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Adrift: America in 100 Charts
From bestselling author and NYU business school professor Scott Galloway comes an urgent examination of the future of our nation - and how we got here.
We are only just beginning to reckon with our post-pandemic future. As political extremism intensifies, the great resignation affects businesses everywhere, and supply chain issues crush bottom lines, we're faced with daunting questions - is our democracy under threat? How will Big Tech change our lives? What does job security look like for me? America is on the brink of massive change - change that will disrupt the workings of our economy and drastically impact the financial backbone of our nation: the middle class.
In Adrift, Galloway looks to the past - from 1945 to present day - to explain just how America arrived at this precipice. Telling the story of our nation through 100 charts, Galloway demonstrates how crises such as Jim Crow, World War II, and the Stock Market Crash of 2008, as well as the escalating power of technology, an entrenched white patriarchy, and the socio-economic effects of the pandemic, created today's perfect storm. Adrift attempts to make sense of it all, and offers Galloway's unique take on where we're headed and who we'll become, touching on topics as wide-ranging as online dating to minimum wage to the American dream.
Just as in 1945 and 1980, America is once again a nation at a crossroads. This time, what will it take for our nation to keep up with the fast and violent changes to our new world?
We are only just beginning to reckon with our post-pandemic future. As political extremism intensifies, the great resignation affects businesses everywhere, and supply chain issues crush bottom lines, we're faced with daunting questions - is our democracy under threat? How will Big Tech change our lives? What does job security look like for me? America is on the brink of massive change - change that will disrupt the workings of our economy and drastically impact the financial backbone of our nation: the middle class.
In Adrift, Galloway looks to the past - from 1945 to present day - to explain just how America arrived at this precipice. Telling the story of our nation through 100 charts, Galloway demonstrates how crises such as Jim Crow, World War II, and the Stock Market Crash of 2008, as well as the escalating power of technology, an entrenched white patriarchy, and the socio-economic effects of the pandemic, created today's perfect storm. Adrift attempts to make sense of it all, and offers Galloway's unique take on where we're headed and who we'll become, touching on topics as wide-ranging as online dating to minimum wage to the American dream.
Just as in 1945 and 1980, America is once again a nation at a crossroads. This time, what will it take for our nation to keep up with the fast and violent changes to our new world?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2022
About the author
Scott Galloway
15 books1,420 followersScott Galloway is a clinical professor of marketing at the New York University Stern School of Business, and a public speaker, author, and entrepreneur. He was named one of the world's 50 best business school professors by Poets and Quants.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
March 12, 2023
If you like visual representations, especially charts, and would like to see how America is doing today versus other countries and versus itself in the past, you might enjoy this book.
I like charts and numbers but I didn't learn anything new in this book.
The author touches on a variety of topics, such as education, income inequality, healthcare, and more. For each chart, he writes a paragraph or so describing it. I would have preferred a more in-depth look.
Or maybe I wouldn't have, since none of this was news to me.
I wondered if the author cherry picked the studies that backed up his own views - he's very obviously Left-leaning. While I myself am so far Left I could almost fall off, I appreciate a non-biased view when looking at something like this. If you offer me numbers, I want numbers, not your personal opinions about them.
(Maybe it's because I'm a control freak, but I hate going into a book expecting one thing and getting another; it makes me feel a loss of control. That might be silly but as I said - control freak 🙋🏼♀️)
I was annoyed by how many times the author brought up immigration and the benefits immigrants bring to America. His mother immigrated here so of course he's pro-immigration, as am I, but I didn't need to be constantly reminded of it. It started to seem like the whole purpose of the book was to convince Americans that immigration is a good thing (which it is, though obviously not so much for the suffering people who must flee their homes and come to a country where half of us despise them).
2.5 stars, but as usual, I'll round it up. I might be a control freak but I'm a generous one.
I like charts and numbers but I didn't learn anything new in this book.
The author touches on a variety of topics, such as education, income inequality, healthcare, and more. For each chart, he writes a paragraph or so describing it. I would have preferred a more in-depth look.
Or maybe I wouldn't have, since none of this was news to me.
I wondered if the author cherry picked the studies that backed up his own views - he's very obviously Left-leaning. While I myself am so far Left I could almost fall off, I appreciate a non-biased view when looking at something like this. If you offer me numbers, I want numbers, not your personal opinions about them.
(Maybe it's because I'm a control freak, but I hate going into a book expecting one thing and getting another; it makes me feel a loss of control. That might be silly but as I said - control freak 🙋🏼♀️)
I was annoyed by how many times the author brought up immigration and the benefits immigrants bring to America. His mother immigrated here so of course he's pro-immigration, as am I, but I didn't need to be constantly reminded of it. It started to seem like the whole purpose of the book was to convince Americans that immigration is a good thing (which it is, though obviously not so much for the suffering people who must flee their homes and come to a country where half of us despise them).
2.5 stars, but as usual, I'll round it up. I might be a control freak but I'm a generous one.
May 10, 2023
100 charts would be impressive if the data actually showed us anything significant. Call this A Brief History of the United States Since World War II, and it's the same as 100 other books with similar timelines out there. This may be of value to a youngster who needs to understand what happened in economics since 1945 with stops at the 1980 station, and then 2000 on. War > prosperity > prosperity becomes the realm of the 1% > stagnation for the rest of us.
"Less than 6 of 10 Americans..." is not data that's valuable. Full stop. If it's not 6, then it's 5, or further less, depending on how deeply the need to impress. The charts are all taken from other sources. So, does that make it part of the author's research? There's a section in the book on fake news, and another on lack of trust in media, and statements like that fit here.
The title is a misnomer - adrift implies rudderless, wandering, aimless. The money in this country knows exactly where it's going. There is at the back a small (tiny) section that touches on where we could go from here, but the steps we need to take have proven daunting since the Reagan administration started unraveling the middle class in 1980. The fixes required count on the same monies that have absolutely no interest in doing any of the suggested improvements. Feels like a PR addendum. I guess I'm not understanding the purpose of this book. It's 296 pages with big fonts, so it feels like a bound Powerpoint presentation. It's a 50 page book, tops.
Galloway is a professor of marketing. Any part of his syllabus that touches on how to get a book deal would probably have good information. His bio at the back - a self-described "serial entrepreneur." Oy.
Maybe I need to drop another star.
I DID NOT read this book twice. I don't know where goodreads gets that.
"Less than 6 of 10 Americans..." is not data that's valuable. Full stop. If it's not 6, then it's 5, or further less, depending on how deeply the need to impress. The charts are all taken from other sources. So, does that make it part of the author's research? There's a section in the book on fake news, and another on lack of trust in media, and statements like that fit here.
The title is a misnomer - adrift implies rudderless, wandering, aimless. The money in this country knows exactly where it's going. There is at the back a small (tiny) section that touches on where we could go from here, but the steps we need to take have proven daunting since the Reagan administration started unraveling the middle class in 1980. The fixes required count on the same monies that have absolutely no interest in doing any of the suggested improvements. Feels like a PR addendum. I guess I'm not understanding the purpose of this book. It's 296 pages with big fonts, so it feels like a bound Powerpoint presentation. It's a 50 page book, tops.
Galloway is a professor of marketing. Any part of his syllabus that touches on how to get a book deal would probably have good information. His bio at the back - a self-described "serial entrepreneur." Oy.
Maybe I need to drop another star.
I DID NOT read this book twice. I don't know where goodreads gets that.
October 12, 2022
I think most people can agree that there are things in America that are not good. We may vehemently disagree on what those things are, how they came to be, and what to do about them, but I don't really know anyone who is walking around saying, "Man, things are just super awesome in the ol' US of A these days!"
This book attempts to figure out exactly what the problems are, why they happened, and if they can be ameliorated. Its focus is on the last 40 years or so, when the postwar era officially ended and Reagan came on the scene. Charts, graphs, and infographics examine various aspects of society, from commerce to our environment to our social lives, to explain what has changed and speculate on how those changes have altered our society.
Though there is the requisite "What can we do about it?" ending, the information, though interesting and well-presented, is mostly just depressing. I appreciate that they tried to find silver linings and point out effective remedies, but many of their suggestions involve sweeping systemic/societal change that seems unlikely. It was still worthwhile reading and I definitely recommend it, but maybe take it in little bits and have some kind of chaser available afterwards to cheer yourself up.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
This book attempts to figure out exactly what the problems are, why they happened, and if they can be ameliorated. Its focus is on the last 40 years or so, when the postwar era officially ended and Reagan came on the scene. Charts, graphs, and infographics examine various aspects of society, from commerce to our environment to our social lives, to explain what has changed and speculate on how those changes have altered our society.
Though there is the requisite "What can we do about it?" ending, the information, though interesting and well-presented, is mostly just depressing. I appreciate that they tried to find silver linings and point out effective remedies, but many of their suggestions involve sweeping systemic/societal change that seems unlikely. It was still worthwhile reading and I definitely recommend it, but maybe take it in little bits and have some kind of chaser available afterwards to cheer yourself up.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
July 3, 2023
"I'm sometimes criticized for focusing on the problems of tech or business or society, and not proposing solutions. Well, guilty as charged, I suppose. But let me say two things.
