Ray Dalio is the Co-Chief Investment Officer & Chairman of Bridgewater Associates, In making decisions, he has found history to be very instructive. This is a recurring theme that I write about often, as I view history as a key source of signals. I’ve included links that explore these signals below. In exploring possible futures, it is helpful to understand the patterns of history – and they really do rhyme. In the book The Fourth Turning, the authors describe what the cycles of history tells us about our next rendezvous with destiny. What intrigued me as a Futurist is the claim by the books authors that our past can indeed predict our future – it’s a compelling argument when viewed through the lens of these historical cycles.

We can now add a new book via Mr. Dalio that explores these cycles in the context of the big boom and bust cycles of history, the empires of the past, and the consistent rise and fall of each empire. The Changing World Order further solidifies the role that history plays in understanding the future. It serves as a warning sign, as the dynamics in play today are eerily similar to past periods of considerable turbulence. I encourage anyone in forward looking roles to look backwards – and leverage books like these as a key source of signals. I added the book to my library.

BOOK ABSTRACT

A few years ago, Ray Dalio noticed a confluence of political and economic conditions he hadn’t encountered before. They included huge debts and zero or near-zero interest rates that led to massive printing of money in the world’s three major reserve currencies; big political and social conflicts within countries, especially the US, due to the largest wealth, political, and values disparities in more than 100 years; and the rising of a world power (China) to challenge the existing world power (US) and the existing world order. The last time that this confluence occurred was between 1930 and 1945. This realization sent Dalio on a search for the repeating patterns and cause/effect relationships underlying all major changes in wealth and power over the last 500 years.

In this remarkable and timely addition to his Principles series, Dalio brings readers along for his study of the major empires—including the Dutch, the British, and the American—putting into perspective the “Big Cycle” that has driven the successes and failures of all the world’s major countries throughout history. He reveals the timeless and universal forces behind these shifts and uses them to look into the future, offering practical principles for positioning oneself for what’s ahead.

THE SEARCH FOR SIGNALS

Learning from History

RethinkX: Repeating The Patterns Of History

Considering The lessons Of History

Ten Lessons For A Post-Pandemic World

What Does 250 Years of Innovation History Say About Our Future?

Another Roaring Twenties?

What History Tells Us About Deglobalization