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The Age of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapitalism
 
 
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The Age of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapitalism [Paperback]

Jeremy Rifkin (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
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He's been called the postmodern Chicken Licken, but it so happens that the sky really is falling down. Jeremy Rifkin pulls the plug on the trend away from property ownership and free public life in The Age of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapitalism, Where All of Life is a Paid-For Experience. As usual, he's a bit ahead of the curve--most of us aren't yet fully immersed in the sea of leased products and packaged experiences that he sees awaiting us. Still, his eerie visions of a world of gatekeepers paying each other for access to nearly every aspect of human life brings a chilling new meaning to the phrase "pay to play" and should spark some debate over our new cultural revolution.

Using examples from business and government experiments with just-in-time access to goods and services and resource sharing, Rifkin defines a new society of renters too busy breaking the shackles of material possessions to mourn the passing of public property. Are we encouraging alienation or participation? Can we trust corporations with stewardship of our social lives? True to form, the author asks more questions than he answers--a sign of an open mind. If property is theft, leased access is extortion, and The Age of Access warns us of the complex changes coming in our relationships with our homes, our communities, and our world. --Rob Lightner, Amazon.com --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In his latest synthesis of business analysis and academic philosophizing, Rifkin (The End of Work, The Biotech Century, etc.) argues that we are in the midst of a new age in which "concepts, ideas and images--not things--are the real items of value" and where "the purchase of lived experiences becomes the consummate commodity." In the book's first half, Rifkin contends that ownership of property has become increasingly devalued. Today's companies avoid amassing physical capital, which can later prove "an albatross" that prevents them from keeping up with rapid technological advances. Instead, they prefer to "outsource ownership," contracting third parties to provide and maintain equipment. This trend combines with others, such as the proliferation of service relationships, to put more emphasis on access than ownership, heralding a time when what companies sell will be human experience itself and all cultural activities will be commodified. In the book's second half, Rifkin shows how "experience industries"--such as travel and entertainment--are coming to dominate the new global economy. "More and more of the global cultural sphere--its natural wonders, cathedrals, museums, palaces, parks, rituals, festivals--is being siphoned off into the marketplace," he says, where it serves as a backdrop "for enacting paid-for cultural experiences" that is divorced from historical context. As in Rifkin's earlier works, the author asserts the truth of his ideas in considerable detail without offering much supporting evidence, leaving readers either to believe him or not. Even so, his larger historical and social perspective and lack of technological boosterism is refreshing. Agent: Jim Stein. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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The role of property is changing radically. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Access this book as soon as you can, Sep 5 2002
By 
Glenn Brigaldino (San Diego, California United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Age of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapitalism (Paperback)
Indeed an outstanding analysis of capitalist transitions. Very infomred study of how the mode of reproduction in capitalist society is redefining itself and who the agents of change are.
A must read for all students of politcal and social sciences; a strong recommednation for everyone who wants to step back and reflect on where we are heading and how things got rolling. The only short-coming I see, is that Rifkin strangely avoids building on marxist thought, hardly any references and it seems he tried to "skip" Marxism in an effort to stay popular amongst a largely US readership. Still, a most important book, any current day social researcher and political analyst should make this book a key reference point.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Age of Access-lame, Feb 2 2001
By 
Andrew Brooks (Forest Hills, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Age Of Access (Hardcover)
Age of Access Page 248 "...The Gypsy Kings, Puerto Rico's Ricky Martin, Pakistan's Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ravi Shankar...and scores of others are routinely turning out popular CD's with their eclectic blend of native and contemporary music...".

Ricky Martin?! an eclectic blend of native and contemporary music?! This guy clearly has no problem writing things he doesn't understand.

A world-pop corporate marketing phenomenon like Ricky Martin would be comparable to a Madonna or a George Michael, but you could never claim his music sounds ANYTHING like native Puerto Rican music (bomba, plena, etc.) .

Oh, and by the way, Mr. Rifkin, Britney Spears is not an ethnomusicologist specializing in blending Appalachian folk tunes with modern pop.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Good and Valuable Book, Feb 26 2003
By 
Juan Munoz (Katy, texas United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Age of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapitalism (Paperback)
I liked the book very interesting description of the times we are living in. Helps understand the economic tendencies that are actually occurring around us. I enjoy reading it!
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