"First, these problems flow in part from failures of perception and awareness…(long explanatory paragraph).
"And second, to be blunt, things are really fucking bad."
So yeah - 5 big fat depressing stars. And okay - while I understand the numerous 3-star reviews that say they agree with the author but didn't learn anything new, since his main points here often do come across as no-brainers - immigrants and infrastructure and just PROGRESS are good; health care and college are too expensive; the wealth gap is out of control, businessmen in government and media worship of tech celebrities are "really fucking bad;" absolutely everything hinges on a large, strong and prosperous middle class, etc.
But I respectfully think those reviewers miss the point, in that the brilliance of this book - and it is brilliant - lies in Galloway's combining all these individual points (each of which has been the subject of numerous individual books) in one organized - if endlessly depressing - resource, and then communicating them in a simple, easily-grasped (and generally eye-opening, if not outright shocking) graphic format. I mean, sure - we all know the minimum wage is way too low, or that media focuses way too much on celebrity over important issues such as climate change - but when we see it laid out in charts like this, it really hits home in a new way:
And there are 98 other charts that more or less are equally impactful.
As a result, this still remains an important book that I recommend to EVERYONE - especially (and unfortunately) those people who will probably never read it or even hear about it. Yes, these shouldn't be "wow, I never realized" revelations; but in today's MAGA America, many of Galloway's conclusions are either unknown, questioned, ridiculed or outright - and increasingly angrily - disbelieved. Which is a shame, because the true value of these charts is that to the extent possible, the admittedly progressive Galloway presents these issues as irrefutable (at least in a perfect world) fact-based realities, not Left/Right arguing points.
In the last ten charts, Galloway tries to offer some solutions, but it's a little too little and a little too late, (and it doesn't help that this is the section that begins with my opening quote above). And yes, his proposals are also generally self-evident: we need to revamp the tax structure; reduce government lobbying; revise our penal system and impose genuine deterrent penalties on companies that hurt the public (my favorite quote is "as Mark Zuckerberg continues to smear lipstick on the cancer that is Facebook"); make finding a solution to climate change the technology priority for the next few decades, etc. But again - obvious or not, WE'RE NOT DOING ANY OF THEM. Washington doesn't appear to be seriously working on ANY of these issues, but is instead wasting its time looking for Hunter's laptop or arguing whether drag queens should read to children or mandating assault weapons for everyone…don't get me started.
One final thought, the author DOESN'T really cover here. He notes that one of the most dangerous trends in America is the growing number of undereducated, lonely, poor, angry and terminally single young men. Well, you know who else has that problem? China - and is this really the situation we want in the world's two superpowers as they edge closer and closer to confrontation?
But anyway…please, go read this book for yourself. READ THIS BOOK, and encourage others to READ THIS BOOK. But don't do it near an open window, because you might be tempted to jump.
Oh, one more thing. Galloway is a frequent guest on CNN's "Smerconish,” and you (and better yet, your high school children) should watch the below to see him explaining why it is utter bullshit for celebrity commencement speakers to encourage graduates to follow their "passions." Insightful, important stuff to share with your kids...God, I'm in awe of smart people, even if more often than not these days they just depress the hell out of me...
https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2...
(Apologies in advance for typos or other mistakes in the above, but this was hard enough to write in the first place, much less go back and edit…)
"First, these problems flow in part from failures of perception and awareness…(long explanatory paragraph).
"And second, to be blunt, things are really fucking bad."
So yeah - 5 big fat depressing stars. And okay - while I understand the numerous 3-star reviews that say they agree with the author but didn't learn anything new, since his main points here often do come across as no-brainers - immigrants and infrastructure and just PROGRESS are good; health care and college are too expensive; the wealth gap is out of control, businessmen in government and media worship of tech celebrities are "really fucking bad;" absolutely everything hinges on a large, strong and prosperous middle class, etc.
But I respectfully think those reviewers miss the point, in that the brilliance of this book - and it is brilliant - lies in Galloway's combining all these individual points (each of which has been the subject of numerous individual books) in one organized - if endlessly depressing - resource, and then communicating them in a simple, easily-grasped (and generally eye-opening, if not outright shocking) graphic format. I mean, sure - we all know the minimum wage is way too low, or that media focuses way too much on celebrity over important issues such as climate change - but when we see it laid out in charts like this, it really hits home in a new way:
And there are 98 other charts that more or less are equally impactful.
As a result, this still remains an important book that I recommend to EVERYONE - especially (and unfortunately) those people who will probably never read it or even hear about it. Yes, these shouldn't be "wow, I never realized" revelations; but in today's MAGA America, many of Galloway's conclusions are either unknown, questioned, ridiculed or outright - and increasingly angrily - disbelieved. Which is a shame, because the true value of these charts is that to the extent possible, the admittedly progressive Galloway presents these issues as irrefutable (at least in a perfect world) fact-based realities, not Left/Right arguing points.
In the last ten charts, Galloway tries to offer some solutions, but it's a little too little and a little too late, (and it doesn't help that this is the section that begins with my opening quote above). And yes, his proposals are also generally self-evident: we need to revamp the tax structure; reduce government lobbying; revise our penal system and impose genuine deterrent penalties on companies that hurt the public (my favorite quote is "as Mark Zuckerberg continues to smear lipstick on the cancer that is Facebook"); make finding a solution to climate change the technology priority for the next few decades, etc. But again - obvious or not, WE'RE NOT DOING ANY OF THEM. Washington doesn't appear to be seriously working on ANY of these issues, but is instead wasting its time looking for Hunter's laptop or arguing whether drag queens should read to children or mandating assault weapons for everyone…don't get me started.
One final thought, the author DOESN'T really cover here. He notes that one of the most dangerous trends in America is the growing number of undereducated, lonely, poor, angry and terminally single young men. Well, you know who else has that problem? China - and is this really the situation we want in the world's two superpowers as they edge closer and closer to confrontation?
But anyway…please, go read this book for yourself. READ THIS BOOK, and encourage others to READ THIS BOOK. But don't do it near an open window, because you might be tempted to jump.
Oh, one more thing. Galloway is a frequent guest on CNN's "Smerconish,” and you (and better yet, your high school children) should watch the below to see him explaining why it is utter bullshit for celebrity commencement speakers to encourage graduates to follow their "passions." Insightful, important stuff to share with your kids...God, I'm in awe of smart people, even if more often than not these days they just depress the hell out of me...
https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2...
(Apologies in advance for typos or other mistakes in the above, but this was hard enough to write in the first place, much less go back and edit…)
April 23, 2023
Knowing a bit about Scott Galloway, I've expected some non-obvious data sets, interesting reasoning, and maybe even well-thought-through suggestions on what to do with that. I've got nothing like that - the charts were not surprising at all, they didn't bring any revelation, I've done no notes, and there was nothing memorable.
Literally, this book is very close to being a total waste of time. It's like a talk with a boring uncle when you have no common topics, so you try to bring in something absolutely not controversial both of you can easily agree to.
Avoid.
Literally, this book is very close to being a total waste of time. It's like a talk with a boring uncle when you have no common topics, so you try to bring in something absolutely not controversial both of you can easily agree to.
Avoid.
January 9, 2024
This book is quite an intriguing read, because it’s a long series of fascinating charts and graphs. Who doesn't like a good chart? Galloway's got this knack for turning piles of data into these eye-catching, easy-to-get graphics. There's a lot to chew on here. You can just flip through a few pages whenever you've got a minute, and you'll come out the other side feeling a bit smarter.
But, and it's a big but, this book feels like Galloway's on a hellbent mission to show just how messed up the world can be. It's not really "100 charts on America"; it's more like "100 charts on why America is a hopeless sinking ship.” You finish the book, and you're not informed, you're freaked out and kind of stuck. Like, what now?
Here's my beef with it: Galloway totally skips over ANYTHING good that's happened. Every single graphic tells a tale of woe, but last I checked, good things actually did happen sometime in the last 50 years. We've got stuff like a massive drop in infant mortality, lowest poverty levels in ages, crime rates going down, and huge wins in preventing disease. But nope, Galloway doesn't touch any of these. It's non-stop doom and gloom.
I get it, he's a smart guy. His insights? Fascinating. But the more I read, the more I feel like he's not trying to educate. He’s trying to scare the hell out of me. And honestly, I don't need that kind of negativity. I want to be informed, sure, but I also need to hold onto some hope, you know? A little light at the end of the tunnel that says, "Hey, it's not all bad."
Books like this, they're part of why everyone's so divided. You've got folks like Galloway on one side, painting everything black, and then there's an equal number of doom-mongers on the other side. It's just a bunch of echo chambers getting louder and angrier.
