American Renaissance: Our Life at the Turn of the 21st Century

If Cetron and Davies (coauthors of The Great Job Shakeout ) are correct, the U.S. by the year 2000 will see many dramatic changes: a large, prosperous, expanding middle class; decreased crime, possibly achieved through legalization of drugs; a 32-hour week, with nearly one-fourth of Americans working at home via computer hook-up to main offices. The authors predict a rebirth of grassroots activism, full-scale environmental clean-up, health insurance for all citizens, massive funding for education. Some of their prescriptions sound simplistic (e.g., ending homelessness by forgoing rent control, so that builders will glut the luxury housing market and thus be forced to turn their attention to the middle class and poor). In each of 22 areas--from the elderly to AIDS, religion and U.S.-Soviet relations--the authors extrapolate from current trends, adding a dash of optimism and creative thinking. First serial to Longevity and Omni; Fortune Book Club main selection. (Sept.)