Future World

Humans are unique in our ability to understand time, able to comprehend the past and future like no other species. Yet modern-day technology and capitalism have supercharged our short-termist tendencies and trapped us in the present, at the mercy of reactive politics, quarterly business targets and 24-hour news cycles. It wasn't always so.

Steven A. Cook charts the course of the United States' encounter with the Middle East from the mid-twentieth century through the present day. Looking back, Cook makes a bold claim: the US was—despite setbacks and moral costs—successful. That record of achievement began to unravel in the early 1990s when policymakers embarked upon a set of overly ambitious policies to remake the Middle East. Cook highlights that calls to withdraw from the region are rash given the important interests the US maintains in the region.

Paul A. Pagnato has tapped into an incredible brain trust of world-renowned experts from a diverse set of challenging disciplines, each having encountered the intersection of exponential growth and transparency. Their honest assessment for turning challenges into opportunities is inspirational. Their work is changing the world, and now through the prism of transparency, the wave of the future is upon us.

David Rowan travels the globe in search of the most exciting and pioneering start-ups building the future. He’s got to know the founders of WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google, Spotify, Xiaomi, Didi, Nest, Twitter and countless other ambitious entrepreneurs disrupting businesses in almost every sector. And yet too often the companies they’re disrupting don’t get it. They think they can innovate through jargon: with talk of change agents and co-creation gurus, ideas portals and webinars, make-a-thons and hackfests, paradigm shifts and pilgrimages to Silicon Valley.

Since ancient times, the pundits have lamented young people's lack of historical knowledge and warned that ignorance of the past surely condemns humanity to repeating its mistakes. In the contemporary United States, this dire outlook drives a contentious debate about what key events, nations, and people are essential for history students. Sam Wineburg says that we are asking the wrong questions.

The story of the rise of modern navigation technology, from radio location to GPS—and the consequent decline of privacy. What does it mean to never get lost? You Are Here examines the rise of our technologically aided era of navigational omniscience—or how we came to know exactly where we are at all times. Filled with tales of scientists and astronauts, inventors and entrepreneurs, You Are Here tells the story of how humankind ingeniously solved one of its oldest and toughest problems—only to herald a new era in which it’s impossible to hide.

Human progress has been haphazard and inefficient, driven by chance and marred by wasteful use of resources, conflict, and suffering. Today, billions still live in poverty, and we face existential threats from global catastrophic risks such as climate change, nuclear war, AI mismanagement, and pandemics. The current global order lacks the coordination needed to tackle these threats effectively. This is not acceptable. Humanity's potential is immense, and it is far too soon for us to face our end without striving for more.

In the digital age of instant communication, handwriting is less necessary than ever before, and indeed fewer and fewer schoolchildren are being taught how to write in cursive. Signatures - far from John Hancock's elegant model - have become scrawls. In her recent and widely discussed and debated essays, Anne Trubek argues that the decline and even elimination of handwriting from daily life does not signal a decline in civilisation, but rather the next stage in the evolution of communication.

Imagine a robotic stuffed animal that can read and respond to a child's emotional state or a commercial that can change based on a customer's facial expression. Heart of the Machine explores the next giant step in the relationship between humans and technology: the ability of computers to recognize, respond to, and even replicate emotions. Computers have long been integral to our lives, and their advances continue at an exponential rate.

In China's Next Act, Scott M. Moore re-envisions China's role in the world, with a focus on sustainability and technology. Moore argues that these increasingly pressing, shared global challenges are reshaping China's economy and foreign policy, and consequently, cannot be tackled without China.

How can we, as parents, raise resilient, self-driven children who are truly prepared for a world that’s rapidly changing, when traditional schooling often prioritizes outdated facts and test scores over essential skills, character, and an entrepreneurial mindset? This book offers a hands-on, practical guide inspired by insights from technology, business, and psychology—equipping you with strategies that truly prepare kids for the future.

The book takes a different approach to digital disruption and its impact on business and society. It take the listener on a journey from the past, by looking at the earlier industrial revolutions and comparing and contrasting to the digital revolution. This also provides examples and experiences on how businesses, governments, and individuals can understand the digital disruption and take advantage of it.

Kentucky State Representative Charles Booker tells the improbable story of his journey from one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country to a political career forging new alliances among forgotten communities across the New South and beyond. “Charles Booker is a rising leader in our nation...

An “eye-opening” (Kirkus Reviews) and timely exploration of how our food—from where it’s grown to how we buy it—is in the midst of a transformation, showing how this is our chance to do better, for us, for our children, and for our planet, from a global expert on consumer behavior and...

"Being a good parent is a skill that is acquired over time, one that requires constantly adapting to the rapidly changing times. In today’s world, where academics, extra-curricular activities and distractions in the shape of numerous gadgets make heavy demands on children’s time, it...

The Arctic century is upon us. A great jockeying for power and influence has erupted among nations in the high north. At stake are trillions of dollars in profit or loss, US security, geopolitical influence and the fate of a fragile environment as well as the region's traditional people. As the ice melts and oil companies venture north, the polar regions may become the next Panama Canal, the next Arabian Peninsula-places on earth that remain relatively unknown in one century and become pivotal in the next.

What happens when two cultures collide? What happens when two species collide? How about two galaxies? Well, largely it’s one big freaking mess. But a whole lot of fun. Go with Baya on her quest to restore what was stolen. Along the way, she learns about strange people from an advanced planet called Earth. As she gets to know these new friends, she also faces fierce new enemies who will stop at nothing to end her quest.

The aliens are back. France is under siege. As the Martians prepare to attack Paris, roving bands of rogue soldiers pillage the country, taking whatever they please. The nightmare has returned. Christian was a child when he lost his family in the first Martian attack. Now, he wants nothing more than to avenge their deaths and punish the murderous aliens and traitors who work with them.

"A casually wondrous experience; it made me feel like the city was unfolding beneath my feet.” —Jia Tolentino, author of Trick Mirror In place-names lie stories. That’s the truth that animates this fascinating journey through the names of New York City’s streets and parks, boroughs...

In What Comes Next?, strategists and innovation experts Nick Skytland and Ali Llewellyn use the eight elements of their Futures Framework to teach us how to help shape the future, be visionary, and grow our businesses and ministries. This futures-thinking process is a proven solution for executives, entrepreneurs, pastors, and anyone in between who struggles to respond to an ever-changing world.