In the end, Galloway's not just giving us the hard facts; he's fanning the flames. The angrier people get, the more he's in the spotlight. But what about the rest of us? I don't need a fairytale, but I do need to believe that the world isn't just one giant dumpster fire. There's got to be some good out there, right?
But, and it's a big but, this book feels like Galloway's on a hellbent mission to show just how messed up the world can be. It's not really "100 charts on America"; it's more like "100 charts on why America is a hopeless sinking ship.” You finish the book, and you're not informed, you're freaked out and kind of stuck. Like, what now?
Here's my beef with it: Galloway totally skips over ANYTHING good that's happened. Every single graphic tells a tale of woe, but last I checked, good things actually did happen sometime in the last 50 years. We've got stuff like a massive drop in infant mortality, lowest poverty levels in ages, crime rates going down, and huge wins in preventing disease. But nope, Galloway doesn't touch any of these. It's non-stop doom and gloom.
I get it, he's a smart guy. His insights? Fascinating. But the more I read, the more I feel like he's not trying to educate. He’s trying to scare the hell out of me. And honestly, I don't need that kind of negativity. I want to be informed, sure, but I also need to hold onto some hope, you know? A little light at the end of the tunnel that says, "Hey, it's not all bad."
Books like this, they're part of why everyone's so divided. You've got folks like Galloway on one side, painting everything black, and then there's an equal number of doom-mongers on the other side. It's just a bunch of echo chambers getting louder and angrier.
In the end, Galloway's not just giving us the hard facts; he's fanning the flames. The angrier people get, the more he's in the spotlight. But what about the rest of us? I don't need a fairytale, but I do need to believe that the world isn't just one giant dumpster fire. There's got to be some good out there, right?
February 26, 2023
Im not sure what was more of a waste - the time it took to read this book or the time the author spent writing it.
It was completely scattered and the “charts” were just pointing out the obvious, rather than interesting insights.
It was completely scattered and the “charts” were just pointing out the obvious, rather than interesting insights.
March 13, 2023
America in 100 charts… Man. What an undertaking. Not only was the author setting himself up to capture all of the issues in modern America with 100 charts (which is shockingly few when you really think about it), but he was also setting himself up to boil each of those 100 incredibly complex issues which he did choose down to 2-3 pages of text and a chart. In my opinion, this book grossly oversimplified 100 different issues and used the facade of “statistics” to appear objective and authoritative. Even when i agreed with the author, which was like 50% of the time, I found myself shaking my kindle and thinking "its not that simple!!”
To be very transparent to anyone who has decided to read this far into my review, there are some very specific things that the leading voices on the left and the leading voices on the right do that boil my blood. On the right, there can be a tendency to simplify an insanely complex issue, like minimum wage, into a singular talking point, probably involving socialism and government overreach. This drives me nuts. But then, someone on the left will come in all high-minded with a couple paragraphs and maybe even some numbers and totally school their opponent with all the condescension and pseudo-objectivism you could imagine. This might drive me nuts even more. Minimum wage is not a one sentence issue, but its also not a 3 paragraph issue, and to act like you’ve just cracked the code with your 3 paragraphs and a graph comes across as so arrogant to me. It is more like a “leading economists devote 30 years of their lives to studying this issue and the data are still inconclusive” kind of issue.
SO, it was hard for me to not read this book as: “(three pages on minimum wage)… now that I’ve comprehensively schooled you on that… (three pages on carbon emissions)… now that I’ve comprehensively schooled you on that… (three pages on the wealth gap)…”
To be very transparent to anyone who has decided to read this far into my review, there are some very specific things that the leading voices on the left and the leading voices on the right do that boil my blood. On the right, there can be a tendency to simplify an insanely complex issue, like minimum wage, into a singular talking point, probably involving socialism and government overreach. This drives me nuts. But then, someone on the left will come in all high-minded with a couple paragraphs and maybe even some numbers and totally school their opponent with all the condescension and pseudo-objectivism you could imagine. This might drive me nuts even more. Minimum wage is not a one sentence issue, but its also not a 3 paragraph issue, and to act like you’ve just cracked the code with your 3 paragraphs and a graph comes across as so arrogant to me. It is more like a “leading economists devote 30 years of their lives to studying this issue and the data are still inconclusive” kind of issue.
SO, it was hard for me to not read this book as: “(three pages on minimum wage)… now that I’ve comprehensively schooled you on that… (three pages on carbon emissions)… now that I’ve comprehensively schooled you on that… (three pages on the wealth gap)…”
October 19, 2022
Having studied issues effecting our country Scott Galloway, the author, found data that closely demonstrated the importance of the issue. He then charted his finding! Therefore his sub-title is "America in 100 Charts!"
The book is a great summary of where the country is today, as compared to the past or to other countries or comparative technologies, or, or, or!
The book is a list of issues, using charts to truthfully and effectively describe the facts, good or bad!
The book is an easy read because after reading a few paragraphs, the chart clearly explains the relevant facts!
I "read" the book (its 100 charts in a day-seven hours! I will keep the book for a reference and use it in political discussions to get to the most relevant explanation!
The book is a treasure for persons interested to policy!
Get it to read!
The book is a great summary of where the country is today, as compared to the past or to other countries or comparative technologies, or, or, or!
The book is a list of issues, using charts to truthfully and effectively describe the facts, good or bad!
The book is an easy read because after reading a few paragraphs, the chart clearly explains the relevant facts!
I "read" the book (its 100 charts in a day-seven hours! I will keep the book for a reference and use it in political discussions to get to the most relevant explanation!
The book is a treasure for persons interested to policy!
Get it to read!
December 21, 2022
Interesting concept, and I appreciate the approach of trying to break down some very complex economic issues with charts to illustrate. While I did find it helpful, and I understand that part of the point of this was to simplify, I did find the lack of intersectionality and really grappling with the colonial, patriarchal, white supremecist underpinnings of "the good old days" to be a little frustrating. I also, frankly, found it to be an overwhelmingly depressing and hopeless book. There were no real solutions offered, and the picture painted is a bleak one.
November 30, 2022
Scott Galloway tells the story of America today in 100 charts.
I plan to read this again.
I plan to share this with others.
I plan to read this again.
I plan to share this with others.
October 11, 2022
I loved this book, it was a quick read, but it offered many different ways to view the opportunity we have with our country. It's pretty impressive as I believe the author did countless hours of research just to understand these ideas and then formalized them into a structured book. Not only is that amazing, but then gave the reader the ability to read each chart, and no more than a page of information, and understand deeper meanings.
It should be looked at subjectively, and although statistics don't lie, how they were obtained can be a bit deceitful. This book has made me want to take a few of the charts in this reading, and go a bit deeper to find the root cause of a problem, or how it has evolved over the years.
Would recommend it to anyone within the marketing/business field. I will be keeping this on my bookshelves with the intent to continually pick it up and refresh some of the information again.
It should be looked at subjectively, and although statistics don't lie, how they were obtained can be a bit deceitful. This book has made me want to take a few of the charts in this reading, and go a bit deeper to find the root cause of a problem, or how it has evolved over the years.
Would recommend it to anyone within the marketing/business field. I will be keeping this on my bookshelves with the intent to continually pick it up and refresh some of the information again.
November 17, 2022
If you didn't already know most of what is in this book I would be surprised. Not worth it, just read some internet articles on reddit.
July 19, 2023
The first time I read this book I came away with the impression that Galloway misused data to tell a
misleading story about America's social ills. On second read, I think his use of data is actually pretty fair and contributes more-or-less well to his argument; the problem is, Galloway does a terrible job of actually articulating that argument, constantly getting lost in the weeds.
Here is Galloway's thesis: The competition at the heart of capitalism is the ultimate engine of human "progress," encompassing everything from economic prosperity to social health, but it must be constrained by institutions (more on these later) which protect the middle class. Beginning in the 1980s under President Reagan, those institutions began to decline, leading to an economic stagnation that has produced a host of woes facing the United States. The solution: remove some institutional barriers to competition while restoring some institutional protections for the middle class.
It's at minimum a plausible argument, and over the course of the book Galloway actually provides solid evidence (some of it in the form of charts, as he ecstatically points out) for it. The problem is 1) Galloway fails to put those ideas all in a sequential paragraph, instead scattering them throughout the book, and 2) he constantly muddies the water with both observations irrelevant to his point and pat aphorisms. (Side note, why does every older man constantly spout "their phrases"? Older men just love aphorisms, and Galloway is no exception)
For example, this is how Galloway phrases his thesis in the introduction: "We’ve gotten closest to realizing our ideals when we’ve balanced ruthless capitalism with the ballast of a strong middle class. Our drift away from that course is at the heart of this book. Shifting us back is the objective of my recommendations."
Not terrible, but not particularly clear either.
