Description:
What if we could just pick the future we want - and then invent it? Well, we can. This deeply researched book paints compelling visions of how the world could - and should - look as we pass the planet on to future generations.
Brief description: Paul B. Carroll was an award-winning journalist who spent 17 years as a reporter and editor at The Wall Street Journal. As a cofounder of and partner in the Future Histories Group, Paul now helps organizations shape their futures. He is the author or coauthor of five other books, including Big Blues: The Unmaking of IBM and Billion Dollar Lessons.
Review Quotes:
"A Brief History of a Perfect Future presents us with a rare gift in this era of pervasive negativity, anonymous grousing, and divisiveness. It offers a positive and optimistic view of our future, grounded in facts and the lessons of history. It is both inspirational and aspirational on how we can make this vision a reality. Highly recommended! Reading it should put a spring in your step and a smile on your face!"
-Bran Ferren, Chief Creative Officer, Applied Minds, and former President of Research and Development, The Walt Disney Company
"This book reminds us that the future is our choice. It inspires the bold thinking and creativity required to change our world for the better. This is a must read for public and private sector leaders with the awesome opportunity to shape the trajectory of progress."
-Kristine Martin Anderson, EVP and leader, Civil Services, Booz Allen Hamilton
"This book takes a future-back approach in which commonly perceived constraints on the future state are released, permitting the starting point of that perfect future. I really liked the illuminating stories, how this feels like a logical extension of the authors' previous books, and the great writing paired with the imaginative Law of Zero concept. A compelling, interesting read that is also quite a bit of fun!"
-James Madara, MD, CEO, American Medical Association
"As one who has seen first-hand how even one tool can change the world, it's exciting to read the future histories of the seven drivers laid out in this insightful book. We can combine them for a wonderful future-if we take the right steps!"
-Dan Bricklin, inventor of the spreadsheet
"We are the designers of our future. The authors help us be idealistic, yet pragmatic, in reimagining our future. Most importantly, they show us a smart path forward; the time has come to "think big, start small, and learn fast." Thanks to the unprecedented speed of innovation, "near-miracles" are possible. We can get to our Future Perfect, if we start now to make the right choices."
- Linda A. Hill, Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, and author of Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation
"... a tremendously fun journey through a future that's both plausible and necessary if we want to create a thriving world. This book provides a much-needed jolt of optimism about humanity's ability to overcome our greatest challenges."
-Andrew Winston, sustainability strategist, author of Green to Gold and Net Positive