057 Douglas Rushkoff: Life Inc.

The book describes the rise of corporatism and how it has come to dominate all aspects of modern life, including government, education, and media, and argues for a return to more human-centered values.

Duration: 11 hours

28 minutes

Summary

Rushkoff argues that the corporate mindset has infiltrated every aspect of modern life and that it is time to return to more human-centered values. He provides a historical analysis of the rise of corporatism and its effects on society, arguing that it has led to a loss of agency and creativity for individuals, as well as environmental degradation and social injustice. Rushkoff calls for a return to a more decentralized and localized economy and the development of alternative currencies and new forms of commerce that prioritize human values.

About

Title: Life Inc.: How Corporatism Conquered the World, and How We Can Take It Back

Author: Douglas Rushkoff

Year of publication: 2009

Publisher: Random House

Length in hours: 11 hours and 28 minutes

5 main ideas

Corporatism has infiltrated every aspect of modern life, leading to a loss of agency and creativity for individuals.
The corporate mindset values efficiency and profit over human values and environmental sustainability.
The rise of corporatism has led to environmental degradation and social injustice.
A return to more decentralized and localized economies can help promote human-centered values and more sustainable practices.
Alternative currencies and new forms of commerce can help shift the focus away from corporatism and toward more human-centered values.

5 funny quotes

"If we really wanted to be efficient, we'd stay in bed until noon and read comic books."
"One person's game of Monopoly is another person's 'new global order.'"
"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know when you're being scammed by one."
"The next time you see a homeless person, remember: she's just part of the new economic order."
"Sometimes I think capitalism is an evil conspiracy, and other times I think it's just a good way to make money."

5 thought-provoking quotes

“We live in a world that is profoundly shaped by corporations, but we only have the faintest idea of how they actually work.”
“An economic model that depends on continued expansion is unsustainable in a world of limited resources.”
“The currency of modern life is no longer backed by gold or silver, but by our own attention and the amount of time we are willing to spend in a particular context.”
“The balance between individuality and community is one of the most delicate and difficult trade-offs in all of human experience.”
“As media becomes more immersive, it becomes more difficult for us to distinguish between what is real and what is not.”

5 dilemmas

How can we balance the needs of the individual against the needs of the community in a world where both are increasingly interconnected?
How can we reconcile the enormous power of corporations with the need for democratic governance and accountability?
How can we create a sustainable economic model that doesn’t depend on constant growth and the exploitation of limited resources?
How can we ensure that the benefits of the digital economy are distributed fairly and equitably, rather than accruing only to the wealthiest and most powerful?
How can we preserve our sense of reality and the authenticity of our experiences in a world where media and technology are becoming ever more immersive and difficult to distinguish from reality?

5 examples

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, who began his tech career as a bicycle messenger.
Mark Boyle, known as “The Moneyless Man” for his decision to live without money for an entire year.
Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, who refused to sell out to corporate interests in order to keep his site truly democratic.
Jeff Jarvis, former editor of Entertainment Weekly and current director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at CUNY.
Daniel Pink, author of “Drive” and other works on the changing nature of work in the digital age.

Referenced books

"The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith
"The Hidden Persuaders" by Vance Packard
"Propaganda" by Edward Bernays
"The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power" by Joel Bakan
"The Culture Industry: Selected Essays on Mass Culture" by Theodor W. Adorno and Max Horkheimer

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