Social forecasting, future studies Books
Taylor & Francis Ltd The Future of the City Centre
Book SynopsisThe Future of the City Centre: Global Perspectives debates future directions. It looks beyond the post-industrial, post-commercial, and post-retail city centres to examine differing visions of the future form and function of the urban core. This theme and the related sub-topics will assist the development of future city models and help to contextualise urban change.The in-depth research covers not only urban form and the re-use of the built heritage but also the provision for cultural events and different forms of entertainment that will offer vitality, together with visitors and responsible tourism. City authorities are starting to realise that structural changes are happening in city centres, as their influence is declining, and therefore new forms of governance will be needed. The book is based on an international research network hosting four symposia over 24 months. They took place in four cities in four different continents to encompass a world view of developed and developing countries. This book offers theoretical and practical perspectives from leading thinkers, academics, and practitioners, drawing on thematic issues explored across four international cities: Newcastle, UK; Newcastle, Australia; Pretoria-Tshwane, South Africa; and JoÃo Pessoa, Brazil. It draws on a wider set of global examples to reveal the shared issues and pressures being brought to bear on city centres and the diversity of responses being undertaken to ensure their long-term future.The book includes illustrations from cities around the world, and it is directed at academics, students, and professionals in architecture, planning, urban design, the built environment, geography, economics, sociology, and cultural studies.Table of ContentsIntroduction The City Centre: Its Future Role and Significance Managing City Centre Change Newcastle upon Tyne UK Newcastle NSW Australia Pretoria-Tshwane South Africa João Pessoa Brazil Image and Visions Public Realm Social Change Economic Competitiveness Multi-level Governance Mobility, Movement and Access Culture and Heritage Innovation and Higher Education Conclusions and Future Scenarios
£34.19
Random House USA Inc The Next Fifty Years
Book SynopsisA brilliant ensemble of the world’s most visionary scientists provides twenty-five original never-before-published essays about the advances in science and technology that we may see within our lifetimes.Theoretical physicist and bestselling author Paul Davies examines the likelihood that by the year 2050 we will be able to establish a continuing human presence on Mars. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi investigates the ramifications of engineering high-IQ, geneticially happy babies. Psychiatrist Nancy Etcoff explains current research into the creation of emotion-sensing jewelry that could gauge our moods and tell us when to take an anti-depressant pill. And evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins explores the probability that we will soon be able to obtain a genome printout that predicts our natural end for the same cost as a chest x-ray. (Will we want to read it? And will insurance companies and governments have access to it?) This fascinating and unprecedented boo
£13.60
Basic Books 100 Plus How the Coming Age of Longevity Will Change Everything From Careers and Relationships to Family and Faith
Book SynopsisHumanity is on the cusp of an exciting longevity revolution. The first person to live to 150 years has probably already been born. What will your life look like when you live to be over 100? Will the world become overpopulated? How will living longer affect your finances, your family life, and your views on religion and the afterlife? In 100 Plus , futurist Sonia Arrison brings together over a decade of experience researching and writing about cutting-edge advances in science and technology to paint a vivid picture of a future that only recently seemed like science fiction, but is now very real. The first book to give readers a comprehensive understanding of how life-extending discoveries will change our social and economic worlds, 100 Plus is an illuminating and indispensable text that will help us navigate the thrilling journey of life beyond 100 years.Trade ReviewNew Scientist "[B]rilliant... [T]he chapters devoted to advances in regenerative medicine and the search for interventions that slow ageing are exhilarating. Growing new limbs, copying internal organs like a Xerox machine, exponential increases in computing power, better eyes and ears--I could read stories like this endlessly. We need such vision to help carry the science forward, and some of the most exciting advances in the scientific study of ageing are forthcoming. Arrison paints a realistic picture of the science driving the next longevity revolution, and makes the case that, if we play our cards right, humanity will reap huge dividends for the effort. In that way, this book is the most comprehensive treatment of the socioeconomic consequences of life extension that I've seen... [T]he costs and benefits of life extension and, more importantly, health extension, are subjects in desperate need of open dialogue, and Arrison begins this process with elegance and style." Wall Street Journal "Ms. Arrison entertainingly chronicles efforts to conquer aging and death from antiquity to today. Food, sex, exercise and alchemy have all been employed to keep the grim reaper at bay. But technology offers the most plausible route, she says, noting that biology and computing are drawing ever closer together with the sequencing of the human genome... [Her] sunny outlook is infectious." Singularity Hub "Easy to read, and easy to understand, 100+ walks you through the incredible achievements in regenerative medicine we've already seen, projects them forward, and discusses the changes in environment, economy, family, and religion that will follow... Arrison states her case strongly enough to convince almost anyone, and in a style that will be as accessible to your techno-phobic Uncle Walter as it is to your computer loving self." Garry Kasparov "At a time when companies think only of quarterly results and politicians do not look beyond the next election, Sonia Arrison provides a fascinating look at the very long view. If mankind focuses its energy, there is no limit to our lives--or our lifespans." Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D.; chief science officer, SENS Foundation "Arrison has crafted an eminently readable and informative survey of the state of play in the crusade against humanity's oldest and greatest foe. By educating readers about both the science and the social context of the quest to postpone age-related ill-health, she has surely hastened the development of such therapies, and thereby saved many thousands of lives." Washington Independent Review of Books "The final chapter makes ... 100 Plus must reading for anyone who wants to have a voice." Singularity Weblog "The book is very well researched and deals with the most profound implications of life-extension and super-longevity... Despite its complex topic, advanced scientific matter and hefty goals, it manages to weave the narrative in a very accessible, easy to understand and deeply engaging way. At the same time, providing a number of illuminating, counter-intuitive conclusions that only a deep, unprejudiced and honest researcher can reach." Huffington Post "100 Plus lays out the lifespan conundrum in engaging detail... The book is chock full of stories featuring new medical and technological innovation." George Church, Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School "This much-needed book beautifully integrates the history and science (even genomics) of extending our healthy years. Arrison presents the latest of diverse data types in a very clear and engaging manner. I can hardly wait for a potential sequel--200 Plus, anyone?" Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist "Sonia Arrison's brilliant account of how and why we will all soon get the chance to live much longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives is thoroughly researched, persuasively argued, elegantly written and rationally uplifting. This is an important and lively book." Peter H. Diamandis, MD, Chairman/CEO, X PRIZE Foundation and Chairman/Co-Founder, Singularity University "Exponentially growing technologies such as biotech, artificial intelligence, and nanosciences are rapidly deciphering the source code for human beings. I have every expectation that this biological information will yield effective longevity strategies and therapies within the next few decades. Such fountains of youth will impact all aspects of our lives and our society. Arrison's book is a must read for anyone thinking about the future."
£23.84
John Wiley & Sons Inc The Fortune Sellers
Book SynopsisAn ambitious, intelligent, and very readable guide to understanding our present and our future. -Harry Beckwith, author of Selling the Invisible No one can foretell the future. Or can they? There are many who purport to-and they are making a fortune.Trade Review"All in all, The Fortune Sellers is a very interesting and valuable book - well-written, well-documented, with an abundance of graphical illustrations and an extensive bibliography for those who wish to pursue the subject further."--Knight-Ridder News ServiceTable of ContentsThe Second Oldest Profession. When Chaos Rains. The Dismal Scientists. The Market Gurus. Checking the "Unchecked Population". Science Fact and Fiction. The Futurists. Corporate Chaos. The Certainty of Living in an Uncertain World. Notes. Bibliography. Index.
£26.99
John Wiley & Sons Inc Challenging Reality In Search of the Future
Book SynopsisOffering a probing look into how modern technologies will affect the future of organizations, this book compares recent technology advances with growth spurts from the past and charts how organizations will be redefined in light of todaya s advances and other changes on the horizon.Table of ContentsAn Archaeology of Wonder. The Age of Invention. Creativity and Decay. Tools that Talked. Willing Cogs in the Machine? Totally Free to Fly and Totally Free to Fall. Escapes from the Here and Now. Cyberia: First Steps. Shared Nightmares, Shared Dreams. Within these Walls. The Rise and Demise of Nations. Out Island Earth. Tools of the Overlord. Monoliths of Stone. Of Networks and Cocoons. The Future Mindset. Epilogue. Further Reading. References and Notes to All Chapters. Index.
£49.50
University of California Press The Coming Famine
Book SynopsisLays out a picture of impending planetary crisis - a global food shortage that threatens to hit by mid-century - that would dwarf any in our previous experience. This book describes a dangerous confluence of shortages - of water, land, energy, technology, and knowledge - combined with the increased demand created by population and economic growth.Trade Review"The sheer number of terrifying facts make the book gripping." -- Mark Bittman New York Times Book Review "All of us interested in a sustainable food system should read this book and become part of the conversation to determine how we can best redesign the global food system to meet the challenges ahead." Audubon Magazine "Makes clear just how intertwined global warming is with food security." Chronicle Of Higher Education "Cribb ... advocates making much better use of our brains and investing much more in improving both small and large-scale agriculture." -- Stephen Booth Law Society Journal "Presents a smart and compelling description of the challenges our children will likely face as the world's growing population and our shrinking resources collide. " National Catholic ReporterTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface 1 What Food Crisis? 2 Food ... or War? 3 The Well Runs Dry 4 Peak Land 5 Nutrients--The New Oil 6 Troubled Waters 7 Losing Our Brains 8 Eating Oil 9 The Climate Hammer 10 Elephants in the Kitchen 11 A Fair Deal for Farmers 12 Food in the Future List of Conversions Notes Index
£21.25
University of California Press Meat Planet
Book SynopsisIn 2013, a Dutch scientist unveiled the world's first laboratory-created hamburger. Since then,the idea of producing meat, not from live animals but from carefully cultured tissues, has spread like wildfire through the media. Meanwhile,cultured meat researchers race against population growth and climate change in an effort to make sustainable protein.Meat Planet explores the quest to generate meat in the laba substance sometimes called cultured meatand asks what it means to imagine that this is the future of food. Neither an advocate nor a critic of cultured meat, Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft spentfive years researching the phenomenon. InMeat Planet, hereveals how debates about lab-grown meat reach beyond debates about food, examining the links between appetite, growth, and capitalism. Could satiating the growing appetite for meat actually lead to our undoing? Are we simply using one technology to undo the damage caused by another? Like all problems in our food system, the meat problem is not merely a problem of production. It is intrinsically social and political, and it demands that we examine questions of justice and desirable modes of living in a shared and finite world. Benjamin Wurgaft tells a story that could utterly transform the way we think of animals, the way we relate to farmland, the way we use water, and the way we think about population and our fragile ecosystem's capacity to sustain life. He argues that even if cultured meat does not succeed, it functionsmuch like science fictionas a crucial mirror that we can hold up to our contemporary fleshy dysfunctions. Trade Review “A balm for those weary of the lab meat bluster—people tired of the endless promises, and done waiting for the better days ahead.” * New Food Economy *“Historian Benjamin Wurgaft explores [the] 'small, strange world' [of lab-grown meat] in a thoughtful study mixing science reportage with philosophical meditations." * Nature *Chosen as one of the “Big Indie Books of Fall 2019." * Publishers Weekly *"A thoughtful examination of the technological, ethical, and cultural issues swirling around the development of artificial flesh. It’s a quick-witted, journalistic survey of lab-cultured meat—how it’s made, financed, and branded. Overlaying this complex brew are nuanced ruminations about the future of food and problems with industrialized agriculture, like the spread of zoonotic disease, environmental damage, and antibiotic resistance. . . . Dense but never dry, abstract questions and large ideas are interspersed with lively and fascinating conversations with rabbis about whether artificial meat is kosher and with tissue engineers about the possibilities of replacing organs in humans and leather in fashions. Rarified subcultures of venture capitalism and futurism are also penetrated.” * Foreword *“Wurgaft’s investigation into cellular-grown meat’s various industrial and cultural issues should stand as an essential introduction to the subject.” * Publishers Weekly *"A fascinating, thought provoking book." * New York Journal of Books *“An engrossing read for anyone curious about the future of our planet’s food.” -- Jamie Drummond * Good Food Revolution *“Erudite, eloquent, and funny, Wurgaft makes an excellent guide. He leads the reader through focus groups, art installations, panel discussions, and even the odd laboratory. Wurgaft embarks on fascinating explorations of the powerful hold that notions of the ‘real’ and the ‘natural’ have on the cultured meat movement.” * Public Books *"Jung makes a powerful intervention into the historiography of anti-Asian racism, which is often located within stories of white nativist anger and Asian victimhood of legal and extralegal violence." * Public Books *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1 • Cyberspace/Meatspace 2 • Meat 3 • Promise 4 • Fog 5 • Doubt 6 • Hope 7 • Tree 8 • Future 9 • Prometheus 10 • Memento 11 • Copy 12 • Philosophers 13 • Maastricht 14 • Kosher 15 • Whale 16 • Cannibals 17 • Gathering/Parting 18 • Epimetheus Notes Selected Bibliography Index
£21.60
University of California Press Meat Planet Artificial Flesh and the Future of
Book SynopsisIn 2013, a Dutch scientist unveiled the world's first laboratory-created hamburger. Since then,the idea of producing meat, not from live animals but from carefully cultured tissues, has spread like wildfire through the media. Meanwhile,cultured meat researchers race against population growth and climate change in an effort to make sustainable protein.Meat Planet explores the quest to generate meat in the laba substance sometimes called cultured meatand asks what it means to imagine that this is the future of food. Neither an advocate nor a critic of cultured meat, Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft spentfive years researching the phenomenon. InMeat Planet, hereveals how debates about lab-grown meat reach beyond debates about food, examining the links between appetite, growth, and capitalism. Could satiating the growing appetite for meat actually lead to our undoing? Are we simply using one technology to undo the damage caused by another? Like all problems in our food system, the meat problem is not merely a problem of production. It is intrinsically social and political, and it demands that we examine questions of justice and desirable modes of living in a shared and finite world. Benjamin Wurgaft tells a story that could utterly transform the way we think of animals, the way we relate to farmland, the way we use water, and the way we think about population and our fragile ecosystem's capacity to sustain life. He argues that even if cultured meat does not succeed, it functionsmuch like science fictionas a crucial mirror that we can hold up to our contemporary fleshy dysfunctions.
£18.90
Penguin Putnam Inc This Could Be Our Future
Book SynopsisA vision for building a society that looks beyond money and toward maximizing the values that make life worth living, from the cofounder of Kickstarter.Western society is trapped by three assumptions: 1) That the point of life is to maximize your self-interest and wealth, 2) That we''re individuals trapped in an adversarial world, and 3) That this is natural and inevitable. These ideas separate us, keep us powerless, and limit our imagination for the future. It''s time we replace them with something new.This Could Be Our Future is about how we got here, and how we change course. While the pursuit of wealth has produced innovation and prosperity, it also established an implicit belief that the right choice in every decision is whichever option makes the most money. The answer isn''t to get rid of money; it''s to expand our concept of value. By assigning rational value to other values besides money--things like community, purpose, and sustainability--we can refocus our energies to build a society that''s generous, fair, and ready for the future. By recalibrating our definition of value, a world of scarcity can become a world of abundance.Hopeful but firmly grounded, full of concrete solutions and bursting with creativity, This Could Be Our Future brilliantly dissects the world we live in and shows us a road map to the world we are capable of making.
£14.45
Diversified Publishing The Singularity Is Nearer
Book Synopsis
£22.05
Penguin Putnam Inc End Times
Book Synopsis
£22.40
Princeton University Press Dreams of a Lifetime
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Mary Douglas Prize, Culture Section of the American Sociological Association""Dreams of a Lifetime belongs to a particular shelf, one that holds those books that utilize sociology seriously to best capture the pulse of the United States at a particular juncture in time. In this tradition, one can find treatises about loneliness (Riesman, Slater), disconnection (Putnam, Sennett), how people think and feel (Bellah et al.), the life of those on the lower ladders of this society (Sennett and Cobb, Liebow, and more recently Desmond as well as Horschild). A lot has changed since some of these books were published. . . but the impetus remains the same: to explain to ourselves who we are at a particular juncture in time, in a jargon free, yet sociologically informed way."---Claudio E. Benzecry, Sociological Forum
£19.80
Manchester University Press Destination europe
Book SynopsisDestination Europe interprets and interrelates the major political, economic and security developments in Europe--including transatlantic relations--from the end of World War II up until the present time, and looks ahead to how the continent may evolve politically in the future. -- .
£15.99
Lexington Books After the Last Man
Book SynopsisIn this unique, enlightening monograph, Toivo Koivukoski explores the circumstances that have led modern society to use the concept of progress as a surrogate cosmology that gives individuals a sense of place and purpose. By linking various historical paradigms from German Idealist philosophy to contemporary philosophies of technology, this work of political theory describes an alternative, immanent pattern of development that is, in a sense, driven by its own unintended consequences. The meditations outlined within this book map out the hypertext pathways of our global system, making its constitutive relations and underlying thought processes transparent. Koivukoski mirrors the new hyper-realities of electronic communications technologies by structuring the text in compact subchapters that are linked through an index of subjects that allows readers to find their own philosophy by jumping to areas of interest. If, as he argues, history understood in a linear, lockstep fashion is overTrade ReviewRecommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, and professionals. -- W. K. Bauchspies, associate professor, sociology of science, Georgia Institute of Technology * CHOICE, April 2009 *The author is at his best in examining the postmodern world's many facets. -- Tobias Lanz * Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture, June 2009 *This book is both profound and important. The text is a self-generating dance of relations, a shimmering reflection of its subject: our technology and ourselves. Its greatest strength is clear-eyed courage and clear expression. The result is an array of brilliant insights that often take the reader by surprise, forcing him to turn around, catch his breath, and think. -- Tom Darby, Carleton UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1 Table of Subjects Chapter 2 By Way of an Introduction Chapter 3 Overview Chapter 4 Section 1: Thinking Technology to its Ends Chapter 5 Section 2: From a Post-Historical Worldview Chapter 6 Section 3: Experiments in Post-Humanism Chapter 7 Section 4: Technological Imperium and its Limits
£79.20
Lexington Books The Essential Herman Kahn
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHerman Kahn’s seminal thinking, extracted in this smart volume, is timeless. From thinking about nuclear war to anticipating the complaints about capitalism and forecasting the future, Kahn offers relevant ideas for today’s challenges of terrorism, financial meltdown, and global warming. An indispensible read or re-read! -- Henry R. Nau, The George Washington UniversityBroken into four parts, The Essential Herman Kahn reflects his wide range of interests: from nuclear strategy to prospects for economic growth, from the state of Western culture to methodologies for forecasting. Kahn, as one might suggest, would be no easy man to condense; but Aligica and Weinstein have done a remarkably good job of it. * The Weekly Standard, September 7, 2009 *An excellent selection of the works of one of the most original and influential thinkers of our time. -- Mark Blitz, Claremont McKenna CollegeTable of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Part 2 Section 1. Thinking About the Unthinkable: Scenarios, Grand Strategy, and Thermonuclear War Chapter 3 In Defense of Thinking Chapter 4 Twelve Nonissues and Twelve Almost Nonissues Chapter 5 The Revolution in Warfare: Continuities and Discontinuities Chapter 6 On Escalation Chapter 7 Seizing the Moral, Political, and Strategic High Ground Part 8 Section 2. A World Turning Point: Economic Growth, Cultural Change, and the Long View Chapter 9 The Big Picture—And Some Details: Watersheds of History Chapter 10 Viewing Growth in Context Chapter 11 Four Characteristic Views of Two Basic Images of the Earth-Centered Perspective Chapter 12 Some Current Cultural Contradictions of Economic Growth: The New Emphases Chapter 13 Economic Development: Economic and Cultural Parameters Chapter 14 The Alienated-Affluent Society Part 15 Section 3. The Challenge of the Future: Futurology, Methodology, and Policy Research Chapter 16 The Objectives of Future-Oriented Policy Research Chapter 17 The Agnostic Use of Information and Concepts Chapter 18 Forecasting the Future. History Happens in Straight Lines and Curves Chapter 19 A Methodological Framework: The Alternative World Futures Approach Chapter 20 The Method of Classes of Variables Chapter 21 Ways to Go Wrong Chapter 22 Technological Innovation: Mistakes of Omission and Commission Part 23 Section 4. The Task Ahead: Observations, Recommendations, and Parting Polemics Chapter 24 The Normative Perspective and the Ideology of Tomorrow Chapter 25 Transitional Problems Chapter 26 The Expert and Educated Incapacity Chapter 27 Current Western Cultural Trends Chapter 28 Futurology and the Future of Economic Development Chapter 29 The Task Ahead 30 Herman Kahn. A Bio-Bibliographical Note
£91.80
Rlpg/Galleys Immortal Passage
Book SynopsisImmortal Passage: Philosophical Speculations on Posthuman Evolution is Asher Seidel''s speculative account of posthuman evolution. Seidel begins with the transitional period in which humans begin to live for significantly extended periods, then moves to the closer future in which, having transitioned, the now posthumans enjoy enhanced cognitive and creative powers. Finally, Seidel enters the distant future, where our descendants might possess abilities beyond the limits of what is presently conceivable. Seidel''s speculations engage various philosophical problems. Seidel seeks an ethical theory that co-develops with a deeper scientific understanding of ourselves. He also examines the metaphysical and epistemological presuppositions of his recommendation for human to posthuman transitioning, including mind-body dualism vigorous enough to allow for full-bodied consciousness, but insufficient for freewill; perceptual direct realism; and self-identity. As the speculations reach further Trade ReviewSeidel's open and humble, yet reflective and disciplined, style should be emulated by all of us. Immortal Passage: Philosophical Speculations on Posthuman Evolution is a must read for philosophers and laypersons alike. -- Charles Tandy, Fooyin University, TaiwanTable of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Chapter One. The Future of Ethics Chapter 3 Chapter Two. Minds and Related Matters Chapter 4 Chapter Three. On Transition Chapter 5 Chapter Four. The Colors of Life Chapter 6 Chapter Five. The Far Future Chapter 7 Chapter Six. At the Limits of the Conceivable Chapter 8 Chapter Seven. Loose Ends and Final Thoughts
£78.30
Rlpg/Galleys EcoNihilism
Book SynopsisIf we were to ask what is the root cause of our current and unprecedented environmental crisis, climate change, many, particularly on the progressive Left, would refer to the excesses of capitalismand they'd be right. In Eco-Nihilism: The Philosophical Geopolitics of the Climate Change Apocalypse, Wendy Lynne Lee demonstrates that there are no versions of conquest capital compatible with the fact of a finite planet and that a logic whose operating premise is growth is destined to not only exhaust our planetary resources, but also generate profound social injustice and geopolitical violence in its pursuit. Nonetheless, it is clear that the violence and injustice of capital is selectivesome benefit greatly while others are subjugated to its pathological drive to profit. Hence, Lee argues that any comprehensive analysis of what Jason Moore has dubbed the Capitalocene must include an equally probing account of human chauvinism, that is, the axes along which capital is supplied with resourcTable of ContentsPreface: The Planet Doesn’t Need Human Beings; Human Beings Need the Planet Chapter 1: Ecological Apocalypse, The Pathologies of Capital, Human Chauvinism—And the Improbable Desirable Future Chapter 2: Human Chauvinism, The Geopolitics of Climate Change, And the Pop-Cultural Ecocentric Solution Chapter 3: The Nihilistic Rhetoric of Climate Change Denial, Neoliberal Anxieties, and The Death of Science—Seven Takes Chapter 4: Globalization in the Circulatory System of Capital and the Death of the Nation State, The Fully Capitalized Planet, Five Takes Chapter 5: Salvation Capitalism: Steady State Sustainability, Techno-Utopia, and Planetary Metastasis—Six Takes Chapter 6: The Reclamation of Human-Centeredness and an Eco-Feminist Systems Approach to the Desirable Future
£117.90
John Wiley and Sons Ltd After the Car
Book SynopsisLooks at changes in technology, policy, economy and society, and makes an argument for a future where, by necessity, the car system will be re-designed and re-engineered. This book suggests that there are some hugely bleak dilemmas facing the twenty first century. It lays out what the authors' consider to be possible 'post-car' future scenarios.Trade Review"Dennis and Urry show us how to do social science: how to move effortlessly between the macro and the micro,how to integrate problem spaces we once thought incommensurate, how to understand how we got to where we are and where we might be going."Journal of Sociology "Dennis and Urry exhibit a refreshing understanding of the sheer inefficiency and inconvenience of cars."Lynsey Hanley, The Guardian "One great aspect of this book is that it manages to build some possible and realistic view of the future without neglecting its unpredictability. After the Car is a very inspiring book that we would recommend to all people interested in the future of transportation systems – especially those convinced by the importance of carfree perspectives in building it."Carbusters "One of the toughest things to do is to anticipate discontinuity, to envisage a world - a life - beyond the car. The authors practice this art of the impossible in a fascinating way, opening up the social and sociological imagination for alternative paths of modernization."Ulrich Beck, University of Munich "A persuasive and readable summary of why motoring as we know it is doomed. The authors systematically chart the new technologies, oil shortages, environmental and other pressures changing the way we travel and the world we live in. If you want to know what the future might look like, this book is for you. Jeremy Clarkson is an endangered species!"Steven Joseph, Executive Director, Campaign for Better Transport "After the Car is a useful contribution to the debate about the role of the car which poses some interesting questions about its future."Tony Bosworth, Friends of the EarthTable of ContentsPreface vi 1 Changing Climates 1 2 The Century of the Car 27 3 Systems 47 4 Technologies 62 5 Organizations 93 6 Models 109 7 Scenarios 131 Notes 165 Index 203
£45.00
John Wiley and Sons Ltd After the Car
Book SynopsisLooks at changes in technology, policy, economy and society, and makes an argument for a future where, by necessity, the car system will be re-designed and re-engineered. This book suggests that there are some hugely bleak dilemmas facing the twenty first century. It lays out what the authors' consider to be possible 'post-car' future scenarios.Trade Review"Dennis and Urry show us how to do social science: how to move effortlessly between the macro and the micro,how to integrate problem spaces we once thought incommensurate, how to understand how we got to where we are and where we might be going."Journal of Sociology "Dennis and Urry exhibit a refreshing understanding of the sheer inefficiency and inconvenience of cars."Lynsey Hanley, The Guardian "One great aspect of this book is that it manages to build some possible and realistic view of the future without neglecting its unpredictability. After the Car is a very inspiring book that we would recommend to all people interested in the future of transportation systems – especially those convinced by the importance of carfree perspectives in building it."Carbusters "One of the toughest things to do is to anticipate discontinuity, to envisage a world - a life - beyond the car. The authors practice this art of the impossible in a fascinating way, opening up the social and sociological imagination for alternative paths of modernization."Ulrich Beck, University of Munich "A persuasive and readable summary of why motoring as we know it is doomed. The authors systematically chart the new technologies, oil shortages, environmental and other pressures changing the way we travel and the world we live in. If you want to know what the future might look like, this book is for you. Jeremy Clarkson is an endangered species!"Steven Joseph, Executive Director, Campaign for Better Transport "After the Car is a useful contribution to the debate about the role of the car which poses some interesting questions about its future."Tony Bosworth, Friends of the EarthTable of ContentsPreface vi 1 Changing Climates 1 2 The Century of the Car 27 3 Systems 47 4 Technologies 62 5 Organizations 93 6 Models 109 7 Scenarios 131 Notes 165 Index 203
£16.14
John Wiley and Sons Ltd What is the Future
Book SynopsisThinking about the future is essential for almost all organizations and societies. States, corporations, universities, cities, NGOs and individuals believe they cannot miss the future.Table of Contents Contents Preface 1. Introduction: The Future Has Arrived Part 1 - A Brief History of the Future 2. Past Futures 3. New Catastrophic Futures Part 2 - Complex Systems and the Future 4. Time and Complex Systems 5. Innovating Futures 6. Methods for Making Futures Part 3 - Future Scenarios 7. Manufacturing Future Worlds 8. Cities on the Move 9. Climates 10. Conclusion: The Future of Futures References Index
£17.09
The History Press Ltd Dwellbeing
Book SynopsisWe may have fallen out of love with our city homes, but cities are still going to be essential dwelling places for a growing population. International sustainability and wellbeing advocate, Claire Bradbury explores what we need to do to fall back in love with the city, and find our city homes again.Trade Review‘Bradbury offers a timely reminder of why it is vitally important that we fall back in love with our cities, as habitats and hubs for the regenerative future we must create, for if we don’t create that in cities, we won’t create it at all.’ -- Tony Juniper CBE‘Dwellbeing comes to us at the most critical of times. Bradbury gracefully articulates the very desperate need for “conscious living” vs the seemingly unconscious current human condition. Bradbury’s wisdom, research and deep emotional intelligence help us realize what is at stake. Her plea for us to use our voices in shaping our urban future is an alarming and vital call to action. An essential read before it’s too late.’ -- Deborah Calmeyer‘Reminds us of the humanity that underpins our daily lives as urbanites.’ -- Leo Johnson
£17.00
The History Press Ltd Friday is the New Saturday
Book SynopsisA groundbreaking book on how and why the status quo of the 5-day week must changeTrade ReviewFingers crossed that this book will shake up the five-day working week. -- Sir Christopher Pissorides[This] book should be on the bookshelves of every socially curious reader. -- Pietro GaribaldiRooting his arguments in the writings of the greatest economists is a brilliant … device: not only does it confer the seal of scholarship to Gomes’ work, but it also shows that one does not need to be a leftist to see the economic case for the four-day working week. -- Francesco CaselliIn the 20th century, the five-day working week replaced the six-day week … Pedro Gomes’ book provides considerable food for thought about moving to the next stage. -- Rachel Ngai
£16.14
The History Press Ltd The Great Melt
Book SynopsisThe fate of the world’s coasts rests on a knife edge as global warming melts ice sheets and glaciers from the Alps to the Andes. The choices we make now will determine whether oceans rise by a coast-swamping one metre by 2100 or whether we can save our coastal communities.
£18.00
The History Press Ltd The Ocean in a Drop
Book SynopsisA roadmap for humanity to create the next era of civilisation.
£17.00
University Press of America Changing Society
Book SynopsisChanging Society: A Social and Spiritual Vision for the Year 2020 and Beyond addresses the five traditional social institutions (marriage and family, religion, education, politics, and economics) as well as other important social institutions (health care, race, ethnicity, and technology). The editor and contributors provide keen social insights as they consider the current dynamics as well as the historical and future issues of each of these social institutions. This book is unique in that each of the writers approaches their topic from vast professional expertise and from great spiritual awareness (that is, such things as values, essence, meaning, and purpose). With the intention of focus and clarity and by projecting into the year 2020, one can appreciate how Vision 2020 as part of the book''s title captures a double entendre.Trade ReviewThis is an impressive, wide-ranging, and encyclopedic work addressing significant areas of the human experience and changes that we are likely to experience, for good or for ill, in the decades ahead. This book is for futurists, but also for the average reader and inquirer who wonders what's in store for us down the road. -- Raymond J. Lawrence, D.Min., Episcopal minister, psychotherapist, author, and general secretary for the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy, NeAs the year 2020 is fast approaching, it is beneficial to have a thoughtful visionary guide to a rapidly changing societal landscape with all the surprises and shock it implies...Having a handle on discerned trends may yet allow us, as well as hopefully spur us, to gain a degree of essential impact on critical themes and fateful developments that are bound to affect our total well-being nationally and globally. -- Israel Zoberman, D.Min., Rabbi, Congregation Beth Chaverim, Virginia Beach, VirginiaThe chapter on healthcare by Dr. Menz is a thought-provoking sojourn into the past, present, and future states of our current healthcare system....it touches on many pressing issues, addressing them from views the current medical establishment might not always consider. His thoughts and ideas are heavily supported by references throughout the piece. Overall, it is very interesting reading. -- James K. Frost, M.D., physician, Signature Health and Wellness, Bluffton, South CarolinaChanging Society reveals some of the real complexities we face in the twenty first century. Readers will be forced to reflect on some of the more contemporary issues, such as marriage, health care, education, race, religion, and politics as these issues affect our lives. -- Senator Tom Roberts, Ohio State Senator, Columbus, OhioTable of ContentsPart 1 Part One—The Social Institutions Part 2 Chapter 1—What is a Family? Part 3 Chapter 2—Religion Part 4 Chapter 3—Education Part 5 Chapter 4—Politics Part 6 Chapter 5—Economics Part 7 Part Two—Other Social Institutions Part 8 Chapter 6—Health Care Part 9 Chapter 7—Race and Ethnicity Part 10 Chapter 8—Technology
£37.80
John Wiley & Sons Liberating Temporariness
Book SynopsisAn in-depth and wide-ranging critique and analysis of the rising tide of temporariness in political and social life.Trade Review"Liberating Temporariness? is a high valuable and original intervention in the field of migration studies, with important resonances for a number of other research fields." Sandro Mezzadra, Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Bologna
£27.90
University of British Columbia Press Shaping the Future on Haida Gwaii
Book SynopsisCountering colonial ideas about Indigenous peoples being frozen in time and without a future, this provocative book explores the ways in which members of the Haida Nation are shaping myriad possible futures to address the dilemmas that come with life under settler colonialism.Trade Review[Shaping the Future] is a thought-provoking read, offering many important table-turning insights relevant to reconciliation and understanding any society’s resiliency through times of economic, political, and environmental uncertainties. -- Gillian Crowther * Canadian Journal of Native Studies *Weiss’s respect and relationships with the residents of Gaw and his commitment to ethical, reciprocal, and meaningful research comes through in this intriguing book. -- Molly Clarkson, Haida Gwaii resident * The Ormsby Review *Table of ContentsPart 1: Pasts and Futures1 An Introduction to Haida Future-Making in Old Massett2 The Everyday Temporalities of Life on Haida GwaiiPart 2: Home3 Coming Home to Haida Gwaii: Haida Departures and Returns in the Future Perfect4 Of Hippies and Haida: Fantasy, Future-Making, and the Allure of Haida GwaiiPart 3: Care5 Leading “from the Bottom of the Pole”: Care and Governance in the Haida World6 Precarious Authority: Endangerment and the Political Promise to Protect Haida GwaiiConclusion: Unsettling FuturesNotes; References; Index