Next, here is an incomplete list of the things (he should be arguing "institutions," but not all of these things are institutions) Galloway thinks have declined, to the detriment of the middle class:
-The progressive tax rate
-Infrastructure
-Labor compensation rising commensurate with rising productivity/profits
-Community values (versus "rugged individualism")
-Affordable healthcare
-Low higher education costs
-Idolizing "astronauts and civil rights leaders" (versus "innovators")
-Trust in news
-Water safety
-Government R&D spending
-The corporate tax code (loopholes, havens, and bailouts)
-Marriage
-Healthy masculinity
-Et cetera.
Lots of those things are important, and some might even relate to his argument (which, once again, is: institutions creating competition and protecting the middle class from the excesses of unrestricted competition--"ruthless capitalism"--have both atrophied). The problem is, when it gets to the details, Galloway isn't particularly clear or focused.
Here is a helpful through-line for any consumer of Galloway's articles, books, or podcasts: like every person who becomes a master in his field, Galloway is insightful and brilliant when he is operating in that field, and just as clueless as anyone else when operating outside it.
Galloway is a four or five-time entrepreneur (depending on how you count it) who has been teaching economics at NYU Stern for 21 years. He is insightful and brilliant when he analyzes subjects related to entrepreneurship or economics; like when he describes the exorbitant costs (and benefits) of higher education, or outlines how worker productivity and inflation have wildly outstripped the minimum wage, or relates how social media monetizes our attention. He is much less insightful when he makes generalizations about U.S. foreign policy or tosses out aphorisms about the meaning of life.
In conclusion, this book benefits from Galloway's broad knowledge and experience of markets and economics, but suffers from Galloway's extremely poor organization of his argument. I think his argument is interesting and even compelling, but it took me two reads and a lot of detailled note-taking to parse it out. My advice: read Galloway's articles instead and pass on this book.
misleading story about America's social ills. On second read, I think his use of data is actually pretty fair and contributes more-or-less well to his argument; the problem is, Galloway does a terrible job of actually articulating that argument, constantly getting lost in the weeds.
Here is Galloway's thesis: The competition at the heart of capitalism is the ultimate engine of human "progress," encompassing everything from economic prosperity to social health, but it must be constrained by institutions (more on these later) which protect the middle class. Beginning in the 1980s under President Reagan, those institutions began to decline, leading to an economic stagnation that has produced a host of woes facing the United States. The solution: remove some institutional barriers to competition while restoring some institutional protections for the middle class.
It's at minimum a plausible argument, and over the course of the book Galloway actually provides solid evidence (some of it in the form of charts, as he ecstatically points out) for it. The problem is 1) Galloway fails to put those ideas all in a sequential paragraph, instead scattering them throughout the book, and 2) he constantly muddies the water with both observations irrelevant to his point and pat aphorisms. (Side note, why does every older man constantly spout "their phrases"? Older men just love aphorisms, and Galloway is no exception)
For example, this is how Galloway phrases his thesis in the introduction: "We’ve gotten closest to realizing our ideals when we’ve balanced ruthless capitalism with the ballast of a strong middle class. Our drift away from that course is at the heart of this book. Shifting us back is the objective of my recommendations."
Not terrible, but not particularly clear either.
Next, here is an incomplete list of the things (he should be arguing "institutions," but not all of these things are institutions) Galloway thinks have declined, to the detriment of the middle class:
-The progressive tax rate
-Infrastructure
-Labor compensation rising commensurate with rising productivity/profits
-Community values (versus "rugged individualism")
-Affordable healthcare
-Low higher education costs
-Idolizing "astronauts and civil rights leaders" (versus "innovators")
-Trust in news
-Water safety
-Government R&D spending
-The corporate tax code (loopholes, havens, and bailouts)
-Marriage
-Healthy masculinity
-Et cetera.
Lots of those things are important, and some might even relate to his argument (which, once again, is: institutions creating competition and protecting the middle class from the excesses of unrestricted competition--"ruthless capitalism"--have both atrophied). The problem is, when it gets to the details, Galloway isn't particularly clear or focused.
Here is a helpful through-line for any consumer of Galloway's articles, books, or podcasts: like every person who becomes a master in his field, Galloway is insightful and brilliant when he is operating in that field, and just as clueless as anyone else when operating outside it.
Galloway is a four or five-time entrepreneur (depending on how you count it) who has been teaching economics at NYU Stern for 21 years. He is insightful and brilliant when he analyzes subjects related to entrepreneurship or economics; like when he describes the exorbitant costs (and benefits) of higher education, or outlines how worker productivity and inflation have wildly outstripped the minimum wage, or relates how social media monetizes our attention. He is much less insightful when he makes generalizations about U.S. foreign policy or tosses out aphorisms about the meaning of life.
In conclusion, this book benefits from Galloway's broad knowledge and experience of markets and economics, but suffers from Galloway's extremely poor organization of his argument. I think his argument is interesting and even compelling, but it took me two reads and a lot of detailled note-taking to parse it out. My advice: read Galloway's articles instead and pass on this book.
October 19, 2022
Storytelling through data at its absolute finest.
Scott Galloway has a real knack for seeing trends and communicating what they mean in a way that catches your attention. In this book, he tells the story of America and how the country got to a state of partisanship, corruption, and selfishness. Though the narrative is overwhelmingly negative (similar to the global sentiment towards America—oops, that’s a spoiler), many moments of hope are sprinkled throughout the book. I also appreciate how, unlike other literature, Professor Galloway dedicates an entire section of the book to possible solutions to help mend the fabric of American society and elevate it back to a respectable Nation.
Here are the significant charts that stood out to me per chapter:
China spends 10x more of it’s GDP on core infrastructure than the United States which is why it shouldn’t be surprising you can get from Bejing to Shanghai in 4.5 hours despite being a greater distance than Boston to DC which takes 7 hours.
The top 1% hold almost half the stocks owned by households whereas the bottom 80% hold just 13%.
The US has the highest number of Nobel Prize winners ~52%.
Involvement in communities like Church, Guides, Rotary, and even talking to people has gone down since the 90’s.
Students are behind in their learning due to COVID and the biggest concern is that students who do not learn to read proficiently by third grade have difficulty catching up and are 4 times less likely to graduate from high school = lifetime achievement of millions is lowered.
The number of young adults who live with their parents is at its highest rate. At the end of the Great Depression, 48% lived with parents, post covid, that number is at 52%.
The worlds view on the US has steeply declined over the past 20 years—steeply.
Refugees show a high degree of resiliency—their initial salaries start off low, but after 25 years, they hold a median income higher than the overall population.
Friendship is dwindling — 15% of men and 10% of women have no close friends at all which are close to double the numbers reported 30 years ago.
Between 1965 - 1975 more than 66% of members in Congress served the country in uniform, today its less than 20%—not a surprise here given how dumb US politicians are.
I loved reading this book. It’s full of insightful data and concise commentary wrapped in the raw, no-bullshit, satirical tone you’d expect from Scott Galloway.
Scott Galloway has a real knack for seeing trends and communicating what they mean in a way that catches your attention. In this book, he tells the story of America and how the country got to a state of partisanship, corruption, and selfishness. Though the narrative is overwhelmingly negative (similar to the global sentiment towards America—oops, that’s a spoiler), many moments of hope are sprinkled throughout the book. I also appreciate how, unlike other literature, Professor Galloway dedicates an entire section of the book to possible solutions to help mend the fabric of American society and elevate it back to a respectable Nation.
Here are the significant charts that stood out to me per chapter:
China spends 10x more of it’s GDP on core infrastructure than the United States which is why it shouldn’t be surprising you can get from Bejing to Shanghai in 4.5 hours despite being a greater distance than Boston to DC which takes 7 hours.
The top 1% hold almost half the stocks owned by households whereas the bottom 80% hold just 13%.
The US has the highest number of Nobel Prize winners ~52%.
Involvement in communities like Church, Guides, Rotary, and even talking to people has gone down since the 90’s.
Students are behind in their learning due to COVID and the biggest concern is that students who do not learn to read proficiently by third grade have difficulty catching up and are 4 times less likely to graduate from high school = lifetime achievement of millions is lowered.
The number of young adults who live with their parents is at its highest rate. At the end of the Great Depression, 48% lived with parents, post covid, that number is at 52%.
The worlds view on the US has steeply declined over the past 20 years—steeply.
Refugees show a high degree of resiliency—their initial salaries start off low, but after 25 years, they hold a median income higher than the overall population.
Friendship is dwindling — 15% of men and 10% of women have no close friends at all which are close to double the numbers reported 30 years ago.
Between 1965 - 1975 more than 66% of members in Congress served the country in uniform, today its less than 20%—not a surprise here given how dumb US politicians are.
I loved reading this book. It’s full of insightful data and concise commentary wrapped in the raw, no-bullshit, satirical tone you’d expect from Scott Galloway.
November 27, 2022
I appreciated the breakdown of several topics regarding US national policy, s/o to the need for the rich to pay more taxes. A quick read since there is no profound analysis, though I appreciated the charts. I would say that Galloway oversimplifies structural/ institutional issues. For example, when he mentions that we haven't been able to unite like we did in the decades after WWII, he fails to recognize the colonial undertones that came from the Truman Doctrine, etc. I wish there had been more intersectionality in this book, considering we are in the 21st century. Though, I would say that I appreciated Galloway's attempts to give sound solutions to the problems in the United States through the creation of unity. I would give this book a 3.5 stars.
January 20, 2023
Scott Galloway, an American business success story himself, shows what 2022 America looks like in graphic form. He uses survey data and government statistics to show where our economy, society, and communities are compared to "before" -- which may be the fifties or the seventies or the 12th century. The charts and graphs provide insights into what we probably feel about our country but can't put our finger on. He even offers his take on what it will take to "fix" things -- if only there was the political will to accomplish the recommended changes.
June 11, 2024
Very insightful and incisive book from Prof Galloway, whose weekly newsletter is mandatory reading for me on Fridays. As always, he starts with an analysis of economic trends from WW2 to today and the book gains momentum with discussions of the downstream social effects we all recognize around us. The charts and concise explanations provide a comprehensible framework for us lay people. The news isn’t all dire - he wraps up the book with a series of possible salves, if not outright solutions to our current conditions.
January 7, 2023
Although I agreed with & appreciated many of Galloway's points, I found his argument convoluted & scattered throughout the narrative. There were many of the author's positions which I wish were fleshed out/backed up with more information & rationality, instead of: "Here's a graph to confirm what I'm saying!" Overall, Galloway's book was not very remarkable to me, but I did enjoy the author's narration of the audiobook!
September 15, 2024
Galloway is one of America's business leaders and thinkers. His book is a call for a reinvestment into institutions that unify our nation.
He has well researched and reasoned ideas that can provide direction to the country and benefit our citizenry.
An interesting and thought provoking book.
He has well researched and reasoned ideas that can provide direction to the country and benefit our citizenry.
An interesting and thought provoking book.
October 3, 2022
I’d give it five stars but it has pie charts.
December 18, 2022
Some very interesting data and perspectives! Enjoyed this book, even though the author and I would disagree on a lot! 5⭐️
January 17, 2023
Would make a great coffee table book
March 22, 2023
Quick read! A good chart is worth a thousand words. This book displays numerous charts comparing American to the rest of the world
Read
January 14, 2023Adrift (2022) argues that the United States is flailing, despite all its success and global dominance since World War II. It’s a country struggling to adapt to revolutionary changes in technology, facing deep economic and political divisions and threats of extremism, and quickly losing ground to rivals like China. Despite all of this, Scott Galloway still sees reason for hope, but first lays out what he sees as the biggest challenges facing the nation.
Scott Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business and a serial entrepreneur. He is the bestselling author of Post Corona, The Four, and The Algebra of Happiness and has served on the boards of directors of the New York Times Company, Urban Outfitters, and Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. His Prof G and Pivot podcasts, No Mercy No Malice blog, and Prof G YouTube channel reach millions. In 2019, Scott founded Section4, an online education platform for working professionals where he teaches business strategy: section4.com.
---
Learn how the challenges facing democracy in the United States impact you directly.
Hatred and anger are spewing on social media. Wealthy elites are stacking the system in their favor. Community connections are fraying. Friendships are fading. We’re facing a crossroads of major crises.
Yet, despite that, there are still glimmers of hope scattered throughout our rapidly changing world. While Scott Galloway does discuss major challenges in Adrift, he also brings a refreshing sense of optimism and a willingness to focus on the positive aspects of modern life. It’s both a warning and a hopeful call for a better society. By understanding what’s going wrong, we can make choices that put us on a better course.
And while this book is primarily a look at a superpower facing existential challenges, it also offers important insights and advice on a range of topics from the necessity of openness to new ideas to the benefits of risk and the value of strong community connections.
In this book, we can’t hope to cover all 100 separate charts featured in Adrift. What we can do is draw out some of the key ideas and statistics and give you a sense of the meaning that each of them holds.
---
Join a club or organization.
Participation in community organizations is dropping. That’s bad news.
We’re social beings. Our communities give us the daily support we need to survive and thrive. Connection to others and interaction with them is also a key part of building tolerance for those who look or believe differently from us. If we drift apart, society begins to fray.
Here are a few examples from a range of community groups:
Since 1990, church membership, once a bedrock of community organization, has dropped 21 percent. But it’s not just religion. Boy Scout memberships have dropped from 22 per 1,000 people to just six. The Girl Scouts have fared a bit better, but even its membership has fallen from 13 per 1,000 people to only seven, a reduction of almost half. Rotary memberships are down too.
Outside of organized groups, we’re also just losing contact with the people around us. Have you ever felt like neighbors just don’t talk to each other anymore? There’s data to back that up. From 2008 to 2017, the number of adults who talk to their neighbors fell from 71 percent all the way down to 54 percent.
Much of life has moved online and that comes with advantages. Working online can save you lots of time, not to mention big money on commuting and office attire. It can also help companies hire the right workers, no matter where they live, and do their business more efficiently. We’re also seeing recreation move online, with tech companies investing in the metaverse, a place for ever more immersive online gaming and interaction.
While all this can be fun and useful, our lack of connection can’t be entirely replaced by social media – although that’s not stopping us from trying.
We’re seeing a decline not just in community organizations but, predictably, in friendships too. In 1990, 40 percent of men and 28 percent of women reported having ten or more friends. By 2021, deep into the age of social media, a staggeringly low 15 percent of men and 11 percent of women said they had that many friends.
Only a handful of people in 1990 reported having no close friends or only one friend. By 2021, that had soared to 21 percent of men and 18 percent of women.
So don’t rely on online worlds to give you the social interaction you need for your well-being. Seek out groups and places where you can interact in real life. You’ll benefit and so will society.
---
Find a way to go to college.
You may have heard recently that college is overrated. It’s certainly true that educational institutions offer degrees that may not lead to a high-paying career. Not to mention college costs have soared and so has student loan debt. The cost of a college education rose 169 percent from 1980 to 2019 and wages didn’t even come close to keeping pace.
From that, your takeaway might be that college is a foolish money sink. But a college education is even more key to landing a job now than ever before. If you want to be part of the middle class, you need to find a way to afford college or vocational training.
In 1973, a whopping 72 percent of jobs only required a high school diploma. The situation is reversed now. By 2020, only 36 percent of jobs were open to people with just a high school education. And, in that same time span, the share of jobs requiring a bachelor’s or master’s degree has more than doubled from 16 percent to 35 percent.
Getting a degree may be more difficult than ever but ignoring the benefits of college isn’t the answer. Without earning a college degree, you’re much less likely to make a comparable wage to those with a degree. Economic frustration is a good recipe for social unrest, and on a personal level, it’s not something you want to experience.
Think creatively, though. While college can be key, don’t overlook the value of vocational education. Would you like a job that starts at $70,000 or more? In the United States, that’s the average starting salary for 94 percent of apprentices who finish their program. Despite jaw-dropping numbers like this, few people in the US are pursuing apprenticeships compared with other countries. In Denmark in 2019, there were 48 apprentices for every 1,000 people in the workforce. In the US that same year, there were three for every 1,000 – even despite the obvious benefits.
Your education, whether you earn it from a university or a less traditional venue, is essential. It might take a creative approach but don’t sell yourself short by giving up on the idea – even if it comes with major challenges.
---
Focus on fundamentals, not hype.
There’s a reason the wealthiest members of society have cornered most of the stock market. You can bet they aren’t renting their homes either.
Stocks and homeownership are portrayed as financially sound investments. And they are if you can afford them. An increasingly large number of people can’t buy homes because their value has ballooned.
Increasingly, the US economy is centered around the stock market, and we base our feelings about the economy on how those markets perform. The US government policies cater to shareholders and so do corporate policies.
But real estate and the stock market are also both notorious for their bubbles and stock prices have been increasingly untethered from the actual value of companies. Look at the soaring prices for stock for troubled companies like GameStop or Hertz – sometimes driven by little more than social media hype.
This fixation on stocks has made it much easier for companies to hit a valuation of $1 trillion. Apple brought in $229 billion in revenue the year before its stock value reached $1 trillion. A couple years later, Microsoft got to a $1 trillion valuation with only $110 billion in revenue. And in 2021, Tesla met the $1 trillion landmark with only $32 billion in revenue.
We also turn founders like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk into cult figures. But their large followings can distract from the actual health of their companies. Also, instead of clear communication about value, some companies indulge in outlandish yogababble – vague pronouncements about how they’re selling a lifestyle or feeling. Or they overpromise, sliding into aspirational claims about what they’re eventually going to achieve.
Stock prices can follow these narratives instead of the actual math and insight into fundamental business values. But you shouldn’t buy in. Look past the claims and make sure you know what these companies can actually deliver.
---
Be smart about your media consumption.
The internet has changed the world. That means it’s good … right?
