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The Future Normal: How We Will Live, Work and Thrive in the Next Decade
This is a handbook for visionaries.
Making outlandish predictions about the future is easy. Predicting the future normal is far harder.
For the past decade, Rohit Bhargava and Henry Coutinho-Mason have been on the front lines of exploring the global forces shaping our future normal through their work independently leading two of the most successful trend consultancies in the world: TrendWatching and the Non-Obvious Company.
From donning full body haptic suits to sampling cultivated meat, their work has taken them into cutting-edge labs, private testing facilities, and invite-only showcases across the world. Now for the first time, they are teaming up to share a uniquely eye-opening vision of the future unlike any other.
Across thirty fast-moving chapters, The Future Normal spotlights dozens of ideas and instigators who are changing the world. From biophilic skyscrapers to generative AI, these stories offer an optimistic yet deeply human view of the next decade. Along the way, we also tackle some of the biggest ethical and societal questions raised by all this progress.
In this book, you’ll read about the ideas and instigators that are bringing about new ways to satisfy our fundamental needs and wants, changing not just their industries but also transforming our wider culture and society.
These are the stories of the future normal, and they are coming sooner than you think. For anyone looking to get ready, this book will empower you to seize the opportunities that lie ahead in this crucial decade.
Making outlandish predictions about the future is easy. Predicting the future normal is far harder.
For the past decade, Rohit Bhargava and Henry Coutinho-Mason have been on the front lines of exploring the global forces shaping our future normal through their work independently leading two of the most successful trend consultancies in the world: TrendWatching and the Non-Obvious Company.
From donning full body haptic suits to sampling cultivated meat, their work has taken them into cutting-edge labs, private testing facilities, and invite-only showcases across the world. Now for the first time, they are teaming up to share a uniquely eye-opening vision of the future unlike any other.
Across thirty fast-moving chapters, The Future Normal spotlights dozens of ideas and instigators who are changing the world. From biophilic skyscrapers to generative AI, these stories offer an optimistic yet deeply human view of the next decade. Along the way, we also tackle some of the biggest ethical and societal questions raised by all this progress.
In this book, you’ll read about the ideas and instigators that are bringing about new ways to satisfy our fundamental needs and wants, changing not just their industries but also transforming our wider culture and society.
These are the stories of the future normal, and they are coming sooner than you think. For anyone looking to get ready, this book will empower you to seize the opportunities that lie ahead in this crucial decade.
- GenresNonfictionTechnology
336 pages, Hardcover
Published March 7, 2023
55 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Rohit Bhargava
30 books180 followersRohit Bhargava is a leading authority on marketing, trends and innovation. He is the founder of the Non-Obvious Company and is widely considered one of the most entertaining and original keynote speakers on marketing disruption and innovation in the world. He is the #1 WSJ and USA TODAY bestselling author of eight books on topics as wide ranging as the future of business, building a human brand with personality, and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world. Rohit is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and writes a monthly column for GQ Brazil. He is married and lives with his wife and two boys in the Washington DC area, loves the Olympics and actively hates cauliflower.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 8, 2023
comprehensive insights into what’s coming, and how to think about it
I throughly enjoyed this broad documentation of the meta trends affecting multiple industries. Things I loved that I think will help leaders:
1. The ‘what if…’ questions that top and tail each chapter and are all hallmarks of the Future Normal blog. This encourages the reader to consider ‘what might this mean and what might I do in response’.
2. The amazing anecdotes/examples of businesses/governments implementing or developing the technology or strategies RIGHT NOW. These proof of concept do wonders for building confidence and encouragement to take action.
3. The industry playlist at the back. This is an infographic that points out the most salient trends for broad sectors like education, small business, consultants, agriculture etc. It’s a useful shortcut to help leaders pick which trends might intersect and create interesting forces in their industry.
A great book to help us make sense of what’s happening and navigate future horizons as leaders.
I throughly enjoyed this broad documentation of the meta trends affecting multiple industries. Things I loved that I think will help leaders:
1. The ‘what if…’ questions that top and tail each chapter and are all hallmarks of the Future Normal blog. This encourages the reader to consider ‘what might this mean and what might I do in response’.
2. The amazing anecdotes/examples of businesses/governments implementing or developing the technology or strategies RIGHT NOW. These proof of concept do wonders for building confidence and encouragement to take action.
3. The industry playlist at the back. This is an infographic that points out the most salient trends for broad sectors like education, small business, consultants, agriculture etc. It’s a useful shortcut to help leaders pick which trends might intersect and create interesting forces in their industry.
A great book to help us make sense of what’s happening and navigate future horizons as leaders.
October 4, 2024
Super Insightful
The authors have taken a different approach to futurism in this very well written book. The structure of it makes it easy to read, it’s insightful and takes you on a journey of ideas and imagination. Well worth your time.
