Numbing and mind-blowing in equal measure, Survival of the Richest is a true story that seems straight out of a science fiction tale..

Nothing that Rushkoff writes in this clipped, angry book should surprise most readers. Nobody who has spent any time tracking the pronouncements and feuds of the more futurist-minded tech elites would think many had a high opinion of or interest in improving the daily lot of carbon-based life forms. Though predictable and at times a bit too broadly defined, the depth of anti-humanist sentiment related by Rushkoff is still harrowing and illuminating.

The Insulation Equation is a provocative and illuminating concept, and Rushkoff devotes much of the book to tracing the manifestations and origins of a mind-set that seduces people into believing they can insulate themselves from harms they help create.

At this point we’re only a few pages into this book, and it seems as if there should be a wild ride ahead. Unfortunately, rather than studying the mad plans of the rich to survive the apocalypse, Rushkoff is far more interested in why they think one is coming, and how it informs everything they do, a view that trickles down to the rest of us. He calls this 'the Mindset'. The thing is, while the Mindset is interesting, it’s not nearly as interesting as the bonkers escape plans to which it leads.

Rushkoff inhabits a number of identities in the course of his book...His identities may have a way of proliferating, but his view in this book is unambiguously straightforward...Presumably his clients don’t read his books. (I was distracted at times by the thought that, despite the views expressed here, Rushkoff must be able to perform a remarkable degree of empathetic amiability in their presence).

What is surprising is how the book fails to live up to its fascinating subhead...Instead, we get the world according to Professor Douglas Rushkoff, primarily derived from two sources: his fertile brain as it engages with his laptop and brief encounters at the very economic elite/global tech conferences he repeatedly decries in the book. For a man concerned about the future of the world, he sure racks up the frequent flyer miles.

Rushkoff covers a lot of ground.

Rushkoff’s anecdotes and relatable voice will attract readers interested in technology and business, as well as those who want to know more about how wealthy tech magnates live..

... scathing.

... fascinating and distressing.