Book Review: The Age of Decay by Shamil Ismail

For some time I have looked for a book which would properly "game out" the future in a shrinking world. There are some terms that are stated frequently without elaboration -- such as "permanent recession." What would that look like? What problems would society face? And more importantly, how could we adapt? In many ways, The Age of Decay by Shamil Ismail the book I've been looking for. During the COVID-19 pandemic worker shortages and supply chain disruptions led to rising costs of labor and goods - effects we are still seeing today. Ismail suggests that this experience might provide insights into a future with prolonged population decline, particularly due to the loss of essential workers who are needed to perform these tasks. The author suggests that the critical statistics in society are not the birthrate itself but the (1) number of essential workers necessary to provide services and maintain infrastructure, (2) the proportion of the workforce that needs to be dedicated to these…