We are watching the beginnings of a global economic boom on scale never experienced before, according to the authors of this text. We have entered a period of sustained growth that could eventually double teh worl's economy every dozen years and bring increasing prosperity for billions of people. We are riding the early waves of a 40-year cycle of a greatly expanding economy that will do much to solve seemingly intractable problems like poverty and to ease tension throughout the world. And we will do it without blowing the lid off the environment.