The Future

A guide for both everyday readers and policymakers on using creativity and knowledge to imagine the best, prepare for the worst and live with surprise.

Widespread pessimism and fear of the future are everywhere. With times to come often seeming threatening and uncertain, this book offers new perspectives and fresh ways of thinking. Futurologist Florence Gaub shows that everyone can influence what lies ahead – in their personal or professional life, or in society. Her ideas are for those who refuse to be paralysed by fear, instead seeing the future as a space full of possibilities.

Gaub explores how humanity's visions of tomorrow have changed throughout history; she explains what the future is, how it works, what disruptions may arise and how to fix them. She draws on insights from neuroscience, psychology and philosophy to show how humans conceive and construct the future, as individuals and as a society.

A bestseller in Germany, this smart, snappy handbook of ideas is an antidote to passive fatalism. It challenges our lack of faith in our own ability to shape what is to come, or how it will affect our lives. After all, we're the only beings who can imagine the future in such detail that we can actually create it. Gaub is a brilliant guide to rediscovering that gift.

‘Finally! A strategic foresight manual that doesn’t require top secret clearance. Florence Gaub fights uncertainty and she’s winning.’ – Clark Gregg, Hollywood actor (The Avengers, Captain Marvel and Iron Man)

‘Climate change, war, inflation: It’s not easy to believe in a bright future right now. Political scientist and futurologist Florence Gaub explains why we nevertheless have every reason to do so and how we can gain more confidence in our own lives.’ – Merle Hubert, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin

‘An original and essential guide to thinking about tomorrow. Gaub shows that the future is not something that happens to us, but something we actively create – through our choices, our imagination and our courage.’ – Mark Leonard, Director, European Council on Foreign Relations

About the Author

Florence Gaub PhD is a political scientist, military strategist and futurologist. The NATO Defense College's Director of Research, a World Economic Forum Global Future Council member, and former vice-president of the European Forum Alpbach, she holds degrees from Humboldt University, Sciences Po, the Sorbonne and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.