Two Pandemic Business Books Made It To New York Times Business Best Sellers – Both Books Predict The Future After COVID-19
While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our lives, it’s also spurred insightful analysis and reflection. Remarkably, even as we navigate these uncertain times, two compelling business books about the crisis have already earned a spot on the New York Times Best Seller Business Books list for January 2021. These aren’t just dry reports; they’re future-focused explorations of the world we’re building.
The first, “Ten Lessons For A Post-Pandemic World” by Fareed Zakaria, provides a broad, thoughtful overview of the pandemic’s long-term implications. Zakaria, a renowned journalist and commentator, delves into the geopolitical shifts, technological advancements, and societal changes that are likely to shape our future. He examines the vulnerabilities exposed by the crisis and presents a framework for understanding the opportunities for progress. The book thoughtfully considers the interplay of global politics, economics, and technology.
The second bestseller, “Post Corona: From Crisis To Opportunity” by Scott Galloway, takes a sharper, more provocative look at the business and economic landscape. Galloway, a professor of marketing at NYU Stern School of Business, offers a critical analysis of the winners and losers in the pandemic-induced economic upheaval. He identifies the industries and companies poised to thrive in the “post-corona” world and provides a roadmap for adapting to the new realities.
Both authors, though approaching the subject from different angles, explore the past, present, and future implications of the COVID-19 pandemic by theorizing about the world after the pandemic. They not only tackle the economic consequences but also delve into technological advancements and political shifts. Find out more about the books, below:
Ten Lessons For A Post-Pandemic World By Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria’s “Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World” isn’t just a reflection on the COVID-19 crisis; it’s a critical analysis of our interconnected global landscape. The book employs a structured approach, first examining the conditions that existed prior to the pandemic – the existing global power structures, economic inequalities, and technological trends that made the world vulnerable. It then delves into the midst of the pandemic, exploring the immediate health crisis, the governmental responses (both effective and ineffective), and the social disruptions it caused worldwide. Building upon these analyses, Zakaria then shifts his focus to the long-term ramifications of the pandemic. He doesn’t just predict the future; he argues for specific consequences across the political, socio-economical, and technological spheres, painting a picture of what the post-pandemic world might look like, and what we need to do to navigate it.
Zakaria doesn’t shy away from difficult realities. A central thread of his argument revolves around the likelihood of worsening extreme poverty and inequality in the coming years. He doesn’t attribute this solely to the pandemic, but rather argues that pre-existing inequalities were exacerbated by the crisis, and without deliberate action, these will become entrenched. He also grapples with the concept of government quality, examining how different nations handled the pandemic and discussing the implications for future governance.
Post Corona: From Crisis To Opportunity By Scott Galloway
In his book, Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity, author Scott Galloway, a marketing professor and entrepreneur known for his insightful and often provocative analysis of the tech landscape and business trends, posits that the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a powerful accelerant, dramatically compressing timelines for existing societal and governmental trends. He doesn’t view the pandemic as a radical break from the past but rather as a catalyst that rapidly intensified existing forces.
Galloway argues that many of the shifts we’ve witnessed – the rise of e-commerce, remote work, the increasing power of technology platforms, and growing inequalities – were already underway before 2020. However, the pandemic, with its lockdowns, social distancing, and economic disruptions, forced these trends into hyperdrive. It exposed pre-existing vulnerabilities and amplified both opportunities and challenges across various sectors.
