The Coming Biotech Age: The Business of Bio- Materials

The convergence of genetics and materials science is about to change everything fast. Author Richard Oliver describes himself as a disciple of the brilliant Canadian futurist Marshall McLuhan, so you can expect a book rife with sweeping predictions and neologisms. Parental advisory: In this book, buzzwords proliferate like that lab experiment you started in high school and just couldn't stop. To cut to the "bio" bottom line: The world as you know it will basically cease to exist in about five years. (Oh, that's no surprise, but how can you make a buck off of it, right?) Well, give Oliver credit: He backs up his bio-ideas with solid bio-research, and you get the uncanny feeling that his bio-predictions are probably accurate, in spite of the annoying prefixes. After all, it wasn't too long ago that a certain don north of the border was ridiculed for his zany description of an impending "Global Village." We [...] recommend this book for anyone who could benefit from a user's manual on the future. Indeed, you could say it's a veritable bio-crystal ball.

On rare occasions, investors and business executives are offered a comprehensive look at the next technological explosion that will shape our lives. Oliver's The Coming Biotech Age is such a book. In addition, it examines the forces that will shape our society and culture for decades to come. Its vision, its comprehensive approach, and a clear forceful story accessible to a wide spectrum of audiences, make it a book that everyone should read

At last, a comprehensive and comprehendible treatment of the implications of biotechnology for the business world! Richard Oliver's book, The Coming Biotech Age, does an excellent job of conveying, in a non-technical way, the most significant impacts that biotechnology will have on the future of both the life sciences and the materials sciences. As a management consultant with training in economics, I appreciated Oliver's focus on the economics of biotechnology and biomaterials, rather than on the scientific principles or ethical issues surrounding them. Other works have covered these dimensions adequately, and so Oliver has stepped in to fill a clear need--educating businesspeople about how biotechnology will impact their business in the near future.Though it is not a scientific work, Oliver's book succeeds in bringing rigour to the biotechnology question as well. He introduces several principles, which he calls "laws of bioeconomics," which are well-supported and suggest major impacts on the economy. One could ask whether they are really worthy of being called "laws," and whether they will prove to have as big an impact as Oliver suggests. I'm not sure whether anyone could really answer this, and even Oliver himself suggests that he could be accused of being the first "BioAstrologer" because of the enthusiasm he expresses for his views. Of one thing I am certain, however, and that is that Richard Oliver has written a piece of essential reading for forward-looking businesspeople who want a glimpse into "The Next Big Thing."

A book to be read if you are ready to imagine big technological changes impact enormously in the near future of economics, social life and politics.Reading Oliver is not Sci-fi; the reader is free to imagine the possibilities and dangers of using DNA-knowledge for and by everybody.

I am purposely reading this book slowly because i am so excited by its contents I am learning and enjoying the brilliance of this easy yet sophisticated read. Richard Oliver puts biotech on the front burner like never before. The information is written in a way where you get all the facts but the reading is fun and informative. Imagine five years from today when biotech information will double daily...this book will open your eyes to future developments which will make our lives and our children's lives different and better. If you want to know about the future of biotech, and/or want to know how to approach the group as an investor, don't hesitate.