Could Should Might Don't: How We Think About the Future

by Nick Foster

'Rigorous, rationally optimistic and ultimately empowering' OLIVER BURKEMAN
'A deeply-considered - and funny - treatise on complacency' ALEX McDOWELL
'Essential' DAVID EAGLEMAN
'A rare and wondrous thing' STEPHEN FRY

As the tempo of change accelerates beyond anything our ancestors could have imagined, the ability to think clearly about what lies ahead has never been more important – yet we remain remarkably bad at it.

So how might we think about the future with greater rigour?

Nick Foster is one of very few people to have built a career considering this question, and in this book he’s written an invaluable guide for the rest of us. From the Could of excitable, science fiction utopianism and the Should of data-driven, dogmatic certainty, to the Might of scenario planning and the Don’t of fear-driven risk avoidance, Foster explores how humanity has grappled with the concept of the future throughout history, tracing the emergence of distinct schools of thought and exploring the virtues, blind spots and inevitable shortcomings of each.

Could Should Might Don’t resists making cocksure prophecies and bombastic predictions, instead encouraging us to create more balanced, detailed and truthful versions of the future, so that we might improve what we leave behind for those who might follow.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology

345 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 11, 2025

Reviews

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the audio copy in exchange for my review.

This book is an informative take on how to think about the future. It is difficult for me to review because Foster covers so much information and so many “fun facts” (some less fun) in a conversational and relatable way. A lot of what Foster says is stuff I already think about regularly as a self-described chronic over-thinker, and I can tell by reading the book that Foster and I probably share a lot of similarities in how we think and deconstruct ideas.

I was unfamiliar with Nick Foster before I listened to this audiobook. He is a very interesting person and when I found this book I thought his job title as a futurist sounded a bit bogus, but after finishing the book, I think he’s on to something here. I’m glad large corporations use him, but I’m worried they don’t use him or people willing to ask the hard questions enough…

[Jerry Edward Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people have some interest in the future. This interest may be limited to tomorrow’s weather. It may broaden out for others to include thoughts of new technological developments, new social attitudes and customs, or even mankind’s chance of surviving universal climate change. The author of this intriguing new book sees future thinking, futurism, and even employable work as a futurist as almost universal human attitudes. But, in reality, just how should we think about the future? That may be a much tougher question to consider. The book’s title identifies four distinct attitudes which inderlie the ways the author believes we will actually look to the future. These attitudes recognize that everyone alive today does face a future of some duration. The author, Nick Foster, is an experienced futurist. He was educated at London’s Royal College of Arts. He has significant experience designing technology products for some of the world’s leading technology companies. This new book has a range of suggestions from reading science fiction to empirical studies and narratives to think tank opinion studies and reports. The author also identifies a number of “don’t” attitudes which he describes as negative ways that should not to be used to think about the future. He believes these negative attitudes may prove to be more toxic. The final chapter begins with what should be a word of caution. Or it may be a touch of reality. Foster observes that “futurism is not for everyone” even as we all carry forward some interest or concern about the future. This is an excellent book which may introduce many general readers to a way of thinking which may help all of us. It may lead the general reader to seek further guidance. There are many books which can supplement this one. A good second book that may help here is Third Millenium Thinking (Little, Brown 2024) by Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell, and Robert MacCoun. The authors of this book address the tremendous glut of data and ideas coming from the Information Age. Perlmutter is an academic physicist and Nobel Laurate; Campbell is an academic philosopher; and MacCoun is a social psychologist. The three orient their book as a guide to principles which can lead to clearer thinking. This book is highly recommended for every reader with a futurist mindset.

[Julie]

I really need to start vetting my library choices more closely. I thought this was going to be a psychology book about how the brain thinks about the future. Nope. It turns out that there is a crazy job called 'futurist' that the author lucked into. He's worked for a bunch of big name tech companies and now has parlayed that into a book deal. Well done! Foster must be doing very well for himself. No personal future worries for him! I kept wondering if he got stock options on top of his high salary and great insurance packages.

He's got a chip on his shoulder about his job and rightfully so, it's a ridiculous job. How can I get this gig?! The first fifty pages of the book, no joke, were Foster defending his career and talking about how he gets no respect. This was the point when I decided to flip through the rest of the book to see what the thesis was. Apparently he discusses the four types of futurists. Uh....ok. How is this relevant? I guess if I worked for Samsung or Apple in hiring then it would be relevant? What type of futurist do I want to hire? Other than that situation, I see zero value in spending time reading this.

[Melissa Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because I wanted to become more comfortable with thoughts about the future, and the book ultimately achieves that, giving you ways of seeing though messaging and balancing your thoughts. I admittedly skimmed sometimes, but would highly recommend to anyone who thinks a lot about the future.

[Erich · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Future I never thought about

This book gave me several ways to look at the future. It showed me me how I have always looked forward to ideas about the future as well as ways to make those ideas more realistic. A very insightful and interesting way of opening my mind to better ways of planning for my expectations of what may come.

[Luke Latchman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how much I learned but I enjoyed hearing the author musing on the future and how it might be grand or it might be the same as today - who knows. It’s the future. It was a nice listen though. Particularly enjoyed the comparisons to Sci-fi and the last section on don’t futurists who we all know (and sometimes love) in our own lives.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening and ultimately reassuring look at the future.

[Austin Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grounded, insightful, and refreshingly real. Nick cuts through glossy sci-fi futures to remind us that the everyday still matters, offering a sharp reframing of how we think about what’s ahead.

[Kmhourihan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully thought provoking and humbling if you think you are good at critical thinking….

[cactus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I’ve read about my job thus far

[Graeme Roberts · Rating 1 out of 5]

I used to think that so-called futurists were wankers and self-promoters. I still do.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A philosophical dive into how we might truly examine the future. I found this fascinating.