The Age of Decay - by Shamil Ismail (Paperback)
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Highlights
- "Catapults you into a future scenario that cannot be ignored"The Age of Decay (revised edition) is a thought-provoking exploration of how demographic shifts - particularly aging populations and declining birth rates - could unravel the very fabric of modern civilization.Investment analyst Shamil Ismail argues that the real threat lies not just in fewer people, but in the fast-shrinking pool of essential workers-those who keep society functioning, from healthcare and agriculture to logistics and infrastructure.
- Author(s): Shamil Ismail
- 282 Pages
- Business + Money Management, Strategic Planning
Description
About the Book
Analyst Shamil Ismail explores how aging populations and declining birth rates are leading to a shrinking workforce of essential workers, which could massively disrupt future societies and economies, resulting in an age of decay.
Book Synopsis
"Catapults you into a future scenario that cannot be ignored"The Age of Decay (revised edition) is a thought-provoking exploration of how demographic shifts - particularly aging populations and declining birth rates - could unravel the very fabric of modern civilization.
Investment analyst Shamil Ismail argues that the real threat lies not just in fewer people, but in the fast-shrinking pool of essential workers-those who keep society functioning, from healthcare and agriculture to logistics and infrastructure. As these roles become harder to fill in developed countries, the consequences could be catastrophic: crumbling cities, disrupted supply chains, and economic stagnation.
The book dismantles popular solutions like automation, robots, AI, and raising the retirement age, showing how these strategies fail to address the human-centric nature of essential work. Instead, Ismail emphasizes the need for a radical rethink of immigration policies, as countries will increasingly compete for labor to sustain their economies.
Sifting through the latest data, trends and forecasts, Ismail answers these intriguing questions, allowing us to prepare for the daunting future that lies ahead.
- When are we likely to see the first major signs of this new reality?
- Which countries will be most impacted, and by when?
- How will companies and investment markets be affected?
- Can this path to decay be avoided, and what can we do?
The Age of Decay is a wake-up call for investors, policymakers, and business leaders. It is indispensable for strategic planning.
Tautly written and backed by meticulous research, the author blends hard data with occasional fictional scenes to make the future feel alarmingly real.
A must-read for anyone interested in how the future could unfold.
Review Quotes
"Catapults you into a future scenario that cannot be ignored."Dr Pali Lehohla, past Chair of the UN Statistics Commission
"An intriguing analysis of how our lives could be impacted by the changing demographic trends. A must-read for anyone interested in how the future could unfold. Captivating, carefully considered and well-argued." Darrell Bricker, co-author of Empty Planet-The Shock of Global Population Decline
"A tautly written and well-researched book."Professor Charles Goodhart, London School of Economics; co-author of The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival
"Shamil Ismail's welcome focus on this critical and inelastic portion of the workforce-essential workers-requires a refinement in the definition of the dependency ratio. The effective labour force available to generate economic growth as we know it just got smaller." Manoj Pradhan, Talking Heads Macroeconomics; co-author of The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival
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