The Future Ain't What It Used to Be

The Future Ain't What it Used to Be, Iconoculture, Riverhead Books, 1997

Iconoculture is a three-person trend watching firm from Minneapolis that spends its time ingesting everything that makes up popular culture. This is their look at the major trends that will shape the future of America.

Among the trends explored in this book are the following: magazines for young girls that cover more than just fashion and makeup; the rise of the voluntary simplicity movement; where the 80s was a time of accumulating possessions, the 90s and beyond is the time of accumulating experiences (from eco-tourism to extreme sports); the spread of AIDS leading to other, less physical, forms of expression; the graying of America will lead to a huge rise in the need for doctors specializing in geriatrics; many people are returning to a religion/philosophy that goes under the general name of Gaia (neoagrarianism, Native American spirituality, etc); the themeparking of America; a huge rise in the popularity of alternative (and lifetime) education, and alternative medicine.

This book is written in clear and easy to understand language. It isn't just a good book for big and small businesses looking to position themselves for the future. It's also a very good book for everyday people who simply want an idea of what the future holds.