Talk:Alvin Toffler

I've been in a presentation of Alvin Toffler here in Campinas, Brazil, and he spoke about why the terms left-wing and right-wing are obsolete in the Third Wave, and the politics will be very diferent in Third Wave societies. It was very insighful. --200.228.158.130 15:45, 10 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Link suggestions

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Tip: Some people find it helpful if these suggestions are shown on this talk page, rather than on another page. To do this, just add {{User:LinkBot/suggestions/Alvin_Toffler}} to this page. — LinkBot 10:39, 17 Dec 2004 (UTC)

I see LinkBot suggested a link to John Brunner's novel, The Shockwave Rider. I agree, but I don't know where that link would fit in this article as currently written.

As for source, I believe Brunner is on record (somewhere) as stating that his novel was directly inspired by Future Shock. I notice the The Shockwave Rider novel article says that and links back here.

Cheers

Etbnc 16:12, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

September 14

The assertion made in this revision [1] has been reverted since it could not be confirmed by Google News search. Please provide a source for the claim. CQJ 17:44, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Expertise - Powershift (thinkLet)

Expertise is a form of power; that is, experts have the ability to influence others. Alvin Toffler's Powershift argues that the three main kinds of social power are violence, wealth, and knowledge and, further, that these three kinds of power interact.

geoWIZard-Passports 00:34, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Big in China

According to ALVIN TOFFLER NAMED AMONG CHINA'S MOST INFLUENTIAL FOREIGNERS at their own site, he has benn very influential in China.

If someone can track the People's Daily article, it would be a meaningful addition. --84.20.17.84 11:51, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

I've been in a presentation of Alvin Toffler here in Campinas, Brazil, and he spoke about why the terms left-wing and right-wing are obsolete in the Third Wave, and the politics will be very diferent in Third Wave societies. It was very insighful. --200.228.158.130 15:45, 10 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Criticism

Suggest section on criticisms of Toffler, but am not expert.

Many scholars have found Future Shock to be overly alarmist in its predictions, while others have found The Third Wave and Powershift to be overly optimistic in their assessment of the impact of technology on the future of society. Some reviewers have questioned Toffler's predictions about the future, noting that retrospective examinations of his work invite varying assessments of the extent to which these predictions have proven accurate. Several critics have also commented that Toffler fails to examine his subjects in a broader global and historical context. While many critics have faulted Toffler for overgeneralization and weak argumentation, most have conceded that his works are thought-provoking and raise important questions about the future.

from Toffler, Alvin Criticism and Essays, enotes.com —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Jeffschuler (talk • contribs) 16:13, 28 March 2007 (UTC).

I'd also like to see this as I've just learned about him a few moments ago after reading about Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico. Also, do any other "business authors" have a sub-cat for Mentors or Influences? If not, that may be an interesting addition. Maltiti2005 13:45, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

POV

This article does not seem to be a biography at all. Rather it presents (and, yes, boosts) Tofflers work, theories, ideas, etc. I would like to see a real biography with a short main body about the man's life and works and ideas presented in sections.

This article is currently full of boosterism, and sounds like it was written by either the subject himself, or devoted fans. -- Beland 08:51, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

Ummm....yeah. Looks like kind of a rough draft. The Ideas section might benefit from some further organization, too.

Etbnc 16:18, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

There is a fairly well articulated critique of this entire corpus, Dyer-Witherford "Cyber-Marx" chapter 2 is on point. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.210.250.105 (talk) 01:38, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

Categories

Ummm... Science fiction as an article category? Does WP usually classify work like this as science fiction? Somehow I doubt other writers in the science fiction genre would consider Toffler an SF writer.

Etbnc 16:23, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

No, Toffler definitely is not a SF writer, per se. However, he has been influential on that genre, as have most prominent futurists. As a proponent of broad inclusionism, I say let it stand, unless you intend to create yet another category, such as "Non-SF Writers Significantly Influential on SF". Shanoman 17:04, 5 July 2007 (UTC)

Self-Congratulatory

Did Toffler write the page himself? It certainly sounds like a fanboy piece or an ad. I read Future Shock years ago, and it was nothing but vague, popularized, forgettable fluff, the kind of thing that's written to be a best seller. I'm finding it hard to believe that serious people -- economists, scholars, whomever -- could possibly take this lightweight author as seriously as the page makes it sound.

Or maybe all "futurism" is just a pile of crap.

 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.22.240.9 (talk) 23:49, 12 July 2008 (UTC) 

I am fairly certain that all futurism is just a pile of crap, but some influential parties take it very seriously. It even made it onto a Society of Actuaries course from 2000-2007. Thankfully, it was dropped last year. Albertod4 (talk) 21:14, 5 September 2008 (UTC)