Reading Record - 3: The World in 2050

I bought this book on impulse when I saw it stacked on a table at a bookstore around the time it was published (2023).

It is quite substantial (about 450 pages), and although I read about 30% of it right after buying it, I stopped halfway through and it sat dormant on my bookshelf. I suddenly remembered it last year and decided to pick it up again to finish it.

"The World in 2050" is a book that depicts how the global economy and international order will change over the long term.

The author, Hamish McRae, is a former deputy editor of The Independent in the UK and an economic journalist specializing in international economics, finance, and politics. He is well-versed in the trends not only in Europe but also in the United States and emerging countries, and has a track record of analyzing structural changes in the world from a global perspective.

Hamish McRae argues that the world will change irreversibly toward 2050. In this book, he identifies "five forces of change"—demographics, technological innovation, globalization, energy and the environment, and the restructuring of finance and the economy—and paints a picture of a future where these forces intertwine in complex ways to drive the world.

These changes will manifest differently in each continent.
Asia is moving toward the center of the global economy against the backdrop of its population size and growth potential, while Africa holds the potential for long-term growth due to its projected population increase. Meanwhile, Europe and Japan face the challenges of mature societies, and the United States maintains its influence using technological innovation and financial power as its weapons. He also argues that climate change and resource constraints will influence the development conditions of each region.

This book is not a prophetic text that asserts what the world will be like in 2050. It should be read for the purpose of gaining a perspective to grasp the global economy, international affairs, and the business environment from a broad viewpoint.