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Vision: Our Strategic Infrastructure Roadmap Forward
With his signature straightforward candor, Washington D.C. infrastructure guru Norman F. Anderson unleashes a fascinating, nation-saving plan for the future that is rooted in two What will the U.S. look like in 2030, and what do we want it to look like? Anderson's analysis is driven by the crisis facing America as the cornerstones of society - vast, fast highways; power stations; and telecommunications networks - languish from lack of funds, while the huge opportunity in new infrastructure, including AI, 5G, and new forms of mobility, are set-up to drive extraordinary productive and opportunity across the U.S. economy. What do we need? Leadership, political will, and, ultimately an engaging vision. The answers he offers are equal parts inspiring, terrifying and utterly sensible.
In twelve chapters, Anderson explores the nature and power of vision, demonstrating that, as the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds in real-time, driven by 5G, machine learning and AI, infrastructure must become the essential strategic pillar of American society - one that, if built and nurtured, will bolster our economy, job market, national security and quality of life. It's where the battlefield on which our bifurcated battle with China is being played out.
Anderson uncovers the vast obstacles that have crippled infrastructure growth in the U.S. over the last thirty years and talks to industry veterans and cutting edge-technologists about shifting from a broken system to one that works - and one that will once again allow the U.S. to drive infrastructure growth around the world (especially in the critical areas of health and mobility). Along the way, he shares the mind-bending projects of the future that are under development, explains the dangers of failing to counter China's explosive infrastructure growth, and provides our leaders in Washington with a ten-point plan to remake America as an infrastructure leader.
Engaging, timely and daring, Our Strategic Infrastructure Roadmap Forward turns the stereotyped perceptions of infrastructure on their head. Infrastructure is not tedious subject-matter for wonks who love constructing roads and power-lines - it is core to our economic and social strategy, the DNA that will define our society. And this book is an eye-opening treatise on how to create a future that works for all of us.
In twelve chapters, Anderson explores the nature and power of vision, demonstrating that, as the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds in real-time, driven by 5G, machine learning and AI, infrastructure must become the essential strategic pillar of American society - one that, if built and nurtured, will bolster our economy, job market, national security and quality of life. It's where the battlefield on which our bifurcated battle with China is being played out.
Anderson uncovers the vast obstacles that have crippled infrastructure growth in the U.S. over the last thirty years and talks to industry veterans and cutting edge-technologists about shifting from a broken system to one that works - and one that will once again allow the U.S. to drive infrastructure growth around the world (especially in the critical areas of health and mobility). Along the way, he shares the mind-bending projects of the future that are under development, explains the dangers of failing to counter China's explosive infrastructure growth, and provides our leaders in Washington with a ten-point plan to remake America as an infrastructure leader.
Engaging, timely and daring, Our Strategic Infrastructure Roadmap Forward turns the stereotyped perceptions of infrastructure on their head. Infrastructure is not tedious subject-matter for wonks who love constructing roads and power-lines - it is core to our economic and social strategy, the DNA that will define our society. And this book is an eye-opening treatise on how to create a future that works for all of us.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 9, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 31, 2021
IMPORTANT BOOK
Useable/Actionable
Restructuring how America does infrastructure broadly defined, often considered boring, is critical if America is going to improve its competitiveness to lead in the mid 21st century. Without a strategic revamp and commitment, America`s relative standard of living of the average man and woman will continue to decline behind China, Japan, and Western Europe. The gap between where Americans think America is and where it actually ranks in global standards will become greater, reducing American productivity and continuing to increase cost. But most importantly, Anderson describes failure to address this as America failing to meet the challenge of China.
Norman Anderson, a veteran and tireless infrastructure warrior, has written an actionable and useable optimistic American vision and guide to get American infrastructure thinking on track and built in the foreseeable future. The issues Anderson describes through specific examples, are daunting. Nevertheless, the book presents specific recommendations to move out to address the future. It includes interviews with America`s infrastructure leaders and visionaries --people actually trying to get things done -- in areas from 5G to pipelines, to Blockchain, to Superconducting Maglev.
