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BOOK REVIEW Flight Capital: The Alarming Exodus of America's Best and Brightest by David Heenan Davies-Black Publishing - October 2005 Read an Excerpt from this Book
Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty Let me say at the outset. This is not the sort of book I would normally buy at a bookstore or borrow from the library. In fact, I probably wouldn't even be shopping or browsing in the designated section which includes this book. Had this book not been sent to me for review, I wouldn't have known about it. And it would have been a sad occurrence indeed. I say that because this is a great book on a fascinating topic and I'm pleased that I was given the opportunity to read it. I learned a lot I didn't know about the phenomenon of globalization and also about a problem of which I was unaware: the flight of America's best and brightest to other countries around the world. David Heenan, the author of this important work, says it right up front: "Forget terrorism. Forget weapons of mass destruction. The next global war will be fought over human capital." And he methodically presents his case providing lots of information about the eight countries he surveys: Ireland, Iceland, India, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Israel, and Mexico. According to the author, who has experience in both business and academia and is a leading expert on globalization, the best and brightest in America are returning to their homelands in record numbers. More importantly, they are also taking America's technological expertise and economic preeminence with them. In this book he explores this exodus through the personal stories of dozens of successful, foreign-born professionals who are leaving America for opportunities in their native lands. Drawing on their experiences, Heenan analyzes the economic, cultural, and political factors that are driving this flight, as well as the initiatives that countries are using to attract top talent. The author clearly defines the current problem: "After centuries of importing brainpower, the United States is now a net exporter. In the past few years, nearly 200,000 foreign-born Americans -- many of them...highly talented techies -- have returned to their motherland every year. This reverse brain drain, or 'flight capital,' stimulated in part by lucrative government incentives, has spawned flourishing new scientific havens from South Asia to Scandinavia." There were two chapters in this book -- one about Iceland and the other about Singapore -- that I found particularly interesting, probably because I hadn't given much thought to their place in the arena of economic globalization and, furthermore, I really didn't know much about them and their place in the modern world. Regarding Iceland, that very, very cold "Land of Fire and Ice," Heenan says that "...miraculously, this subarctic island of 290,000, Western Europe's poorest nation a century ago, now ranks, per capita, among the world's seven richest countries." Frankly, I never would have guessed that. The last travelogue I saw about Iceland was about thirty or so years ago and nothing was mentioned about its rank in the global marketplace. (As I recall, most of the film seemed to be about the rowdiness of its teenage population!) Now I am told that Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, has become one of Europe's most cosmopolitan cities and the country itself is off and running in the world of biotechnology, genetic research, and other high-tech scientific enterprises. Then there is Singapore, an island about the size of Rhode Island. According to the author, this tiny nation has become "one of the world's great economic successes." I always pictured Singapore as sort of a backward spot on the Asian frontier which had too many rules and harsh punishments for breaking them, a country that I would probably never want to visit, much less take up residence in. Well -- surprise, surprise -- I will now have to reevaluate my assessment of this booming nation based on the information which Heenan presents in his book. Heenan makes a point of the fact that "Notorious for ... rigid controls, this never-naughty nation has recently loosened up." Good news for those of us who prefer a more relaxed behavioral atmosphere in which to conduct business and trade. And it seems to be paying off. Singapore has attracted scientists worldwide and wants to be home to more than a dozen world-class life-sciences companies within the next five years. The "brain-drain" problem is serious and needs to be addressed now. As Heenan says: "America cannot afford to equivocate. For centuries, our leaders have responded to similar challenges. Yet, history offers many examples of other great countries that came to catastrophic ends because of their unwillingness to respond to change. Nothing short of meeting this threat will safeguard America's talent base and shape the kind of society in which our children and their children will prosper. The time to act is now," and, furthermore, "America is in a state of transition, at the beginning of an economic and attitudinal revolution. Inevitably, this revolution means restoring the American Dream. For this to happen, all segments of society will have to pool their talents." The author suggests a dozen strategies for winning the talent war, including: know thy competition, adapt -- or die, spur immigration reform, dust off the welcome mat, target the best minds, celebrate science and technology, and, one of the most difficult, from my perspective, reform -- really reforming -- public education. I am afraid I am pessimistic about the last one mentioned. I have watched over 40 years of so-called "public school reform," and fail to see any substantial improvement in the public schools of our nation. (Please note that I spent over 17 years in the public school system as both teacher and administrator, so I know something about the problem of school "reform.") But one can always hope! If you are a current-events buff or news junkie, as I am, you will not be disappointed with this book. Heenan's prose is very readable and the work is obviously intended for general audiences, as well it should be since the problem affects all of us, not just those engaged in international commerce or business.
Order at Amazon.com Flight Capital: The Alarming Exodus of America's Best and Brightest, by David Heenan |
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Enrich your life with a book about politics and current events... Enrich your political & social life with a politics or news magazine... |
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