The authors have taken a different approach to futurism in this very well written book. The structure of it makes it easy to read, it’s insightful and takes you on a journey of ideas and imagination. Well worth your time.
June 11, 2023
If you are not already aware of what's going on in the world, you will find this book helpful.
It provides an overview of future trends in bite-size chapters divided into 3 sections:
- How We Will Connect, Get Healthy and Thrive
- How We Will Live, Work and Consume
- How Humanity Will Survive
The authors seek to address a myriad of rhetorical questions:
* What if we could all be our real and most authentic selves both online and offline?
* What if you could be part of entertainment instead of watching it passively?
* What if you could trust the authenticity of the media and content you consume?
* What if you could educate yourself using the very videos and games that are typically written off as a waste of time?
* What if closing the generation gap could cure loneliness at any age?
* What if you could develop a meaningful relationship with an app or a robot?
* What if mainstream medicine tuned into the mental health benefits of psychedelics?
* What if buildings and homes protected—and even boosted—our health and well-being?
* What if doctors prescribed nature like they prescribe drugs?
* What if tracking your glucose level became as normal as counting your steps?
* What if artificial intelligence could make humans more creative?
* What if even the most physical of jobs—from tattooists to truck drivers—could be done remotely?
* What if work flexibility meant sharing your job equally with a partner?
* What if our organizations’ cultures reflected the societies in which they operate?
* What if more of the world’s biggest businesses prioritized doing good over profits?
* What if your office space could contribute to the local economy and community?
* What if “fake” was better?
* What if we started tracking our carbon footprints in the same way we track our calorie or salt intakes?
* What if you didn’t have to give up products and experiences that are not great for you or the planet?
* What if buying pre-loved goods became a sign of savviness and source of pride?
* What if startup founders dreamed of more than venture capital and unicorns?
* What if government policies were recognized for actually making citizens’ lives better?
* What if every long journey in the city was cut to 15 minutes?
* What if you could get anything delivered to your doorstep within minutes?
* What if we invested in more green infrastructure to make cities more sustainable?
* What if we could make clean, abundant food for everyone out of thin air?
* What if you could throw things away with a clean conscience?
* What if you could generate your own energy—reliably and cheaply?
* What if humanity could control the weather to fight the effects of global warming?
* What if companies aimed beyond going carbon neutral and toward being actively regenerative?
Each chapter ends with 3 thought-provoking questions for further reflection or discussion.
I've given this only 4 stars because the book refers to non-existent additional resources on its "website" which is actually just a one-pager sitting on Rohit's website. You would think that the authors of a book about the future would practice what they preach. LOL.
It provides an overview of future trends in bite-size chapters divided into 3 sections:
- How We Will Connect, Get Healthy and Thrive
- How We Will Live, Work and Consume
- How Humanity Will Survive
The authors seek to address a myriad of rhetorical questions:
* What if we could all be our real and most authentic selves both online and offline?
* What if you could be part of entertainment instead of watching it passively?
* What if you could trust the authenticity of the media and content you consume?
* What if you could educate yourself using the very videos and games that are typically written off as a waste of time?
* What if closing the generation gap could cure loneliness at any age?
* What if you could develop a meaningful relationship with an app or a robot?
* What if mainstream medicine tuned into the mental health benefits of psychedelics?
* What if buildings and homes protected—and even boosted—our health and well-being?
* What if doctors prescribed nature like they prescribe drugs?
* What if tracking your glucose level became as normal as counting your steps?
* What if artificial intelligence could make humans more creative?
* What if even the most physical of jobs—from tattooists to truck drivers—could be done remotely?
* What if work flexibility meant sharing your job equally with a partner?
* What if our organizations’ cultures reflected the societies in which they operate?
* What if more of the world’s biggest businesses prioritized doing good over profits?
* What if your office space could contribute to the local economy and community?
* What if “fake” was better?
* What if we started tracking our carbon footprints in the same way we track our calorie or salt intakes?
* What if you didn’t have to give up products and experiences that are not great for you or the planet?
* What if buying pre-loved goods became a sign of savviness and source of pride?
* What if startup founders dreamed of more than venture capital and unicorns?
* What if government policies were recognized for actually making citizens’ lives better?
* What if every long journey in the city was cut to 15 minutes?
* What if you could get anything delivered to your doorstep within minutes?
* What if we invested in more green infrastructure to make cities more sustainable?
* What if we could make clean, abundant food for everyone out of thin air?
* What if you could throw things away with a clean conscience?
* What if you could generate your own energy—reliably and cheaply?
* What if humanity could control the weather to fight the effects of global warming?
* What if companies aimed beyond going carbon neutral and toward being actively regenerative?
