Futuring: The Exploration of the Future

by Edward Cornish

The most important thing happening today is not reported in newspapers or on the TV news. It’s a global transformation of technology and society that is creating an age of hyperchange. Since the future is hurtling toward us at breakneck speed, foresight is the great need of our times. We must think ahead if we are to cope with the hurricane-force changes now bashing at every aspect of our lives. This acceleration of change brings enormous opportunities as well as great dangers. Most of us know better than to drive down a highway at eighty miles an hour without looking at the road ahead. But when it comes to steering our careers and businesses, we hardly ever consider what’s coming toward us. We often wind up in a nasty "crash" that we could have avoided if we had better anticipated possible developments. This is where futuring can help. Futuring is the art and science of exploring the future. It offers methods and techniques that can help you understand trends, identify opportunities and avoid dangers. Futuring can help you understand possible future developments, make better decisions, develop worthwhile goals, and find the means to achieve them. Futuring is a powerful way to help you and your organization to create a better future. Virtually anyone can benefit from learning the skills and perspectives of
* Businesspeople can anticipate profitable new markets and innovative products.
* Investors can be ready to get in on the ground floor of emerging industries and new technologies.
* Educators and parents can help ensure that young people are properly prepared for the new world they’ll inherit.
* Students can plan out careers in highly rewarding professions.
* Concerned citizens and policy makers will find practical ways to help guide their communities and organizations to a successful future. Futuring will open your eyes to the world of the future and how you can prepare for the opportunities and risks ahead. In addition, Futuring will guide you through the history of serious thinking about the future, including the development of the idea of progress in the seventeenth century to the disillusionment with progress that came in the twentieth century. You will learn how far-sighted military planners, trend-watchers in business, and scholars in think tanks developed ways to think scientifically about the future so that leaders in government and business could prepare for the opportunities and risks ahead. Now you, too, can benefit from their discoveries.

Genres: Nonfiction

313 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2004

Reviews

[Dina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something that could have been written in HUNDRED pages had been dragged out to more than 300. Spare u time. I couldn't even finish it.

[Talal Alshareef · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب ممتع يتحدث عن استشراف المستقبل، أهميته، والتقنيات الممكن استخدامها لتطبيقه. أتت فصوله مطعّمةً بقصصٍ لأفراد وحكومات في استشرافهم للمستقبل ونجاحهم أو فشلهم في ذلك.
أما ترجمة الكتاب فهي تستحق الدرجة الكاملة. سعة اطلاع المترجم في هذا الفن جعلتني استمتع في قرائتي له وقليلٌ ممن قرأت ترجماتهم من ينجح في ذلك.

[Ibtesam Abu Khalaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

ان تكون مستقبلي وتهتم باستشراف المستقبل مسألة مهمة جدا في هذا العصر. وفي هذا الكتاب يستعرض المؤلف مناهج استشراف المستقبل.
يبدأ بتحليل الثورات المختلفة التي حدثت على مر العصور من ثورة زراعية صناعية وتكنولوجية ومن ثم يستشرف ثورة المستقبل التي ستكون ثورة انسانية وبيل جية ذات آثار غير متوقعة.
كتاب قيم يعبر عن تجربة فريدة في القراءة.

[Jason Hartgrave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good primer for students and a basic introduction to the subject.

[Matt Mayevsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who is interested in forecasting, or "thinking about the future is the future". In the first chapter, the author brilliantly and synthetic, it presents the historical context of exploring the future. Of all the books that I've read so far this narrative of historical background of forecasting I like the most. In the next chapter Cornish describes the phenomenon called the Great Transformation, and then focuses on contemporary trends shaping our future. If you want to better understand the world in which you live and where you will live must read this book. You'll see what patterns control the world and how to use forecasting. I am impressed by the author's erudition and knowledge that he has.

[سالم عبدالله · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب ممتع وان كان مطولا بعض الشئ لكنه غني بالمعارف والقصص التي عاشها الانسان المعاصر في رحلته للتقدم
واستشراف المستقبل محال مهم وهذا الكتاب يتحدث بشكل خاص عن المجتمع الامريكي
ولكنه له فائدة للقاري ويفتح افاق للتفكير الخلاق للمستقبل من خلال النماذج والسيناريوهات وغيرها .
الكتاب مفيد
نتمنى ان نرى مراكز لاستشراف المستقبل في البلدان العربية
و على الاقل تكون هناك جمعيات مستشرفي المستقبل و تشجع المفكربن و اصحاب البصيرة للكتابة عن استشرافاتهم المستقبلية
حتى يمكن الاستعداد للمستقبل وتفادي العيوب .
اخيرا انصح بهذا الكتاب .

[Saeed Nasser · Rating 5 out of 5]

حيث ان هذا اول تقيم لي في الموقع فضلت ان اعلق على كتاب الاستشراف ، الذي قرأته منذ ثلاث سنوات ولكنه ترك فيني عظيم الأثر ، فما زلت أستفيد من هذا الكتاب في حياتي لفهم المحيط حولي ، الكتاب ممتاز أبدا المؤلف أسلوب في في الطرح ، تسلسل الفصول كان منطقي ، استطاع المؤلف ان يشدني طيل فترة القراءة، كما ان احتواء الكتاب لكثير من القصص في التاريخ أضاف ابهرني.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important considerations.

[محمد عبدو · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب رائع ، أستمتعت وأستفدت كثيرا من قراءته

[Hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall decent ideas, but not as impressive as I was hoping.