The Next Big Thing Is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business

I recently attended NanoBusiness 2004 in New York City--at a cost of $800 plus hotel and travel). I could have saved all of that money by just investing in this book beforehand--it literally covered 95% of the information that was provided by the conference speakers. If you are considering learning more about nanotechnology, I strongly encourage you to start here. The book is very easy to read (especially for non-techies) and it will provide you an excellent foundation.

I recently heard Jack Uldrich give a keynote presentation at Tech2004 in Syracuse. As an avid follower of nanotechnology, I immediately purchased and read his book. My only regret is that I didn't pick up a copy a year earlier. Much to my surprise, although the book is now over a year old (a long time in the world of nanotech), Uldrich accurately predicted much of what has occurred in the last year. He was among the first to highlight (well before the Forbes/Wolfe Newsletter) Harris & Harris, a publicly traded nanotech venture capital firm, whose price has skyrocketed from $2 to $20 a share since punblication. He also profiled Nanosys ... likely to be the first pure-play nanotech firm to go to an IPO. The entire book is filled with numerous other gems that readers are likely to profit from handsomely in the years ahead. Other reviewers have dismissed the book ... which is fine with me ... it just means that I can profit even more before the rest of the public catches on that nanotechnology really is the NEXT BIG THING.

A country with just 8000 cars, 144 miles of paved road, where 95 % of births occur at home, life expectancy is forty-seven years, just 6 % of the population has graduated from high school, pneumonia and influenza are leading causes of death. Fortunately, this is history, about a hundred years old and this country is called The United States of America. A child attending primary school, reading this story would think that her grand parents were very close to the Stone Age. If one can comprehend the rapid changes and improvement in our life styles in the twentieth century, when we could even put a man on the moon and bring him back safely to earth, relax, the best is yet to come.This book would have sounded like science fiction a decade ago and had it been published in the early half of the last century, the authors would have certainly been prosecuted for misleading the public, the fate suffered by Lee De Forest (father of the radio) in 1913, for his "outlandish claims". Today, we are on the verge of a major technological revolution that is likely to dislodge major industries in their present form. Nanotechnology, from its humble beginnings at IBM's research labs in 1989 is poised to be the next big disruptive technology invading all aspects of our life. This book, after explaining the concepts of nanomanipulation is structured well to explain the possible applications, present and future and its impact on business. Nanotechnology is the true culmination and convergence of most streams of science - Agriculture, biology, chemistry, computing, physics, mathematics, medicine, and the like. At the atomic level it appears, the differences fade away. Now our young friend in the primary school would add nanotechnology as an essential subject in her education, so that she would not be considered illiterate a decade from now. "Because in many ways nanotechnology is not just going to be he next big thing...it is going to be everything" concludes this book. This book is also small in size. Small, but superb.

"Finally, a nanotechnology book that speaks to the people and defines how this technology will affect their lives. This book is a 'must read' for corporate executives, human resource directors, education professionals, high school and university career counselors and the public. The overview breaks down the complexity of nanotechnology explaining how it is 'already' changing a variety of businesses with descriptive examples relating to products that are in the marketplace 'NOW', while including a roadmap to the future products through 2013. However, Uldrich does not stop there, but proceeds to describe the disruptive implications in the marketplaces concerning the current service industries and products that may be displaced. By concluding each chapter with a list of 'nanopoints' developed to encourage long range planning and assessment, this book becomes an excellent business tool. The bottom line is that nanotechnology is here NOW, and Uldrich manages to take it out of the science fiction realm by showing the audience real applications in current products. It will only become more pronounced in the future. Can you afford 'NOT' to be prepared?

The Next Big Thing is Really Small doesn't make the rules, but it is certainly an excellent rule guide for investors and business people wanting to be ahead of the game in a multidisciplinary arena that will provide the world with many paradigm violations in the near and long term.