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  • The Signals Are Talking

  • Written by: Amy Webb
  • Narrated by: Tiffany Morgan
  • Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (6 ratings)

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The Signals Are Talking

Written by: Amy Webb
Narrated by: Tiffany Morgan
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Publisher's Summary

Axiom Business Book Award in Business Technology winner, 2017

Amy Webb is a noted futurist who combines curiosity, skepticism, colorful storytelling, and deeply reported, real-world analysis in this essential book for understanding the future. The Signals Are Talking reveals a systemic way of evaluating new ideas bubbling up on the horizon—distinguishing what is a real trend from the merely trendy.

This book helps us hear which signals are talking sense, and which are simply nonsense, so that we might know today what developments—especially those seemingly random ideas at the fringe as they converge and begin to move toward the mainstream—that have long-term consequence for tomorrow.

With the methodology developed in The Signals Are Talking, we learn how to think like a futurist and answer vitally important questions:

  • How will a technology—like artificial intelligence, machine learning, self-driving cars, biohacking, bots, and the Internet of Things—affect us personally?
  • How will it impact our businesses and workplaces? How will it eventually change the way we live, work, play, and think—and how should we prepare for it now?

Most importantly, Webb persuasively shows that the future isn't something that happens to us passively. Instead, she allows us to see ahead so that we may forecast what's to come—challenging us to create our own preferred futures.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Amy Webb (P)2018 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"The clear, insightful, and humorous Amy Webb has crafted a rare treasure: a substantive guide written in a narrative that's a delight to read. While most futurologists want guru status through a few Nostradamus-like visions that never materialize, Webb modestly reports with depth and discipline, and creates a system and tools we can all use to better navigate the future. Through her deep research, specific anecdotes and brilliant insights, she has performed the selfless but hugely valuable act of teaching us all to fish at the fringe." (Christopher J. Graves, Global Chair, Ogilvy Public Relations)

"Amy Webb, with insight and a big dose of pragmatism, shows how to clearly see the next big disruption and then take action before it strikes." (Ram Charan, advisor to CEOs and corporate boards, author of The Attackers Advantage and co-author of Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done)

"[The Signals Are Talking] provides several brain-bending future possibilities...Webb's stellar reputation in this red-hot field should generate demand." (Booklist)

"The best leaders will know how to listen for the future. Amy Webb's book tells you the signals to listen for-as well as the noise you should ignore. The signals are talking and leaders should listen." (Bob Johansen, Distinguished Fellow, Institute for the Future, author of Leaders Make the Future)

"Forecasting the future is a challenging - and absolutely necessary - part of every leader's job. In this ambitious and timely book Amy Webb shows not only how to identify actual trends and surprises emerging from the fringes but - even more important - how to do something about them so you can thrive in the face of the unexpected." (Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist)

What listeners say about The Signals Are Talking

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  • Chelsea
  • 2018-08-09

Good book, awful narrator

The content in this book could be interesting but it is hard to know for sure because the narration is so terrible. The narrator reads every sentence as though it is its own contained story - she has no comprehension of the greater point being made and seemingly little understanding of the subject matter. She emphasizes all the wrong parts of sentences word-by-word to the point where the meaning is confused and often altogether lost. Extremely frustrating. I will be returning this book.
Regarding content, there is interesting analysis of how fringe developments unexpectedly led to massive mainstream shifts. Things are a little weaker when she attempts to make predictions using current fringe developments but overall the content seems interesting when it can be comprehended from the scattershot narration.

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  • Steve
  • 2018-05-06

too political!

the book started out quite interesting! But Midway through the book the author decided to take this very political. She expressed strong political beliefs and by the end of the book was depending on comic book authors to support her theories! I would not buy it again.

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  • Lilu
  • 2019-05-09

AA Reliable & Straightforward Framework for Forecasting the Future

I came across Amy Webb while listening to TWIT. I was immediately struck by the rigor and structure of her commentary on a wide range of topics. Upon digging deeper, her writing revealed a playbook to draw upon for my own work.

For years I’ve been tinkering with and introducing new concepts for technology applications but at various times I struggled to bring along my audience. Amy’s framework shares similarities with other design thinking, BPI practices, and design of experiments. The magic for me is the straightforward approach and language she uses that is universally accessible and understandable by a wide audience, regardless of training, education, or experience.

I now have a complimentary set of tools to explore novel technologies at the fringe and a structured approach to communicate to a broad audience. Thank you Amy.

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  • Gexbert
  • 2018-12-05

Hard to listen to.

The premise of this book really appealed to me, but the narration is so robotic sounding that it makes it hard to follow the authors thought. Her reading of the topic lacked a natural rhythm and cadence to make the complex sentences understandable. I found myself trying to understand the last point while the next was being made. Frustrating.

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  • Samer Chidiac
  • 2018-08-21

Forecast the Future using signals and much more!

A detailed and comprehensive book and resource to look at the future from a Futurist point of view; with 6 steps that let you look and analyze the signals, ask the right questions and forecast the future using scenario planning and more; The book includes also analysis on some of the greatest trends and projects/companies from Google to UBER and how they played a role in shaping our future and more.

Amy Webb is well known for her exceptional way of scouting and making sense of the trends and presenting how this would / may affect our lives and work today and the future.

The Signals Are Talking is a book that a futurist, marketer, technologist, entrepreneur, or simply a curious psychologist needs to read.

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  • O. Buraimoh
  • 2020-08-25

Excellent book

Excellent book for anyone wishing to get to grips with the approach to preparing for the future. Extremely well written, engaging and comprehensive. In fact, so much so that I’m going to buy the Kindle version as well, to analyse the author’s ideas more closely.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2019-04-06

Muy buen libro

Una excelente síntesis de lo básico para entender como los bordes se pueden convertir en convención social y el impacto general de las tendencias en nuestras vidas. Un must para los prospectivistas y analistas de futuro

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  • Oscar Gonzales
  • 2018-12-02

Affirming and Enlightening

Love it! The information Amy Webb provided was such that I listened to the audio book for 4 hours straight. The narrator was fantastic! Her voice never fatigued me as a listener as have other narrators.

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  • Steve
  • 2018-06-29

Good stuff. Well put together.

Great material. Thought provoking and profound but the reading is a little monotonous at times.

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  • Dim
  • 2023-02-02

Hard to listen

This is the worst narration I met on Audible. I'm pretty sure it's a generated one and not human read. Aside from monotone speech, the pauses and intonation, narrator makes, seem impossible for a human. E.g. reading "movie genres" as it's two separate sentences.

On top of this the audio quality itself is not superb. The voice is very flat and there's a high pitched hissing noise around every word. It makes it even harder to listen in headphones but Ok for a car.

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