Nearly 20 years ago, the breakout book for the business community was “Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives” by futurist John Naisbitt.

Since then a myriad of titles have come out trying to identify the next big thing, which can change business, politics and society.

Mark J. Penn's “Microtrends” might be just another title in this pantheon of trend spotters, if it wasn't for the fact that instead of looking at the big picture - things that will create monumental shifts - he and his co-author, E. Kinne Zalesne, are looking at those trends that may just shift 1 percent of the population. While that may seem very small, one percent, in a world that is exploding population-wise, can make a big difference.

Penn, a pollster who has worked for both President Clinton and Senator Clinton, believes in the power of numbers. He contends that his book is about the “power of numbers and how they drive America and the world. Rarely are things what they seem on the surface, and non-quantitative, conventional wisdom is usually not wisdom at all. Hidden right in front of us are powerful counterintuitive trends that can be used to drive a new business, run a campaign, start a movement, or guide your investment strategy. Even though these trends are staring us in the face, we often don't really see them.”

In 70 short pieces he identifies trends that are changing the country and the world, within our homes, work places, houses of worship and economy as a whole.

For example, he examines one of the new trends - “DYI Doctors” - which stands for Do It Yourself - with the explosion of the Internet, and sites like WedMD - the growth in self diagnosis will have an impact on not only the medical community, but possibly taxpayers, as they have to deal with problems that come from self diagnosis.

While the immigration debate may be the defining issue by the time Campaign 2008 is over, it is about more than people who just cross the border. Issues such as the growth of Pentecostal immigration from Mexico. While traditional Roman Catholics still are the majority that come across, socially conservative Pentecostals, will impact the political landscape as well as the growth of native-language speakers (second-generation immigrants who don't choose to learn English, as has traditionally been the case), all will impact commerce and education.

From “Video Game Grown Ups” (the average age of a gamer is not 14, but 33) to “Pet Parents” (those who forgo children and invest in their pets in staggering amounts) - microtrends are what will radically change the way we do business and conduct our lives.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com