Description
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.
Trade Review�It is time for progressive forces to reclaim the future. Through the crucial lens of social science, this means understanding both the past and how to better work together to craft the futures we want. This brilliant book cuts through a tangle of complexity to show us how.�
Stewart Wallis, New Economics Foundation �John Urry, one of the leading sociologists of the past half-century, made a major contribution to the analysis of climate change and related issues, and this new book combines a comprehensive overview of the futures literature with a more detailed focus on some central themes. This learned yet very accessible book is in the best traditions of critical future studies. Anyone interested in the big questions facing our societies should read it.�
William Outhwaite, Newcastle UniversityTable of Contents
- PREFACE
- 1 THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED
- 2 TELLING FUTURES IN THE PAST
- 3 NEW CATASTROPHIC FUTURES
- 4 TIME AND COMPLEX SYSTEMS
- 5 INNOVATIONS AND FUTURES
- 6 ANTICIPATING FUTURES
- 7 MANUFACTURING FUTURE WORLDS
- 8 FUTURE CITIES ON THE MOVE
- 9 CLIMATE FUTURES
- 10 THE FUTURE OF FUTURES
- REFERENCES
- INDEX