What I like about his book is that is readable and ACTIONABLE. It should be in every congressional committees office and read by staff and used to brief their bosses. It must be read in the West Wing and EEOB by the staff of the National Economic Council. The NSC staff must take note. The ideas it proposes to get the U.S. moving should be studied and implemented.
The U.S. needs to have a sense of crisis about infrastructure. It is not about pouring money at it; Anderson shows us there is plenty of money waiting to be utilized. It is about organizing for success, thinking big and prioritizing for the future. The approach of the latter 20th century has been a failure and the first two decades of the 21st century aren`t any better. We must do better.
When history books are written about the 21st century it will be about climate change success or failure and infrastructure accomplishment. Hopefully the United States will be viewed as a leader that did all it could to solve these issues, not only for itself, but for all mankind.
Useable/Actionable
Restructuring how America does infrastructure broadly defined, often considered boring, is critical if America is going to improve its competitiveness to lead in the mid 21st century. Without a strategic revamp and commitment, America`s relative standard of living of the average man and woman will continue to decline behind China, Japan, and Western Europe. The gap between where Americans think America is and where it actually ranks in global standards will become greater, reducing American productivity and continuing to increase cost. But most importantly, Anderson describes failure to address this as America failing to meet the challenge of China.
Norman Anderson, a veteran and tireless infrastructure warrior, has written an actionable and useable optimistic American vision and guide to get American infrastructure thinking on track and built in the foreseeable future. The issues Anderson describes through specific examples, are daunting. Nevertheless, the book presents specific recommendations to move out to address the future. It includes interviews with America`s infrastructure leaders and visionaries --people actually trying to get things done -- in areas from 5G to pipelines, to Blockchain, to Superconducting Maglev.
What I like about his book is that is readable and ACTIONABLE. It should be in every congressional committees office and read by staff and used to brief their bosses. It must be read in the West Wing and EEOB by the staff of the National Economic Council. The NSC staff must take note. The ideas it proposes to get the U.S. moving should be studied and implemented.
The U.S. needs to have a sense of crisis about infrastructure. It is not about pouring money at it; Anderson shows us there is plenty of money waiting to be utilized. It is about organizing for success, thinking big and prioritizing for the future. The approach of the latter 20th century has been a failure and the first two decades of the 21st century aren`t any better. We must do better.
When history books are written about the 21st century it will be about climate change success or failure and infrastructure accomplishment. Hopefully the United States will be viewed as a leader that did all it could to solve these issues, not only for itself, but for all mankind.
November 12, 2024
4 Things I learned reading this book:
- Investing info based on a clearer picture of where the technology that runs our world is heading. I'm not talking about buying the 'next Apple', I'm talking about investing in companies making the tech that the 'next Apple' will use.
- Nationalism could really benefit liberals who know better infrastructure is key to supporting DEI. Conversely, ramping up federal power in certain areas could benefit conservatives in their self-stated quest for efficiency in government.
- There is a method for the U.S. to upgrade our 100-year old infrastructure without raising taxes or going into debt, and other countries have been taking advantage of it for decades.
- Did you know that the Chinese Communist Party's big infrastructure push over the past 20 years is actually part of a strategy that they call, "the new principle of war."? The U.S. better wake the hell up.
- Investing info based on a clearer picture of where the technology that runs our world is heading. I'm not talking about buying the 'next Apple', I'm talking about investing in companies making the tech that the 'next Apple' will use.
- Nationalism could really benefit liberals who know better infrastructure is key to supporting DEI. Conversely, ramping up federal power in certain areas could benefit conservatives in their self-stated quest for efficiency in government.
- There is a method for the U.S. to upgrade our 100-year old infrastructure without raising taxes or going into debt, and other countries have been taking advantage of it for decades.
- Did you know that the Chinese Communist Party's big infrastructure push over the past 20 years is actually part of a strategy that they call, "the new principle of war."? The U.S. better wake the hell up.
May 20, 2022
Great insight into the US infrastructure market and the opportunities for improvement, by the formidable late Norman Anderson.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews