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Crowdocracy: The Future of Government & Governance
The second in the Wicked & Wise series, offering new solutions to seemingly intractable problems
Crowdocracy highlights one of the world's fastest growing issues—how will we govern in the future, and who will we be governed by? As a globalized world becomes ever more fractured by the growth of new nations, what is the role of individual governments, blocks of superpowers, and fledgling states? And how will the people of the future affect the power and position of those who govern, and are governed? This is the second in the Wicked and Wise series, each exploring a number of hotly debated and “wicked” issues facing the planet and its people, and offering some intelligent, challenging, and “wise” ways forward that may be able to break through the current intractable position. Each book in the series is coauthored by leading leadership consultant Alan Watkins and a hand-picked expert in each subject field.
Crowdocracy highlights one of the world's fastest growing issues—how will we govern in the future, and who will we be governed by? As a globalized world becomes ever more fractured by the growth of new nations, what is the role of individual governments, blocks of superpowers, and fledgling states? And how will the people of the future affect the power and position of those who govern, and are governed? This is the second in the Wicked and Wise series, each exploring a number of hotly debated and “wicked” issues facing the planet and its people, and offering some intelligent, challenging, and “wise” ways forward that may be able to break through the current intractable position. Each book in the series is coauthored by leading leadership consultant Alan Watkins and a hand-picked expert in each subject field.
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2016
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45 people want to read
About the author
Alan Watkins
32 books48 followers"Alan Watkins is recognized as an international expert on leadership and human performance. He has a broad mix of commercial, academic, scientific and technological abilities. Over the past 18 years he has been a coach to many of Europe’s top business leaders and has helped companies treble share price, enter the FTSE 100, salvage difficult turnarounds and establish market leadership in their industry. He has written two books and has three more coming out this year. He advised the GB Olympic squad prior to London 2012 and is continuing to work with them leading up to Rio in 2016. He has a three degrees and is a neuroscientist by background."
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 29, 2020
This might be a somewhat harsh rating, but I really did not like the format of this tome.
Chapter 2, called "Is democracy still fit for purpose" lays out the arguments in a relatively clear and positively scathing way for why we need to level up our systems, and I'm fully on board with this.
I'm also sympathetic to the "integrative" (of Ken Wilber) approach to how to build the next level. And I very much agree that the next level needs to involve more people, of all walks of life, to reach the goals. And I agree on this despite the arguments presented in the book, which basically boils down to that diverse groups reach better results on pretty simple tasks, which makes a poor argument that this is actually the best way to solve complex - or wicked - problems.
The book then does a really poor job of outlining the properties of this next level - it's very much pie-in-the-sky gibberish - and what the best way towards a new system could be. It's too much text, and too much non-relevant text. I don't need page after page describing how Linux, or Wikipedia was made, or why Venezuela or Argentina fails, or why Easter Island collapsed (if it did). Sorry, but I'm not fifteen years old anymore.
My recommendation would be to read chapter 2 of this book, and then go to van Reybrouck's "Against Elections" instead. And find a starting point there. You won't find it in this book, I'm afraid. Commendable, but not recommendable, is my verdict.
Chapter 2, called "Is democracy still fit for purpose" lays out the arguments in a relatively clear and positively scathing way for why we need to level up our systems, and I'm fully on board with this.
I'm also sympathetic to the "integrative" (of Ken Wilber) approach to how to build the next level. And I very much agree that the next level needs to involve more people, of all walks of life, to reach the goals. And I agree on this despite the arguments presented in the book, which basically boils down to that diverse groups reach better results on pretty simple tasks, which makes a poor argument that this is actually the best way to solve complex - or wicked - problems.
The book then does a really poor job of outlining the properties of this next level - it's very much pie-in-the-sky gibberish - and what the best way towards a new system could be. It's too much text, and too much non-relevant text. I don't need page after page describing how Linux, or Wikipedia was made, or why Venezuela or Argentina fails, or why Easter Island collapsed (if it did). Sorry, but I'm not fifteen years old anymore.
My recommendation would be to read chapter 2 of this book, and then go to van Reybrouck's "Against Elections" instead. And find a starting point there. You won't find it in this book, I'm afraid. Commendable, but not recommendable, is my verdict.
November 21, 2016
A dense, but very important work on the future of governance in a post-representational-democracy world. True government by the people is not a Utopian fantasy, Watkins argues, but an achievable and worthwhile goal. Getting there will be a fascinating adventure, navigating to avoid mobocracy while undoing the oligarchy we currently have to endure.
July 17, 2016
Quite visionary. Though, sadly, unrealistic.
November 26, 2016
much weaker than expected
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews