This is such an intellectual book but so interesting. Dorling uses hundreds of graphs and much data and history to show why everything is slowing down from population to inflation (except climate change) around the world. I got the ARC for this book right before a pandemic changed things quite dramatically (which he eerily called, though he wrote it in 2019 before any of us knew what was about to come). In all that came, this book got lost in my kindle until this week.

It’s so heavy on data that I skimmed through parts but found it extremely educational, convincing, and ultimately quite hopeful.

I read a digital copy of this book via NetGalley.

Forking compares society for the past several generations as a train that has been speeding up, and now we’re comfortable with that previously unimaginable rate of speed and expect it to just get faster and faster. Dorling argues that we are actually entering a slowdown and that the era of exponential growth and technological advancement is ending. Stabilization of economies/no population growth/investing (which depends on future growth) may no longer be profitable. It’s definitely thought-provoking and will make a welcome addition to our public library’s adult collection.

This book has an interesting premise with some intriguing insights. But, it’s loaded with data points and fairly laborious to wade through.

This was a fascinating book. Slowdown examines how growth has been based on globalizations increasing pace and speed of life, as technology has led to a speedup of our lives and economic systems. However, in order to maintain growth, a slowdown is now necessary for economic stimulus and personal wellbeing.

For anyone who feels overwhelmed by the increasing demands in a fast-paced world, this book will provide you perspective on why this is occurring in all of our cultural and social systems.

The antidote to our fast-paced, unrelenting globalised world. The author envisions a world where slow is the order of the day, and for many of us that day can’t come fast enough. Recommended.