*The Leading Indicators

bc the leading indicators

 

“The Leading Indicators,” is a modern day parable.  Gregg Easterbrook takes us a on roller coaster ride – a riches to rags to riches story where the central characters should be learning a few lessons along the way (and, of course, so are we).

Tom and Margo Helot are living the American Dream.  The Helots have it all the big house, the grade-perfect children and every modern gadget you can think of.  Tom is an idealist believing that hard work will give you a wonderful life and up to this point he’s right.  But, what would a parable be without some lessons.

The lessons begin when Tom’s employer defrauded the company and stole millions leaving the Helot family and the rest of the company’s employees without a dime.   So begins the breaking of Tom.  It’s slow at first, and you can still feel Tom’s ideals and principles intact.  But the chisel has started grinding down Tom’s beliefs with each passing job, and each passing event.  The cynicism beginning to show up:

               “Work and spend, that’s the valor of our era …If you get good grades then work hard and swallow your thoughts at the right times, when you push the button, money comes out.”

 During our roller coaster ride with the Helot family, Easterbrook gives just a peek into the worlds of a delivery service and  a city convention center.  The problems inherent with these companies continue to show the decline in the American dream for Tom, and chisel his last hopes away until he is utterly disillusioned.

I think this book is great for book clubs.  It will spark plenty of discussions and some may be heated because we all have our own beliefs.  Idealism works for some people who haven’t been challenged and for those that have (and to the extent they have) it doesn’t always hold up.  As George Carlin said: “Scratch any cynic and you will find a disappointed idealist.”

Enjoy!

Rating: 7.5

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