PREDICCIONES

by Sian Griffiths, Jonathan Weiner (Translator)

A collection of essays by thirty-one of the finest minds of the twentieth century--including Arthur C. Clarke, Umberto Eco, and Noam Chomsky--records their predictions about the twenty-first century and the scientific discoveries, technological innovations, and social, political, and cultural changes that will occur. (Current Affairs)

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Philosophy, Politics

398 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Blayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the information being a bit dated (1999,)I found this book to be a good reference for possible authors/books to add to my goodreads lists. It covers 30 authors. Each author gets 3-7 pages of background (why their opinion matters), followed by a 2-3 page 'prediction' for the 21st century.

[Marjory Munson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a strange relationship with this book. In a number of cases, I questioned why a particular individual was included in the book. On the other hand, I found myself incredibly intellectually energized by reading the book. The intensity and the breadth of thought depicted is extremely stimulating.

I put the book on my to-buy list because it is one that I want to have available from time to time for reference.

[Catwalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1999, Predictions consists of short essays by 30 intellectuals looking forward to the 21st century. Each comes with an introduction giving some background on the author. The authors included are not futurists, but (typically) researchers, writers, etc., generally with strong views. Some are ideological, but more are concerned with issues that have arisen from their work. The format is perfect for browsing one author at a time. I particularly liked occasionally finding someone I hadn't read before, to see what they were about, and to make a judgment from their essay about whether I might want to pick up one of their longer works.