OK, so we’ve all seen through that by now. But it is true that the internet revolution makes most of modern life possible, and we can be glad that access is growing in developing countries where it’s traditionally been out of the question. Aside from its obvious positives though, it’s increasingly hard to ignore all the downsides that the internet brings as well.
Social media, for example, makes money when it has our attention. And it does that by appealing to outrage, which drives us apart and harms democratic institutions and norms in the process. In this way, social algorithms inevitably push us to divisive content.
Media outlets, competing for clicks, have also catered to sensationalism. That can lead to a skewed view of the world. For example, as crime has gone down, media reports have continued to focus on crime, with the result that many people feel crime is getting worse.
But herein lies the dilemma: we also rely on news media to help us navigate the false claims and fake news that spread like wildfire around the world on the speedy pathways of the internet.
The internet, though, has taken a huge bite out of the news industry while tech companies like Google and Facebook reap enormous profits.
If your local newspaper looks thinner, it’s not your imagination. In 2008, newspapers brought in almost $40 billion in ad revenue. By 2020, that had fallen to less than $9 billion. And it’s not just newspapers. Different kinds of news outlets employed 114,000 journalists across the US in 2008. By 2020, thousands of journalists had lost their jobs or quit until only about 85,000 remained.
The result? We have increasingly less access to good information – even as social media companies drive us to divisive and anxiety-inducing content.
So think critically about your news sources but value the contributions of reliable news media. Don’t simply rely on your social media news feed to tell you what’s going on. Too often, what it’s feeding you is misinformation and outrage to keep you coming back.
---
The upsides of risk, instability, and even crisis.
You know what’s actually good for society? Risk and instability.
Well, OK, they also come with a lot of downsides. Nobody asks for a crisis like a global pandemic throwing everything into confusion. But at the same time, risk and instability can actually foster innovation and research. When old ways of doing things fall apart, people come up with new ideas. New and better restaurants may move into a neighborhood to replace failed ones. Tanking rents may not be great news for landlords but they can clear the way for more people to move into an area for job opportunities.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with all kinds of job loss, we also saw a rise in business applications as people innovated and adapted.
Immigrants know about risk. They make the choice to upend their lives and move to an entirely new culture. And by doing so, they bring a needed jolt to the economy, not just by supplying labor, but also from their willingness to launch new businesses. Many important startups were founded by immigrants. Over the past few decades, they’ve been as much as two times more likely than adults born in the US to launch a new business.
The banking sector is another example of the benefits of upheaval, not to mention a positive side of the internet. As online banking has upended our old systems, we’ve seen a huge global opportunity. Many people around the world – about 1.7 billion, or about a third of adults – still lack access to basic banking services. But creative services like Ualá in Argentina or M-Pesa in Kenya are helping change that. They’re new and different – they’re a positive change bringing economic opportunity to many who lacked it. The resulting prosperity could be good for democracy too.
So while none of us likes upheaval or a crisis, we should learn to value the attitude of immigrants who learn to be flexible and take risks in changing times. The economy is better for it, and we can be too.
---
The world can be full of bad news, but there’s still cause for hope. Because our actions and government policies got us into this fix, that means we as a society can also alter our situation for the better.
Understanding the social situations around us can make us smarter voters and better citizens, able to better deter manipulation by politicians and shady online sources. More understanding can also help us make wise choices in a constantly changing world.
For you, those wise choices may include focusing on community connections, ensuring you and your children have the education they need, embracing risk and new opportunity, and learning to be smart about the tech companies trying to influence you.
It’s hard to tell where we’re headed but a big part of that direction will depend on what we do ourselves.
Scott Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business and a serial entrepreneur. He is the bestselling author of Post Corona, The Four, and The Algebra of Happiness and has served on the boards of directors of the New York Times Company, Urban Outfitters, and Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. His Prof G and Pivot podcasts, No Mercy No Malice blog, and Prof G YouTube channel reach millions. In 2019, Scott founded Section4, an online education platform for working professionals where he teaches business strategy: section4.com.
---
Learn how the challenges facing democracy in the United States impact you directly.
Hatred and anger are spewing on social media. Wealthy elites are stacking the system in their favor. Community connections are fraying. Friendships are fading. We’re facing a crossroads of major crises.
Yet, despite that, there are still glimmers of hope scattered throughout our rapidly changing world. While Scott Galloway does discuss major challenges in Adrift, he also brings a refreshing sense of optimism and a willingness to focus on the positive aspects of modern life. It’s both a warning and a hopeful call for a better society. By understanding what’s going wrong, we can make choices that put us on a better course.
And while this book is primarily a look at a superpower facing existential challenges, it also offers important insights and advice on a range of topics from the necessity of openness to new ideas to the benefits of risk and the value of strong community connections.
In this book, we can’t hope to cover all 100 separate charts featured in Adrift. What we can do is draw out some of the key ideas and statistics and give you a sense of the meaning that each of them holds.
---
Join a club or organization.
Participation in community organizations is dropping. That’s bad news.
We’re social beings. Our communities give us the daily support we need to survive and thrive. Connection to others and interaction with them is also a key part of building tolerance for those who look or believe differently from us. If we drift apart, society begins to fray.
Here are a few examples from a range of community groups:
Since 1990, church membership, once a bedrock of community organization, has dropped 21 percent. But it’s not just religion. Boy Scout memberships have dropped from 22 per 1,000 people to just six. The Girl Scouts have fared a bit better, but even its membership has fallen from 13 per 1,000 people to only seven, a reduction of almost half. Rotary memberships are down too.
Outside of organized groups, we’re also just losing contact with the people around us. Have you ever felt like neighbors just don’t talk to each other anymore? There’s data to back that up. From 2008 to 2017, the number of adults who talk to their neighbors fell from 71 percent all the way down to 54 percent.
Much of life has moved online and that comes with advantages. Working online can save you lots of time, not to mention big money on commuting and office attire. It can also help companies hire the right workers, no matter where they live, and do their business more efficiently. We’re also seeing recreation move online, with tech companies investing in the metaverse, a place for ever more immersive online gaming and interaction.
While all this can be fun and useful, our lack of connection can’t be entirely replaced by social media – although that’s not stopping us from trying.
We’re seeing a decline not just in community organizations but, predictably, in friendships too. In 1990, 40 percent of men and 28 percent of women reported having ten or more friends. By 2021, deep into the age of social media, a staggeringly low 15 percent of men and 11 percent of women said they had that many friends.
Only a handful of people in 1990 reported having no close friends or only one friend. By 2021, that had soared to 21 percent of men and 18 percent of women.
So don’t rely on online worlds to give you the social interaction you need for your well-being. Seek out groups and places where you can interact in real life. You’ll benefit and so will society.
---
Find a way to go to college.
You may have heard recently that college is overrated. It’s certainly true that educational institutions offer degrees that may not lead to a high-paying career. Not to mention college costs have soared and so has student loan debt. The cost of a college education rose 169 percent from 1980 to 2019 and wages didn’t even come close to keeping pace.
From that, your takeaway might be that college is a foolish money sink. But a college education is even more key to landing a job now than ever before. If you want to be part of the middle class, you need to find a way to afford college or vocational training.
In 1973, a whopping 72 percent of jobs only required a high school diploma. The situation is reversed now. By 2020, only 36 percent of jobs were open to people with just a high school education. And, in that same time span, the share of jobs requiring a bachelor’s or master’s degree has more than doubled from 16 percent to 35 percent.
Getting a degree may be more difficult than ever but ignoring the benefits of college isn’t the answer. Without earning a college degree, you’re much less likely to make a comparable wage to those with a degree. Economic frustration is a good recipe for social unrest, and on a personal level, it’s not something you want to experience.
Think creatively, though. While college can be key, don’t overlook the value of vocational education. Would you like a job that starts at $70,000 or more? In the United States, that’s the average starting salary for 94 percent of apprentices who finish their program. Despite jaw-dropping numbers like this, few people in the US are pursuing apprenticeships compared with other countries. In Denmark in 2019, there were 48 apprentices for every 1,000 people in the workforce. In the US that same year, there were three for every 1,000 – even despite the obvious benefits.
Your education, whether you earn it from a university or a less traditional venue, is essential. It might take a creative approach but don’t sell yourself short by giving up on the idea – even if it comes with major challenges.
---
Focus on fundamentals, not hype.
There’s a reason the wealthiest members of society have cornered most of the stock market. You can bet they aren’t renting their homes either.
Stocks and homeownership are portrayed as financially sound investments. And they are if you can afford them. An increasingly large number of people can’t buy homes because their value has ballooned.
Increasingly, the US economy is centered around the stock market, and we base our feelings about the economy on how those markets perform. The US government policies cater to shareholders and so do corporate policies.
But real estate and the stock market are also both notorious for their bubbles and stock prices have been increasingly untethered from the actual value of companies. Look at the soaring prices for stock for troubled companies like GameStop or Hertz – sometimes driven by little more than social media hype.
