Aerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next

This book disturbed me. That's why I give it 5 stars. Anything that has the capacity to disturb is valuable. I learned a lot about myself. I don't like airports; I don't like speed; and I don't like competition. Just the opposite of John Kasarda, and his acolyte, the author of this book, Greg Lindsay. Lindsay says he once flew to Zurich (I think it was), walked around the old town area and flew back to the States in the same day. He obviously flies a lot. That's what the book is all about. I wonder if Kasarda and Lindsay have not just been swept up into the latest fad. It's possible, since Lindsay does duly note previous generations that were built around different sources of transportation. Who knows how long the aerotropolis will be trendy and upscale, the place to be, the thing to do? Of course, urban planners, autocrats, politicians (all mentioned and discussed by Lindsay) must watch out for their constituents (and themselves) by providing the latest in connectivity. I wonder if there are there others like me who would rather see things slow down, become less competitive, become more natural? I know there are, because Lindsay touches on them, in a snide brush off, in this book. Well, Ludditism is definitely untrendy. As Lindsay points out, the movers will move ahead and drag the rest of society kicking and screaming behind them. I'll be at the tail end, I imagine. Lindsay does give his readers the global go-around. He starts with United States airports, those hemmed in by poor original planning; and those destined to be the next generation of hubs, and generate most of the jobs. Then he goes global, from Netherlands to Thailand to China, Japan, and Africa. Though the book was making me dizzy with Greg's whirlwind travels, I kept reading because I learned something in every chapter. I learned about recent politics in Thailand, Cleveland, and Wilkes-Barre. Focus out, forget about what you might be feeling inside, that does not matter, according to Kasarda's camp (this is the impression I received from this book). Focus outward or get out of the way of the folks who can focus on profit and speed. Does this have anything to do with temperament, like "inner directed" versus "outer directed"? Lindsay doesn't go into that. He's too busy rounding up interview subjects. But he's good at what he does, that's certain. He does address the idea of airports becoming obsolete, but concludes that Kasarda is right: airports will grow, in order to help developing countries sell their products; in order to meet the rising demand for tourist flights; and because airplanes only create 2% of the carbon monoxide in the air. Here's something for John and Greg to think about: Modern man is a sick man because to him progress means radio, television, cinema, the invention of new ways of enjoyment, more and more better cars and airplanes and a ceaseless craving for outer stimulation to escape into meaningless trivial activities. Since there is no richness of inner life, he seeks compensation in outer wealth. He lacks inner strength and spiritual force and hence his life urges him into a false excitement.