A Celebration Society

At the outset, I must tell you that I am a very critical person who finds no book is perfect.This book provides a compelling vision of our future that is optimistic and exciting. I do not agree with every part, but Kolber tells us that is vision is malleable. Most importantly, he has done a magnificent job of research. Unlike Kurzweil's "Singularity," Kolbert's vision is feasible.You must read this book even if only to learn about complementary currencies and how they can lead the way to a better future. You can see one vision of how we can handle our future abundance society. This book is not food for thought; it is a feast for thought.If you find the future bleak and unappealing, then this book is for you. Technology will put masses of people out of work. What can we do about that? Take from this uplifting book what you will and work to make it happen.

The futuristic perspective which is so clearly articulated in “The Celebration Society” is one that I earlier would have imagined as an unlikely utopian notion. But now, being aware that many of the prognostications made in this visionary work are appearing on the horizon, I am convinced of just how prescient the author has been in this ambitious journey.For example, on page 150 it is pointed out how for centuries, (paraphrasing), humanity has regarded the production of children as a means of providing a form of ‘social security’ to those of advancing age . In a Celebration Society, where all citizens receive their livelihoods not from repetitive meaningless work, but rather from advances in technology, it is conceivable that the need, or indeed the desire to procreate with reckless abandon will diminish, thereby placing less pressure on us and our environment to provide for ever expanding populations. This is only one example of the many fact based and forward looking prospects laid out by the author.I wish to extend my deep appreciation to Jonathan Kolber and his esteemed collaborators for this eye opening book. I may not live to see this “Celebration Society” in all its glory, but the possibility that it may one day come to pass offers an alternative scenario to the one I’ve dreaded for decades: That being one of humanity careening ultimately toward entropy and self destruction.To know that there is and will continue to be viable alternatives provides great solace and reason for genuine hope.

This is a meticulously researched, fascinating and thoroughly engaging speculative-nonfiction treatise. Kolber describes a possible post scarcity, post-employment society in the coming age of instantaneous information, and zero-marginal-cost abundant resources utilizing existing and emergent technologies.Of particular note was Kolber's philosophical reevaluation of what it could mean to be a valued, "unemployed" human being in a new kind of society based on abundance rather than scarcity. He displays broad, far reaching knowledge of the societal pitfalls we face as we careen toward the end of capitalism.His ideas are incredibly thought-provoking, sound and should be carefully considered as an achievable goal. He offers a celebratory alternative to a potentially troubling time in our near future when accelerating automation will upset the very foundations of Western Society."-M. BryantSocial Psychologist and Futurist

This criticism claims that the Celebration Society isn’t practical, because Kolber is “taking potential preliminary results from research – or even just a theory/concept – and assuming they can be deployed en masse smoothly. (in particular) effective, widespread nanotechnology assemblers and disassemblers”, asteroid mining, plasma converters etc etc as a given. To the author’s credit, he does spell many of these assumptions out, but pays little attention to just how realistic they are.”Sami Makelainen focuses solely on the “Matter” pillar of the book (one of Kolber's three “Pillars of Abundance”). As the book documents, Japan already has 3 plasma converters in operation, so their feasibility isn’t in question. The question is just one of cost, and as anyone familiar with tech knows, costs plummet with widespread deployment.Likewise, asteroid mining—admittedly fanciful just decades ago—is now the focus of two very credible startups, Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries. National governments such as China are eyeing this as well.Yes, nanotechnology assemblers/disassemblers remain pure speculation. However, the key understanding—which Makelainen apparently missed in his otherwise thoughtful critique—is that WE ONLY NEED ONE OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES to give us abundant matter.And when we’ve got abundant matter, energy, and software, we’ve got a provable basis for sustainable planetary abundance.

This is a book that politicians should read all over the World so that they can develop a vision of what society could be instead of being bogged down with the status quo, and hence very unimaginative. Jonathan Kolber has imagined the World in parts and as a whole in new ways and he has references for all of his suggestions for what we could be doing if we wanted to live in a creative and freedom-loving and rational society.

A very well written book pertaining to our future on jobs and society as a whole. The book is very well researched and very thought provoking. Jonathan has obviously put a lot of work into writing this book. The problems are laid out with education and income. The guideline is set for our future growth. It's up to us to make it happen.

Very impressed with the analysis of society and technology trends. Powerful vision of a positive future!