This fixation on stocks has made it much easier for companies to hit a valuation of $1 trillion. Apple brought in $229 billion in revenue the year before its stock value reached $1 trillion. A couple years later, Microsoft got to a $1 trillion valuation with only $110 billion in revenue. And in 2021, Tesla met the $1 trillion landmark with only $32 billion in revenue.
We also turn founders like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk into cult figures. But their large followings can distract from the actual health of their companies. Also, instead of clear communication about value, some companies indulge in outlandish yogababble – vague pronouncements about how they’re selling a lifestyle or feeling. Or they overpromise, sliding into aspirational claims about what they’re eventually going to achieve.
Stock prices can follow these narratives instead of the actual math and insight into fundamental business values. But you shouldn’t buy in. Look past the claims and make sure you know what these companies can actually deliver.
---
Be smart about your media consumption.
The internet has changed the world. That means it’s good … right?
OK, so we’ve all seen through that by now. But it is true that the internet revolution makes most of modern life possible, and we can be glad that access is growing in developing countries where it’s traditionally been out of the question. Aside from its obvious positives though, it’s increasingly hard to ignore all the downsides that the internet brings as well.
Social media, for example, makes money when it has our attention. And it does that by appealing to outrage, which drives us apart and harms democratic institutions and norms in the process. In this way, social algorithms inevitably push us to divisive content.
Media outlets, competing for clicks, have also catered to sensationalism. That can lead to a skewed view of the world. For example, as crime has gone down, media reports have continued to focus on crime, with the result that many people feel crime is getting worse.
But herein lies the dilemma: we also rely on news media to help us navigate the false claims and fake news that spread like wildfire around the world on the speedy pathways of the internet.
The internet, though, has taken a huge bite out of the news industry while tech companies like Google and Facebook reap enormous profits.
If your local newspaper looks thinner, it’s not your imagination. In 2008, newspapers brought in almost $40 billion in ad revenue. By 2020, that had fallen to less than $9 billion. And it’s not just newspapers. Different kinds of news outlets employed 114,000 journalists across the US in 2008. By 2020, thousands of journalists had lost their jobs or quit until only about 85,000 remained.
The result? We have increasingly less access to good information – even as social media companies drive us to divisive and anxiety-inducing content.
So think critically about your news sources but value the contributions of reliable news media. Don’t simply rely on your social media news feed to tell you what’s going on. Too often, what it’s feeding you is misinformation and outrage to keep you coming back.
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The upsides of risk, instability, and even crisis.
You know what’s actually good for society? Risk and instability.
Well, OK, they also come with a lot of downsides. Nobody asks for a crisis like a global pandemic throwing everything into confusion. But at the same time, risk and instability can actually foster innovation and research. When old ways of doing things fall apart, people come up with new ideas. New and better restaurants may move into a neighborhood to replace failed ones. Tanking rents may not be great news for landlords but they can clear the way for more people to move into an area for job opportunities.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with all kinds of job loss, we also saw a rise in business applications as people innovated and adapted.
Immigrants know about risk. They make the choice to upend their lives and move to an entirely new culture. And by doing so, they bring a needed jolt to the economy, not just by supplying labor, but also from their willingness to launch new businesses. Many important startups were founded by immigrants. Over the past few decades, they’ve been as much as two times more likely than adults born in the US to launch a new business.
The banking sector is another example of the benefits of upheaval, not to mention a positive side of the internet. As online banking has upended our old systems, we’ve seen a huge global opportunity. Many people around the world – about 1.7 billion, or about a third of adults – still lack access to basic banking services. But creative services like Ualá in Argentina or M-Pesa in Kenya are helping change that. They’re new and different – they’re a positive change bringing economic opportunity to many who lacked it. The resulting prosperity could be good for democracy too.
So while none of us likes upheaval or a crisis, we should learn to value the attitude of immigrants who learn to be flexible and take risks in changing times. The economy is better for it, and we can be too.
---
The world can be full of bad news, but there’s still cause for hope. Because our actions and government policies got us into this fix, that means we as a society can also alter our situation for the better.
Understanding the social situations around us can make us smarter voters and better citizens, able to better deter manipulation by politicians and shady online sources. More understanding can also help us make wise choices in a constantly changing world.
For you, those wise choices may include focusing on community connections, ensuring you and your children have the education they need, embracing risk and new opportunity, and learning to be smart about the tech companies trying to influence you.
It’s hard to tell where we’re headed but a big part of that direction will depend on what we do ourselves.
October 1, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed Prof G's approach in this book to share history and insights using research, data, and charts. I highly recommend his most recent book to anyone wanted to gain invaluable perspectives on what has transpired in our country over the past seven decades.
October 12, 2022
Visual depictions and well written descriptions of where America has been, is now, and ways forward. Many chapters are dedicated to social and economic issues we’ve intuitively felt over the past decade plus, but quantified and expanded upon. Author’s writing style is intriguing despite less than captivating topics. Proposed solutions are well-thought out, would recommend. Quick read
February 26, 2023
Really great book showing decay and adrift of mighty America. Data driven summary supported with simple charts and even more straightforward explanations. All pointing at problems pf todays US and partially also whole western civilization. 100 of them including few positive one to keep it rather optimistic at the end.
December 30, 2022
Scott Galloway’s book “Adrift” is a story about America told in 100 charts”. It’s very easy to digest because visuals are easier to process than words.
I like the name of the book - Adrift. It connotes trouble but not necessarily peril. It also gives us a sense of hope. As the author puts it on page 251 “Adrift doesn’t mean lost……We are divided, angry, and more of us feel disconnected. However, some of the biggest clouds may be clearing” in the way Americans have pulled together to help Ukraine and that getting past Covid19 might usher in a new wave of well-being.
Adrift as a book covers some very interesting observations about America and provides simple charts to back them up. I’ve made a list of the key points in the Appendix to this review if you want to know more about it, below. (This is quite exhaustive. and takes away from the point of reviewing of the book.)
The book's greatest strength of simplicity is also its greatest weakness. Sometimes it oversimplifies complicated topics and presents only one side of a multi-faceted story. A simple case of this can be found on page 196 in a chapter called “Resettling expectations”.
The author says there’s no better time to graduate than in a recession because this leads to greater happiness. What isn’t presented is the fact that economically graduating in a recession has been seen to put those graduates back up to a decade!
This is a very good book that’s worth viewing. (There’s a little bit or reading to do to connect the charts together.) I’d also like to see this type of book done on a global level versus that of America alone.
Well done Scott!
_____________________________________________________________
APPENDIX: SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS
Some of the many good ideas that I noted as well as some of my thoughts on their implications.
• While the elite ran the rest of our nation crawled. The top 1% of Americans saw their wages grow by 140% between 1979 and 2013 while the bottom 99% grew by about 14%. Shocking disparity, begging the question of when there will be revolt from the lower class? (Chart page 29.)
• Over 50% of US Multinational Corporate Profits (are) booked in foreign tax havens. This is up from almost zero in 1970. This is criminal as they make shareholders wealthy but don’t help American infrastructure. (Chart on Page 33.)
• Shipping containers are the “Red Blood Cells” of the Consumer Economy. These containers are “one of the most transformative design innovations of the twentieth century”. (Page 50.)
• The Idolatry of Innovators. “We put our faith in technology and lionize the entrepreneurs who have best exploited it.” That said they stand on the shoulders of others and rely on others. Is this a sustainable model? (Page 61.)
• “In America it’s never been easier to become a billionaire – but it’s never been harder to become a millionaire”. (Page 72.)
• “Companies have fallen in love with ‘yogababble’………the nonsensical pontification that had replaced English in tech unicorns’ mission statements”. For example, Rivian’s mission statement is “If our planet is to continue to sustain life and enchant future generations, we must change……This is where Rivian’s potential lies.” I love this term. Personally, I use the term “psychobabble” to refer to the same thing. (Page 80 and 81.)
• “It’s not the most truthful or pressing stories that get attention, but rather those that collectively entertain or outrage us.” News is not news but entertainment. That’s why I personally prefer British news delivered by the BBC or Economist. (Page 84.)
• “Hunger Games. Inequality is inherent to the market, but when wealth is entrenched and mobility suppressed, that’s cronyism, not capitalism”. (Page 87.)
• “The New American Dream is to be born rich.” (Page 89.)
• CEO to Worker compensation has gone from 21x in 1965 to 351x inn 2020. (Page 93.)
• Jeff Bezos has enough capital to end homelessness in the US, eradicate malaria worldwide and pay 700,000 teachers’ salaries. Is he doing any of these things? (Pages 98-99.)
• Rising education costs may be “the greatest assault on middle-class America’s prosperity as education costs rose by 169% between 1980 and 2019 while salaries only by 19%. (Page 107.)
• The US healthcare system accounts for 45% of all medical spending globally! Further, its healthcare costs per capita are among the highest in the world yet life expectancy is lower than most other developed nations. (Pages 110 and 111.)
• The twin forces of social and mobile changed the world. With social media platforms users are not consumers – they are the product, based on their data exhaust. (Page 116.)
