The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World
The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World
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Zachary Karabell tells the fascinating history of these indicators, which were invented in the mid-twentieth century to address the urgent challenges of the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. They were rough measures—designed to give clarity in a data-parched world that was made up of centralized, industrial nations—yet we still rely on them today.
Today’s world is shaped by information technology and the borderless flow of capital and Useds. If we follow a 1950s road map for a twenty-first-century world, we will get lost.
What is urgently needed is not to invent a New set of numbers but to tap into the data revolution that offers unparalleled access to the information we need. Companies should not base their business plans on GDP projections; individuals should not decide whether to buy a home or get a degree based on the national unemployment rate. If you want to buy a home, look for a job, start a company or run a business, you can readily find your own indicators. National housing figures don’t matter; local ones do. You can find those at the click of button. Personal, made-to-order indicators will meet our needs today, and the revolution is well underway. We need only to join it.
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