£25.19
Johns Hopkins University Press Yesterdays Tomorrows Past Visions of the
Book SynopsisFrom Jules Verne to the Jetsons, from a 500-passenger flying wing to an anti-aircraft flying buzz-saw, the vision of the future as seen through the eyes of the past demonstrates the play of the American imagination on the canvas of the future.Trade ReviewWhether it involves gleaming mega-cities, scudding unflawed skies or the inane advertising smile of a man who just loves his personal flying machine, watching Americans look forward is to look back. It is to look at ourselves in our most brilliant and boneheaded moments. Which is great fun. Here, moreover, the fun is enhanced by a cheerful... text and-the real glory-a wonderful abundance of visual material drawn from a Smithsonian traveling exhibit. Boston Globe Many books might be commended as entertaining, instructive, or even fascinating. Yesterday's Tomorrows deserves each of these adjectives... The reader is taken through a gallery populated with forgotten industrial prototypes, architectural models, toy ray guns, flying cavalrymen on 'helihorses,' science fiction props from Hollywood and, or course, all sorts of projects and renderings concerning transportation. Road and TrackTable of ContentsForewordPrefaceChapter 1. Finding the FutureChapter 2. The Community of TomorrowChapter 3. The Home of TomorrowChapter 4. The Transportation of TomorrowChapter 5. The Weapons and Warfare of TomorrowEpilogue Catalogue ListSuggested ReadingIndex
£31.50
Rutgers University Press After Capitalism Horizons of Finance Culture and
Book SynopsisBrings together leading scholars to offer competing perspectives on capitalism's past incarnations, present conditions, and possible futures. Some contributors reassess classic theorizations of capitalism in light of recent trends. Others examine Marx's writings, unemployment, hoarding, capitalist realism, and coyote (trickster) capitalism, among many other topics.Trade Review"Imagination and passion fuel these essays, which confront the worst of capitalism’s violence and the terrors of capitalism’s aftermath. A timely and well-edited collection, After Capitalism begins a crucial conversation among political economics, representation and imaging, and geopolitical mapping." -- Amy Villarejo * Cornell University *"After Capitalism powerfully extends the horizon of capitalism's conceptualization, and is essential reading for anyone interested in critiques of globalization, culture and economics or the cultural politics of recession." -- Lisa Parks * coeditor of Signal Traffic: Critical Studies of Media Infrastructures *Table of Contents AcknowledgmentsIntroduction Patrice Petro and Kennan FergusonPart IFinancialization, Creditocracy, AusterityChapter 1 Capital, after Capitalism Geoff MannChapter 2 Restoration of the Rentier and the Turn to Lifelong Extraction Andrew RossChapter 3 The Subprime Subject of Ideology Ivan AscherChapter 4 Social Democracy and its Discontents: The Rise of Austerity Jeffrey SommersPart IIMedia/ArtChapter 5 Austerity Media Patrice PetroChapter 6 Imagining Beyond Capital: Representation and Reality in Science Fiction Film Sherryl VintChapter 7 Mistaken Places: Unemployment, Avant Gardism, and the Auto da Fé Marcus BullockChapter 8 Liquid, Crystal, Vaporous: The Natural States of Capitalism Esther LesliePart III BelongingChapter 9 Cuban Filmmaking and the Post-Capitalist Transition Cristina VenegasChapter 10 “Neither Eastern nor Western”: Economic and Cultural Policies in Post-Revolutionary Iran Niki AkhavanChapter 11 Differentiating Citizenship A. AneeshChapter 12 Gaming the System: Imperial Discomfort and the Emergence of Coyote Capitalism Bernard C. Perley Notes on Contributors Index
£25.19
Rowman & Littlefield Europe 2030
Book Synopsis The European Union is the most successful supranational organization in history. It has reconciled former enemies, established a single market and a common currency, and reintegrated Central and Eastern Europe into the West. Yet the EU remains unsatisfying to its members and its partners. An economic giant but a political pygmy, it seems hamstrung by bureaucracy and a lack of connection to European publics. In Europe 2030, distinguished authors predict what the European Union will look like twenty years from new. A range of views is presented, foreseeing everything from slower growth and diminished power to actions that would make the EU a more vigorous, influential world play. Contributors include Oksana Antonenko (International Institute for Strategic Studies), José Manuel Durão Barroso (European Commission), José Cutileiro (former secretary general, Western European Union), Joschka Fischer (former minister of foreign affairs, Germany), Charles Grant (Cente
£18.04
Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd A World in Two Minds
Book SynopsisGlobal society is in a state of chaos, causing physical and mental suffering for people all over the world. Yet almost all life stresses are ultimately human-made. Our species is literally making itself sick. Our future is unknown but whatever we bring forth will certainly be the output of the global mind we collectively create.Table of ContentsPart One - The Shifting Sands of the Human System: Our Self-inflicted Sickness, A War of Worldviews, The Process of Life / Part Two - The Modus Operandi of an Ancient Brain: The Power of Opposites, Leaping to Conclusions, Confabulating Coherence, Blending for Balance, Changing Structures / Part Three - Origins and Oscillations of a Global Mind: Source of the Western Psyche, Emergence of the Left Mind, Rise and Fall of Modernism / Part Four - Pitfalls and Possibilities at the Edge of Chaos: Cultivating Coherence, Elevating Consciousness, Counterbalancing Capitalism, Fast-Tracking Our Future
£20.21
Oneworld Publications WHAT WE OWE THE FUTURE
Book SynopsisShould our priorities change when we consider all the lives yet to come?Trade Review'I was captivated by MacAskill’s rolling out of the possibilities of a longtermist approach to the now. It is vital to do as he does, to take ethics out of the safety of lecture-hall thought experiments, paradoxes and what-ifs and into the turbulent real world, where the dynamic winds of history blow and where is massing on the horizon that monstrous, swelling tsunami that we call the future. This is a book of great daring, clarity, insight and imagination. To be simultaneously so realistic and so optimistic, and always so damn readable… well that is a miracle for which he should be greatly applauded.' —Stephen Fry'MacAskill is probably one of the most influential thinkers in the world.' —The Times, Best Books of 2022‘A brilliant book that makes clear both how much is at stake when it comes to the long term, and the incredible opportunities we have to shape it. It has changed how I think about my time on earth.’ —Max Roser‘This book is a monumental event. William MacAskill is one of the most important philosophers alive today, and this is his magnum opus.’ —Rutger Bregman, author of Humankind'No living philosopher has had a greater impact upon my ethics than Will MacAskill. And much of the good I now do is the direct result of his influence. In What We Owe The Future, MacAskill has transformed my thinking once again, by patiently dismantling the lazy intuitions that rendered me morally blind to the interests of future generations. This is an altogether thrilling and necessary book.' —Sam Harris'MacAskill’s case for “longtermism” – “the idea that positively influencing the longterm future is a key moral priority of our time” – is overwhelmingly persuasive. But it’s also unapologetically optimistic and bracingly realistic: this is by some distance the most inspiring book on “ethical living” I’ve ever read… a powerful argument in favour of freedom of speech and viewpoint diversity… The overall promise of this thrilling book is of a life both less burdened by ethical guilt – by beating yourself up over every choice of groceries or transportation – and much more effective at actually helping humanity.' —Guardian'An optimistic look at the future that moved me to tears.' —Joseph Gordon-Levitt'A profoundly optimistic exploration of the opportunities our descendants might enjoy, and the steps we might take to help them… there are plenty of insights and surprises along the way… MacAskill has thrust an important and neglected argument into the spotlight, while making it vivid and fun to read. He hopes that this book will change the world, and it might.' —Financial Times'Remarkable… MacAskill’s command of factual detail is admirable. So are his lightness of prose and facility in explaining tricky arguments… Is our world better off for containing William MacAskill?... I say yes… MacAskill is a worthy heir to Derek Parfit’s philosophical legacy, adding deep factual research and accessible writing to a provocative line of thought.' —TLS
£15.29
Goose Lane Editions Ideas for a New Century
Book SynopsisAn electrifying collection of thought-provoking interviews from recent broadcasts of CBC Radio''s Ideas. In these remarkable dialogues -- most of them in the company of Ideas host Paul Kennedy -- some of the great intellectuals of our time reflect, interject, and project on the course of human civilization, addressing topics such as social engineering and human rights, the directions of science and technology, the influence of art, music, and literature, and the quest for truth. Compiled and edited by Bernie Lucht, this volume explores the ideas of nineteen inspiring international and Canadian thinkers, including Louise Arbour, David Schindler, Jerome Kagan, John Gray, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, Leonore Tieffer, Nat Hentoff, Theodore Dalrymple, Mark Lilla, and many others.
£16.99
New Society Publishers Reinventing Collapse The Soviet Experience and
Book SynopsisA guide to the decline of the American empire for individuals, families and communitiesTrade Review.Reinventing Collapse< examines the circumstances of the demise of the Soviet superpower and offers clear insights into how we might prepare for coming events. This challenging yet inspiring work is a must-read for anyone concerned about energy, geopolitics, international relations, and life in a post-Peak Oil world.-The A WordTable of ContentsPreface to Second Edition Introduction1 The Soviet Example The Collapse of the Soviet Union: An Overview Back in the USSR A Rude Awakening The New Normal My Premise2 Superpower Similarities The Myth of Inclusiveness Better Living Through Science Industrial Food Production Consumer Goods Information Technology The Cost of Technological Progress Militarism World's Jailers Evil Empires Bankruptcy Collapse of Legitimacy 3 The Collapse Gap Collapses in General Energy Housing Transportation Employment Families Money Consumerism Food Medicine Education Ethnicity Religion Inevitable Conclusion 4 Collapse Mitigation The Collapse Party Platform Political Solutions Private Sector Solutions Activism and Apathy Boondoggles to the Rescue! Investment Advice The Future is Rated "B" Starve the Beast 5 Adaptation Loss of "Normalcy" Smelling the Roses Comforts and Necessities Surviving Radical Cashectomy The Revised Playbook Lowering Your Standards Playing the Part The Settled and the Nomadic 6 Career Opportunities Asset Stripping Drugs and Alcohol Providing Security Serving Your Country Alternative Medicine Alternative Transportation Social Work in the Home That's No Way to Run a Business! The Permanently Unemployed Consumer How (not to) Organize a Community Conclusion Index About the Author
£16.19
New Society Publishers Decline and Fall
Book SynopsisThe political theorist and author of After Progress examines the future of U.S. dominance on the world stage in this persuasive and provocative book. The decline and fall of America''s global empire is the central feature of today''s geopolitical landscape. How we respond to this reality will determine much of our future trajectory, with implications that reach far beyond the limits of one nation''s borders. In Decline and Fall, John Michael Greer examines the path we're on and presents a persuasive challenge to the conventional wisdom of empire.Rather than asking if today''s American empire should survive, Greer asks whether it canand goes on to demonstrate that the answer is no. After exploring the inevitable consequences of imperial collapse, Decline and Fall proposes a renewal of democratic institutions as the only constructive way forward.Trade ReviewJune 2014 - UTNE Magazine Shedding new light on the misunderstood idea of empire and the costs of imperial overstretch, Greer shows how the US has backed itself into a corner in the pursuit of political and economic power and explores the inevitable consequences of imperial collapse. June 2014 - Review, Resilience.org, Mary Wildfire... there is much food for thought in this book, which brings together the realities of oil depletion and the other elements of the impending age of limits with the evidence that America's empire is in decline. Greer's work is nothing short of brilliant.---Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, Post-Carbon Institute, and author, The Party's Over and The End of Growth When we find ourselves falling off the lofty peak of infinite progress, our civilization's mythology predisposes our imaginations to bypass reality altogether, and to roll straight for the equally profound abyss of the Apocalypse. Greer breaks this spell, and instead offers us a view on our deindustrial future that is both carefully reasoned and grounded in spirituality. --Dmitry Orlov, author, Reinventing Collapse and The Five Stages of Collapse The enormous virtue of John Michael Greer's work is that his wisdom is never conventional, but profound and imaginative.--Sharon Astyk, author, Depletion and Abundance and Independence Days John Michael Greer writes with unsurpassed clarity about the predicaments of energy and economy mankind faces. And he does it with a wonderfully kind, genial, and wise spirit. --James Howard Kunstler, author, The Long Emergency and The World Made by Hand novels The enormous virtue of John Michael Greer's work is that his wisdom is never conventional, but profound and imaginative. --Sharon Astyk, author, Depletion and Abundance and Independence Days, Greer ... offers us not only an excellent read, but tangible tools for navigating the transition. --Carolyn Baker, author, Speaking Truth to PowerTable of Contents Prologue: Understanding Empire Part One: The Course Of Empire 1. Origins of American Empire 2. The Struggle Over Empire 3. America at Zenith Part Two: The Widening Gyre 4. The Failure of Politics 5. The Economic Unraveling 6. The Specter of Defeat 7. The Consequences of Collapse Part Three: A Republic, If You Can Keep It 8. The Future of Democracy 9. Reinventing Society 10. Facing a Hard Future Afterword: A Choice of Tomorrows Notes Bibliography Index About the Author
£14.24
New Society Publishers Dark Age America
