The course is divided into two sessions. The first is brief and deals with a discussion of what Aburdene calls the "New Economy of Consciousness." The second session discusses seven Magatrends she forecasts for the next decade. These trends focus on shifts toward spirituality both in our personal lives and our businesses; sustainable businesses; business organizations that lead from middle management, not CEOs; consumers who buy from values, not their pocketbooks; and socially responsible investing.

Though society is already seeing values-driven consumerism and investors looking at sustainable and socially responsible investors, the biggest change is being seen in the corporate world. This is probably partly a result of our nation being disillusioned and disappointed by the behavior of some of the leading businesses in our country. We no longer want to put our trust in one man who holds a tremendous amount of power. Changes within corporations to run them by committee and more employee input are occurring even now. Aburdene also sees training of managers to be headed more toward team building and self-mastery. She finds that often the road to those goals is through spiritual practices. She cites various companies that are making time for their employees to meditate, do yoga, pray, or do personal reflection on their abilities. Other companies are also engaging in drum circles, vision quests, and firewalking. These may seem highly unusual in a business setting, but companies like Xerox and Toyota are basing their bottom lines on how well these practices produce competent, happy, and productive employees.

I found this audio course very enlightening. However, I would recommend that it be used as a course, sitting down with a notebook and jotting notes. This isn’t something to listen to causally while weeding the garden. Aburdene’s material is ideal for corporate seminars and personal enrichment by managers. It also is just good information for consumers and investors to use to see where we are headed as a corporate nation.

Highly recommended.