In 1970, Alvin Toffler Predicted the Rise of Future Shock—But the Exact Opposite Happened And it's much, much worse
In 1970, Alvin Toffler Predicted the Rise of Future Shock—But the Exact Opposite Happened And it's much, much worse TED GIOIA Back in 1970, Alvin Toffler predicted the future. It was a disturbing forecast, and everybody paid attention. People saw his book Future Shock everywhere. I was just a freshman in high school, but even I bought a copy (the purple version). And clearly I wasn’t alone—Clark Drugstore in my hometown had them piled high in the front of the store. The book sold at least six million copies and maybe a lot more (Toffler’s website claims 15 million). It was reviewed, translated, and discussed endlessly. Future Shock turned Toffler—previously a freelance writer with an English degree from NYU—into a tech guru applauded by a devoted global audience. Toffler showed up on the couch next to Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show . Other talk show hosts (Dick Cavett, Mike Douglas, etc.) also invited him to their couches too. CBS featured Toffler alongside Arthur C. Clar