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  • The Precipice

  • Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity
  • Written by: Toby Ord
  • Narrated by: Toby Ord
  • Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (47 ratings)

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The Precipice

Written by: Toby Ord
Narrated by: Toby Ord
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Publisher's Summary

This urgent and eye-opening book makes the case that protecting humanity's future is the central challenge of our time.

If all goes well, human history is just beginning. Our species could survive for billions of years - enough time to end disease, poverty, and injustice, and to flourish in ways unimaginable today. But this vast future is at risk. With the advent of nuclear weapons, humanity entered a new age, where we face existential catastrophes - those from which we could never come back. Since then, these dangers have only multiplied, from climate change to engineered pathogens and artificial intelligence. If we do not act fast to reach a place of safety, it will soon be too late.

Drawing on over a decade of research, The Precipice explores the cutting-edge science behind the risks we face. It puts them in the context of the greater story of humanity: showing how ending these risks is among the most pressing moral issues of our time. And it points the way forward, to the actions and strategies that can safeguard humanity.

An Oxford philosopher committed to putting ideas into action, Toby Ord has advised the US National Intelligence Council, the UK Prime Minister's Office, and the World Bank on the biggest questions facing humanity. In The Precipice, he offers a startling reassessment of human history, the future we are failing to protect, and the steps we must take to ensure that our generation is not the last. 

©2020 Toby Ord (P)2020 Recorded Books

What listeners say about The Precipice

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Agree on the problem; solutions are terrible

I believe the author has done a decent job in capturing the essence of the tragedy of the commons and how we likely are already on or even already over the precipice, I just can't get over his pathetic deference to global governance as the solution to all our woes.

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Eye Opening

Really gives you a sense of how important it is for us to get our act together as a species and get over all of our preconceptions to build a better world for the future of humanity.

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Eye opening and beautifully written

An eye opening and beautifully written book that illuminates the genius and risks of being human. Highly recommend.

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  • Ian
  • 2020-08-13

Essential reading

A fantastic discussion and deep dive into risk and humanity. Inspiring, humbling. A must read for the modern era. The chapter on pandemics is...eerily accurate.

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Excellent assessment of humanity's greatest risks

The author does an excellent job explaining the major existential risks to humanity and offers solutions and actionable steps people can make at all levels of involvement.

We have a lot of power but we often lack the wisdom to use it well. I would go so far as to say that this should be mandatory reading for anyone involved in making decisions that impact humanity at large.

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  • Cristi
  • 2020-08-06

The 80000hours website is better

TLDR; First of all, it should've been 3 chapters instead of 14. Second, if you like statistics and probably this book is for you. If not, just read the 80000hours website because it has better resources and you can skip the boring parts.

My reasoning for giving it 4 stars:
The author has great advice and there is no dough about it. But let's take the example of climate change.
If you take a city that is in extreme poverty, how do you transform that city into a modern one without the downsides of a modem society... so without contributing to climate change in the process. All cities, big or small, struggle with this.
If you think about it, even making solar panels (green tech) contributes a little to climate change when making the components, etc.
There are many more topics besides climate change, so you can imagine whatever example you want, even AI misalignment if you like.
But with that example in mind, my point is... I get it! Things are bad and modern society is a "work in progress" mess to say the least. We can do better on all fronts.
So, I would've loved a book that talks about solutions and the 80000hours website has super awesome advice on that for free.

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  • Ben West
  • 2020-04-07

Good summary of long-term risks

Good overview and introduction to long-term risks facing humanity. It balances accurate summaries of the problem with optimistic and hopeful outlooks for the future, as well as things readers can do to improve the likelihood that the future is positive.

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  • IMuhammad
  • 2022-03-12

Not practical and too idealistic

I was expecting this book to discuss tangible solutions and ideas that can be grasped mentally. Instead, it was a whole lot of hopeless romantic ideas and plans based on "scientific" predictions for millions of years in the future. How can anyone take this book seriously if that is the approach the author chose to take? This type of conversation happens all the time. From middle school to 30 years old. Then you see the world as what it is and stop dreaming. This book actually made me lose hope in humanities ability to prevent extinction (caused by ourselves). With goals so unattainable, why would anyone try?

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  • Chérie
  • 2021-02-06

Future of hamanity

Such a wonderful thought provoking book, I am recommending it to everyone I know and don’t know - we as humans need to focus more on what actions mean for tomorrow. Toby Ord provides the science, history, and facts to steer us on a path to be better!

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  • Sahar
  • 2020-10-22

A necessary book/audio book

We need to know where we are heading in our 200,000 years journey. This book is the answer to our question regarding what would happen to humanity if we continue negligence in our affairs. Read it and pass it to your loved ones. Better to know and take action to save humanity. It’s a moral obligation to spread wisdom.

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  • Valeriie Lacy
  • 2023-03-13

too many assumptions

after just 5 chapters I couldn't get past the, "I expect" "I don't think" I think" "it seems to me" plethora of phrases. this author is writing to hear himself think, making too many assumptions from his personal perspective.

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  • The Bookie
  • 2021-09-24

Outstanding book on a critical topic

I'm not gonna lie... If you don't want to be disturbed, maybe even a little depressed, beware of this book. Its subject matter isn't exactly cheerful. And lets be honest, humanity is facing multiple potential existinction level threats, many of which are completely manmade, in the very near future. Other possible extinction threats are not driven by human action, though the risk may be mitigated with targeted and thoughtful action right now, before those threats can become imminent.

Regardless of the source of our possible demise, mankind is in the unique position to understand, to act, or to stick our heads in the proverbial sand and hope the Big Scary just goes away... Which is unlikely.

Toby Ord was at least prescient and cognizant enough of humanity's precarious position on the precipice of complete annihilation to analyze the statistical probability of each way we could feasibly kill ourselves off. I don't want to give it away, but let's just say his estimate of this probability in the next 100 years is astonishing... And dreadful.

So, you should read this book. If you have children or want to, read this book. If you merely care about mankind's future, read this book. Then take what you learn and put some effort towards preventing these contingencies. Please.

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  • Drew
  • 2020-08-31

Inspiring, important, and well written book

Exceptional book about an issue that has an excellent case for being the most important topic of our times. I can't recommend it highly enough.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2020-08-31

A Rare Find

This is one of those rare kinds of book that will shift your perspective on how you view the world, and hopefully, shift your behavior as well. A must read for those who believe there is great purpose to be found in our lives.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2020-08-21

Been waiting for this my whole life

Very good, realistic and hopeful. It was a great inspiration for me to actually do something about these big and very important problems.

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