kiessig@fortune.UUCP (09/28/83)
Has anyone heard any details about Gerard O'Neill's new book? I understand it's going to hit the streets pretty soon. Rick
dietz%USC-CSE@USC-ECL.ARPA (02/28/84)
Gerard O'Neill's new book, "The Technology Edge: Opportunities for America in World Competition", is now available. O'Neill discusses America's problems in competing with the Japanese, and suggests six high technology areas that could lead to hundred billion dollar industries by the end of the century: microengineering (O'Neill's term for microelectronics), robotics, genetic engineering (O'Neill thinks this one won't grow too large), magnetic flight, general aviation (as opposed to airliners) and space industries (lunar resources for powersats). O'Neill also covers what America can do best (venture capitalism is uniquely American) and what US companies do poorly (managing production in relatively mature industries). The latter occurs for a number of reasons, among them being a shortage of engineers. These viewpoints are easy to understand: O'Neill himself has started a high-tech company with venture capital (Geostar), and the biggest stumbling block to his High Frontier/SSI program is the huge amount of engineering talent it will require (assuming powersats are competitive with other energy sources).