Description
In response to requests from a bipartisan group of senators and members of Congress, the 2005 "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" Committee (a group of twenty distinguished and diverse individuals from the business, scientific, and academic sectors) undertook a study of the changes in America's competitiveness in the global market. The resulting 500-page report was called Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. Five years later, the same committee voluntarily revisited the topic to find that America's competitive position is increasingly perilous in the global marketplace, that industry and government are letting key strategic issues slip, and that the "gathering storm" is rapidly approaching category 5. The text makes note of action steps in the initial report and the status of follow up, and discusses the effects of the recent economic crisis as well as the effect of an increasingly global marketplace on American workers and industry. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Read More
"In the face of so many daunting near-term challenges, U.S. government and industry are letting the crucial strategic issues of U.S. competitiveness slip below the surface. Five years ago, the National Academies prepared Rising Above the Gathering Storm, a book that cautioned: 'Without a renewed effort to bolster the foundations of our competitiveness, we can expect to lose our privileged position'. Since that time we find ourselves in a country where much has changed--and a great deal has not changed. So where does America stand relative to its position of five years ago when the Gathering Storm book was prepared? The unanimous view of the authors is that our nation's outlook has worsened. The present volume, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited,explores the tipping point America now faces. Addressing America's competitiveness challenge will require many years if not decades; however, the requisite federal funding of much of that effort is about to terminate. Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited provides a snapshot of the work of the government and the private sector in the past five years, analyzing how the original recommendations have or have not been acted upon, what consequences this may have on future competitiveness, and prioritiesgoing forward. In addition, readers will find a series of thought- and discussion-provoking factoids--many of them alarming--about the state of science and innovation in America. Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited is a wake-up call. To reverse the foreboding outlook will require a sustained commitment by both individual citizens and government officials--at all levels. This book, together with the original Gathering Storm volume, provides the roadmap to meet that goal. While this book is essential for policy makers, anyone concerned with the future of innovation, competitiveness, and the standard of living in the United States will find this book an ideal tool for engaging their government representatives, peers, and community about this momentous issue."--Publisher's description.
Read Less