• “If the number of American journalists served as proxy measurement for our nation’s collective truth, the truth was in sharp decline”. Between 2008 and 2020 newsroom employees dropped from 120k to under 90k in the United States. (Page 123.)
• The Media has fueled a great misunderstanding of crime presenting it as rising when in fact it has been declining. That’s because bad news sells, but good news doesn’t. Should they be held accountable for this? (Pages 132 and 133.)
• In terms of dating apps, online connections can “make small towns seem bigger and big cities feel smaller by connecting people with common interests”. It can create meaningful connections between people who would never have met in the physical world alone. (Page 134.)
• Men’s share of college enrollment has dropped from 60% in 1970 to 40% in 2021 creating a path to broke and lonely males. (Page 144 and 145.)
• Political divides have become social divides with both Democrats and Republicans not wanting their children to marry someone from “The opposite side of the aisle”. (Pages 148 and 149.)
• There a very steep and long-term distrust of government, which is now hovering at only about 20% of the population. Who can blame Americans? Their politicians and bureaucrats are corrupt! (Page 159.)
• The world is looking beyond the United States for leadership. China has replaced the US as the most popular trading partner. (Page 173.) Also, fewer foreigners have a favourable view of America in 2020 compared with 2000. (Page 183.)
• Immigrants are much more entrepreneurial than native born Americans. (Page 201.)
• America is starting to spend more on social programs and catching those in Western Europe in terms of share of GDP. (Page 215.)
• There’s an overall decline in friendship – more with men but also with women -in this new hyper connected age. (Page 222 and 223.)
• What must be done (Pages 225 – 253.)
o Simplify the tax code
o Rebuilt the regulatory system
o Reform Section 230
o Rethink incarceration
o Enact a one-time wealth tax
o Rebrand nuclear
o Support children and family formation
o Reform higher education
o Invest in National Service
I like the name of the book - Adrift. It connotes trouble but not necessarily peril. It also gives us a sense of hope. As the author puts it on page 251 “Adrift doesn’t mean lost……We are divided, angry, and more of us feel disconnected. However, some of the biggest clouds may be clearing” in the way Americans have pulled together to help Ukraine and that getting past Covid19 might usher in a new wave of well-being.
Adrift as a book covers some very interesting observations about America and provides simple charts to back them up. I’ve made a list of the key points in the Appendix to this review if you want to know more about it, below. (This is quite exhaustive. and takes away from the point of reviewing of the book.)
The book's greatest strength of simplicity is also its greatest weakness. Sometimes it oversimplifies complicated topics and presents only one side of a multi-faceted story. A simple case of this can be found on page 196 in a chapter called “Resettling expectations”.
The author says there’s no better time to graduate than in a recession because this leads to greater happiness. What isn’t presented is the fact that economically graduating in a recession has been seen to put those graduates back up to a decade!
This is a very good book that’s worth viewing. (There’s a little bit or reading to do to connect the charts together.) I’d also like to see this type of book done on a global level versus that of America alone.
Well done Scott!
_____________________________________________________________
APPENDIX: SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS
Some of the many good ideas that I noted as well as some of my thoughts on their implications.
• While the elite ran the rest of our nation crawled. The top 1% of Americans saw their wages grow by 140% between 1979 and 2013 while the bottom 99% grew by about 14%. Shocking disparity, begging the question of when there will be revolt from the lower class? (Chart page 29.)
• Over 50% of US Multinational Corporate Profits (are) booked in foreign tax havens. This is up from almost zero in 1970. This is criminal as they make shareholders wealthy but don’t help American infrastructure. (Chart on Page 33.)
• Shipping containers are the “Red Blood Cells” of the Consumer Economy. These containers are “one of the most transformative design innovations of the twentieth century”. (Page 50.)
• The Idolatry of Innovators. “We put our faith in technology and lionize the entrepreneurs who have best exploited it.” That said they stand on the shoulders of others and rely on others. Is this a sustainable model? (Page 61.)
• “In America it’s never been easier to become a billionaire – but it’s never been harder to become a millionaire”. (Page 72.)
• “Companies have fallen in love with ‘yogababble’………the nonsensical pontification that had replaced English in tech unicorns’ mission statements”. For example, Rivian’s mission statement is “If our planet is to continue to sustain life and enchant future generations, we must change……This is where Rivian’s potential lies.” I love this term. Personally, I use the term “psychobabble” to refer to the same thing. (Page 80 and 81.)
• “It’s not the most truthful or pressing stories that get attention, but rather those that collectively entertain or outrage us.” News is not news but entertainment. That’s why I personally prefer British news delivered by the BBC or Economist. (Page 84.)
• “Hunger Games. Inequality is inherent to the market, but when wealth is entrenched and mobility suppressed, that’s cronyism, not capitalism”. (Page 87.)
• “The New American Dream is to be born rich.” (Page 89.)
• CEO to Worker compensation has gone from 21x in 1965 to 351x inn 2020. (Page 93.)
• Jeff Bezos has enough capital to end homelessness in the US, eradicate malaria worldwide and pay 700,000 teachers’ salaries. Is he doing any of these things? (Pages 98-99.)
• Rising education costs may be “the greatest assault on middle-class America’s prosperity as education costs rose by 169% between 1980 and 2019 while salaries only by 19%. (Page 107.)
• The US healthcare system accounts for 45% of all medical spending globally! Further, its healthcare costs per capita are among the highest in the world yet life expectancy is lower than most other developed nations. (Pages 110 and 111.)
• The twin forces of social and mobile changed the world. With social media platforms users are not consumers – they are the product, based on their data exhaust. (Page 116.)
• “If the number of American journalists served as proxy measurement for our nation’s collective truth, the truth was in sharp decline”. Between 2008 and 2020 newsroom employees dropped from 120k to under 90k in the United States. (Page 123.)
• The Media has fueled a great misunderstanding of crime presenting it as rising when in fact it has been declining. That’s because bad news sells, but good news doesn’t. Should they be held accountable for this? (Pages 132 and 133.)
• In terms of dating apps, online connections can “make small towns seem bigger and big cities feel smaller by connecting people with common interests”. It can create meaningful connections between people who would never have met in the physical world alone. (Page 134.)
• Men’s share of college enrollment has dropped from 60% in 1970 to 40% in 2021 creating a path to broke and lonely males. (Page 144 and 145.)
• Political divides have become social divides with both Democrats and Republicans not wanting their children to marry someone from “The opposite side of the aisle”. (Pages 148 and 149.)
• There a very steep and long-term distrust of government, which is now hovering at only about 20% of the population. Who can blame Americans? Their politicians and bureaucrats are corrupt! (Page 159.)
• The world is looking beyond the United States for leadership. China has replaced the US as the most popular trading partner. (Page 173.) Also, fewer foreigners have a favourable view of America in 2020 compared with 2000. (Page 183.)
• Immigrants are much more entrepreneurial than native born Americans. (Page 201.)
• America is starting to spend more on social programs and catching those in Western Europe in terms of share of GDP. (Page 215.)
• There’s an overall decline in friendship – more with men but also with women -in this new hyper connected age. (Page 222 and 223.)
• What must be done (Pages 225 – 253.)
o Simplify the tax code
o Rebuilt the regulatory system
o Reform Section 230
o Rethink incarceration
o Enact a one-time wealth tax
o Rebrand nuclear
o Support children and family formation
o Reform higher education
o Invest in National Service
February 26, 2023
The premise for this is good, but oh man, someone needs to get this guy some of Tufte, Edward R.'s books, or perhaps How to Make Sense of Any Mess: Information Architecture for Everybody. A lot of the charts are awful; they look very pretty but do a poor job of conveying the key information.
For example, there's a comparison of US defense spending, Afghanistan's GDP, and the Taliban's income. The point is that US defense spending massively dwarfs the latter two. Galloway presents this by comparing the height of the Empire State Building (US defense spending) with the lampposts and fire hydrants next to that building. That's an excellent narrative or prose comparison -- but it makes for an awful chart.
This should just be a 3-bar bar graph, perhaps with some mechanism to clearly show how miniscule the second two are. But instead we get a chart with pretty illustrations of the Empire State Building, a lamppost, and a fire hydrant...all approximately the same size on the page?
The book is riddled with chartjunk, which is a pity because there's a great message here.
For example, there's a comparison of US defense spending, Afghanistan's GDP, and the Taliban's income. The point is that US defense spending massively dwarfs the latter two. Galloway presents this by comparing the height of the Empire State Building (US defense spending) with the lampposts and fire hydrants next to that building. That's an excellent narrative or prose comparison -- but it makes for an awful chart.
This should just be a 3-bar bar graph, perhaps with some mechanism to clearly show how miniscule the second two are. But instead we get a chart with pretty illustrations of the Empire State Building, a lamppost, and a fire hydrant...all approximately the same size on the page?
The book is riddled with chartjunk, which is a pity because there's a great message here.
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