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I was prepare to fall a sleep while reading this book, but it was very intertaining.
An excellent read.hard to believe that you can get a book for a college class for under $20 new and for it to be such an enjoyable read.
This book is an invaluable tool for examining the how futures practice can empower yourself, your organization, company or nation. Ed Cornish is a leading thought leader in the futures industry and has written an excellent overview to understanding what futures work is all about. As we move into the 21st century we need books like this to enable our civilization to chart a new more positive future for humanity. As a practicing futurist who also teaches futures forecasting, this book has been valuable for my clients and students to better understand theory, practice and methods. I would highly recommend this book for business, social or public leaders who want to know how to use the futurist lens to better understand what's next. Dr. James CantonCEO & Chairman Institute for Global Futures
I enjoyed reading the book, which was required for my college course. I learned about the numerous futuring techniques avaiable to help one anticipate future events. I have a much better appreciation of the world around be as a result.
To do so is to forego the opportunity to shape the future.2) Futuring is not about predicting specific events or future conditions - it's a way of framing an array of probable futures to help reach those that are desirable and be prepared for those that are not.3) A multidisciplinary approach is essential. If you're new to the study of the future and want to find out why it's important, what methodologies it uses, and how it's applied in the real world, this book is an excellent place to start, and it includes an extensive bibliography for further study. The book takes on its own unique trajectory starting in chapter 4, which addresses trends, cycles, patterns, and the tension between stability and change. Chapters 15 and 16 end the book on a more philosophical note, arguing that our duty to coming generations requires us to actively cultivate our futuring skills.The most important points that I came away with:1) It's a mistake to simply resign oneself to whatever comes and view futurism as little more than science fiction. That's like driving a car with dim headlights, no mirrors, and no vision out the sides of the vehicle. Methodologies are outlined in chapters 6 through 8, including expert polling (such as the Delphi process), gaming, modeling & simulation, "visioning," scenarios, and their variants.
Customers typically have no problems with the first two points above, but the third one is a hard sell. If you've already done a lot of reading on futurism, much of this will be familiar, but it will still provide good background and historical perspective.The early part of the book, particularly chapters 2 and 3, is reminiscent of the writings of Alvin & Heidi Toffler, discussing the history of technological revolutions and outlining six "supertrends" that will shape the future. Complex interactions between various technologies, economic developments, geopolitical conditions, etc., must be taken into account to the extent possible.In my job, I do a lot of research and writing that could be construed as futurist work. I was hoping for a bit more depth in this part of the book, but at least it gives a first look at the nuts-and-bolts of futuring. Other sources are available to supplement this.I found chapters 11 through 14 to be an interesting trip through the futurist movement of the past century, highlighting key individuals, organizations, and their effect on societies in different parts of the world. People want to know what's likely to happen in their technology, their market, their area of operations, but often care little for other seemingly irrelevant activities.
Cornish's book is like a driver's education course that addresses those deficiencies.
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