….
 
Anne Maher
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