Book SynopsisThe climate futurist presents a sobering analysis of America's future in the face of climate changeand how we can prepare to make the most of it. After decades of missed opportunities, the door to a sustainable future has closed, and the future we face now is one in which today''s industrial civilization unravels in the face of uncontrolled climate change and resource depletion. What is the world going to look like when all these changes have run their course?John Michael Greer seeks to answer this question, using a clear-eyed analysis of ecology, economics, and history to discern what the next 500 years or so might look like. As globalization ends, the United Statesand Western civilizationwill enter the stages of decline and fall.Though Dark Age America offers an uncompromising assessment of our collective future, it is by no means without hope. Knowing where we''re headed is a crucial step in responding to the challenges of the futureTrade ReviewGreer's Dark Age America is the essential education and impetus for boomers who choose legacy focus over longevity fixation. We've lived through peak oil, peak debt, peak comfort, peak me-ness, peak pettiness. Now, let us become ancestors our grandchildren will be proud of. --- Connie Barlow, science writer, creator of Torreya Guardians and TheGreatStory John Michael Greer is a modern-day prophet speaking on behalf of Reality. Dark Age America draws upon Greer's vast knowledge of the patterns and rhythms of history to yield insights grounded in our best evidential understandings of ecology, economics, systems science, and human nature. The result is a work of remarkable clarity and searing wisdom vital for these confusing times." --- Rev. Michael Dowd, author, Thank God for Evolution and host, "The Future Is Calling Us to Greatness" If the future trajectory of our civilization follows the same general patterns laid down by previous ones, then John Michael Greer's new book gives us perhaps the best view of the future currently available. His thoughts on the great unraveling ahead are rooted in a broad and deep knowledge of history: even if you disagree with him about the future, you will learn a great deal from his survey of the relevant human past. ---Richard Heinberg, author, The End of Growth Dark Age America argues cogently and compellingly the inevitable decline of industrial civilization and its ramifications within the next five centuries. Whereas the human psyche may hold out for a faux Great Turning or the fantasy that "this time it will be different," Greer demonstrates that ecologically, politically, economically, and technologically, the decline is not only inevitable but well underway. How the demise unfolds and whether any members of our species prevail may well be determined by the choices we make now. Business as usual is not an option. ---Carolyn Baker, Ph.D., author, Love In The Age Of Ecological Apocalypse and Collapsing Consciously Whether you only just figured it out or have known for a long time that globalized consumer culture is a sinking ship, it really helps when a polite steward comes to your cabin and offers to guide you to the lifeboat and then chats breezily, easing your fears, as he guides you down the metallic corridors with blinking fluorescent lights, describing all you may need to know to get your life back on track once the lifeboats reach safe harbor. Dark Age America is John Michael Greer's finest work. He does not cut any slack, even for his own predictions. Read it slowly, in a comfortable chair, with a cup of your favorite warm beverage. ---Albert Bates, author, The Post-Petroleum Survival Guide and Cookbook, The Biochar Solution, and The Paris Agreement Civilization isn't selling too well. The would-be masters of the universe want billions of consumers, productivity gains, growth and profits. In return they offer open borders, fancy widgets, gender equality for a rainbow of genders and space exploration pipe dreams. But there are no takers; what the people want is nine hours of sleep, summers in the country, family and friends around and somebody to buy their rutabagas. A dark age cometh, but don't worry. As Greer explains, this is perfectly normal--just takes some getting used to. A dark age is a great time to catch up on sleep. ---Dmitry Orlov, author, Reinventing Collapse and The Five Stages of Collapse Dark Age America is a courageous, thoughtful, timely and well-researched prognosis for the next five centuries of life on Earth. John brings to bear a thorough knowledge of how past civilizations have unraveled, an appreciation of how complex systems work (and when they don't), and an understanding of how humans behave in crises that are not sudden and transitory, but gradual, uneven, profound and enduring. No matter where on the political spectrum your sensibilities lie, this intelligently reasoned, thought-provoking and important work will challenge your ways of thinking and prod you to take useful preparatory actions. ---Dave Pollard, author, How to Save the WorldTable of Contents Chapter One: The Wake of Industrial Civilization Chapter Two: The Ecological Aftermath Chapter Three: The Demographic Consequences Chapter Four: The Political Unraveling Chapter Five: The Economic Collapse Chapter Six: The Suicide of Science Chapter Seven: The Twilight of Technology Chapter Eight: The Dissolution of Culture Chapter Nine: The Road to a Renaissance Bibliography Index About the Author A Note About the Publisher
£17.99
Prometheus Building a World Community
Book SynopsisIs it possible to build a world community for the next century that avoids economic upheaval, war, ecological devastation, and racial and religious enmity? This and other questions were addressed by international leaders during the Tenth Humanist World Congress. This title presents the papers delivered at the Congress.
£31.50
University of Regina Press Road Through Time The Story of Humanity on the
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£19.00
Whitford Press,U.S. Brad Steiger Predicts the Future
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£9.49
Whitford Press,U.S. A Look at Tomorrow Today
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£16.19
Triarchy Press Ten Things to Do in a Conceptual Emergency
Book SynopsisRecords International Futures Forum's (IFF) learning over seven years on how to take effective and responsible action in a world we do not understand and cannot control. This book includes case studies from around the world, generated by the work of the IFF. It is suitable for managers and organisational and political leaders.
£9.50
£15.28
Charles Johnston MD Cultural Maturity A Guidebook for the Future With an Introduction to the Ideas of Creative Systems Theory
£17.10
Charles Johnston MD Quick and Dirty Answers to the Biggest of
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£11.40
£10.18
John August Media, LLC After Shock
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£25.16
Taylor & Francis Ltd Temporal Politics and Banal Culture
Book SynopsisThis book addresses the absence of a strong alignment with the future in contemporary social life and explores anomalous temporal experience as a way to expand political imaginations. In the aftermath of the modern myth of progress, it argues we have entered into a kind of dystopiabrutal or seemingly benignof the continual present that is resistant to systemic change but is nevertheless animated through cycles of novelty and obsolescence. Exploring a condition in which we are out of ideas and facing a non-future' of blind technical improvement and fear, the author examines the heterochronia of eerie atmospheres and temporal suspensions. Rather than a reinstatement of the great dream of The Future, a temporality of possibility is explored in strange dimensions of otherwise mundane sites: logistic spaces and ex-urban landscapes; boredom connected to digital media; and the material culture of a recently abandoned town. Drawing on contemporary social and cultural theory, as well as urbaTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Into logistic grey zones 2. Obsolete wastes of time: Boredom by way of alien junk consciousness 3. The enigma of Kitsault
£18.99
Edward Elgar Handbook of Futures Studies
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£218.50
