Alvin Toffler

Alvin Toffler is a thought leader and award-winning author of multiple books, most notably Future Shock and The Third Wave. He holds a unique place in history and contemporary society as one of the first popularizers of the concept of future shock and has had an immense influence on public discourse about the future of technology and society.

Alvin Toffler was born in New York in 1928 and was a graduate of New York University. He was an editor for Horizons magazine before moving to Fortune magazine and then dedicating himself to writing books hundreds of articles and other works on the topics of social change and futurism. Toffler’s first book, Future Shock, was an international best seller and was translated into 30 languages. This book popularized the term “future shock” which Toffler defined as the physical and psychological state of humans due to the overwhelming, accelerated pace of social, political, and cultural change.

Toffler’s second book, The Third Wave, was published in 1980. This book further expanded Toffler’s ideas on the types of change that are occurring in modern society and how those changes are affecting us. Toffler asserted that the industrial society first seen in Europe and America during the nineteenth century had been replaced by a post-industrial or “Third Wave” society, in which information and communication technologies play a critical role. He argued that this kind of society requires different skills, attitudes, and realms of knowledge than traditional industrial societies and that citizens must adjust to this new reality.

In addition to Future Shock and The Third Wave, Toffler wrote many other books which focus on the idea of social change and its impacts on our lives. These include Powershift, War and Anti-War, Revolutionary Wealth, and The Adaptive Corporation. Toffler also wrote a popular trilogy, consisting of Creating a New Civilization, Revolutionary Wealth, and The Warrior's Path. This trilogy explored the rising power of personal communication and social networks in the process of creating new forms of civilization and has been cited by President Obama and other world leaders.

Toffler’s writings and ideas have been highly influential and have been cited by a wide range of scholars, thinkers, and leaders. U.S. President Barack Obama wrote a lengthy tribute to Toffler on the occasion of his passing, saying that “Alvin was a great thinker, writer and advocate for the cause of progress. He was one of the first to recognize the potential of new technologies and to expand our vision of the future.” His works have been featured in numerous publications and have been used to explain and understand the challenges of modern life.

Alvin Toffler was a visionary thinker who used his writing to explore and explain the ramifications of rapid social change with a unique insight and perspective. His theories and writings remain highly influential and are an invaluable resource for those wishing to understand the impact of changing technologies and societies.