Future Files

Richard Watson

William Gibson meets Charles Handy in this lively, provocative, and witty look at our possible futures.

Prediction is a dangerous game — the future is never a straight, linear extrapolation from the present. Unexpected innovations and events will conspire to trip up the best-laid plans — but it’s better than not thinking about the future at all. And, as someone once said, even if my past is chequered with failed predictions, my future predictions and extrapolations will be spotless.

Future Files is filled with provocative forecasts about how the world might change in the next half century. It examines emerging patterns and developments in society, technology, economy, and business, and makes educated speculations as to where they might take us.

But Future Files is not primarily about prediction. Its goal is to liberate our collective and individual imaginations so that we can see the familiar in a new light and the unfamiliar with greater clarity, and to make individuals and organisations think about where we are going and to consider whether, when we get there, it will be worth staying.

Future Files will prove indispensable to business analysts, strategists, and organisations who need to stay ahead of the game, as well as providing rich and fascinating material for water-cooler conversations.

Richard Watson

Author photo

Richard Watson advises organisations on the future, focusing on innovation and scenario planning. He is the author and publisher of What's Next, a quarterly report on global trends, and is a columnist for a number of magazines including Fast Company (USA).

Website: www.nowandnext.com