Each chapter ends with 3 thought-provoking questions for further reflection or discussion.
I've given this only 4 stars because the book refers to non-existent additional resources on its "website" which is actually just a one-pager sitting on Rohit's website. You would think that the authors of a book about the future would practice what they preach. LOL.
December 30, 2024
Published in March 2023, this book provides a scan across thirty different trends and potential changes that are occurring. It has been written in the post-Covid environment, and incorporates the start of Generative AI.
“Social media wasn’t a factor a generation ago when Francis Fukuyama wrote Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity, but his central argument still holds: a society riddled with distrust cannot be an economically – or a socially – prosperous place.”
“Creating more empathy between voters of different generations through conversations can also help to bridge the common political divide between younger and older citizens who might otherwise struggle to understand the motivations of one another and be goaded by divisive media and rage-stoking politicians to dismiss one another instead.”
“Edelman’s Trust Barometer (a global study of over 36,000 people across 28 countries) found government was seen as the least effective institution when it comes to solving social problems, lagging behind business, NGOs, and the media.”
Have a read for yourself, across the three main groupings (which are listed on the contents pages). I personally found some of their assessments to be biased, out-of-date, or spurious. There is lots to ponder, and no doubt that each reader will take away different things from this book…
“Social media wasn’t a factor a generation ago when Francis Fukuyama wrote Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity, but his central argument still holds: a society riddled with distrust cannot be an economically – or a socially – prosperous place.”
“Creating more empathy between voters of different generations through conversations can also help to bridge the common political divide between younger and older citizens who might otherwise struggle to understand the motivations of one another and be goaded by divisive media and rage-stoking politicians to dismiss one another instead.”
“Edelman’s Trust Barometer (a global study of over 36,000 people across 28 countries) found government was seen as the least effective institution when it comes to solving social problems, lagging behind business, NGOs, and the media.”
Have a read for yourself, across the three main groupings (which are listed on the contents pages). I personally found some of their assessments to be biased, out-of-date, or spurious. There is lots to ponder, and no doubt that each reader will take away different things from this book…
July 22, 2023
This would be a very interesting book to come back to in the coming decades to re-read just as it can be entertaining to read future predictions in books from the 1970s.
I really appreciated the bite-sized chapters and the inclusion in every chapter of a current or recent demonstration of the future trend by industry trendmakers. I do think the book could be classified as "hopium" though as it is largely optimistic that we will engineer our way out of all the troubles that we are facing as a society.
Additionally, the authors are of the mindset that the pandemic is over and Covid is a thing of the past. They write that "[pandemic] behaviors were quickly abandoned as the so-called new normal gave way to the normal that existed before". Actually, as I would rephrase it, our society failed to adopt to the new normal that is required by the pandemic. Thus, I am a bit cynical that our society will be able to adapt to the changes required by climate change, migratory movements, and the rise of fascism. "What if you didn't have to give up products and experiences that are not great for you or the planet?", the authors ask in one section. The societal mindset that even requires this question to be asked is a tell.
I really appreciated the bite-sized chapters and the inclusion in every chapter of a current or recent demonstration of the future trend by industry trendmakers. I do think the book could be classified as "hopium" though as it is largely optimistic that we will engineer our way out of all the troubles that we are facing as a society.
Additionally, the authors are of the mindset that the pandemic is over and Covid is a thing of the past. They write that "[pandemic] behaviors were quickly abandoned as the so-called new normal gave way to the normal that existed before". Actually, as I would rephrase it, our society failed to adopt to the new normal that is required by the pandemic. Thus, I am a bit cynical that our society will be able to adapt to the changes required by climate change, migratory movements, and the rise of fascism. "What if you didn't have to give up products and experiences that are not great for you or the planet?", the authors ask in one section. The societal mindset that even requires this question to be asked is a tell.
April 17, 2024
This was such an insightful and engaging read about what the future might look like where we live, work and possibly thrive. I am saying 'possibly' here as I am skeptical of human ability to thrive collectively and equitably.
The book is insightful in that it gives a quick summary of current innovations that may impact our future in easy-to -digest chapters, but I couldn't help but think that each chapter felt like it needed a bit more deep dive than a quick highlight of innovations. I guess the books of this day and age -where everyone is addicted to tiktok and suffer from attention deficit- are evolving to be abridged versions of what they could have been. This certainly might not be an issue for others but I would have enjoyed deeper analyses in each chapter.
The authors are also quite optimistic and deliberately choose to be so as they mention at the end of the book, but I couldn't help but feel aggravated how naive the whole book sounded as I read it. As if human and corporation greed would allow the social benefits they predict to come out of some of the innovations or projects they mention.
The book is insightful in that it gives a quick summary of current innovations that may impact our future in easy-to -digest chapters, but I couldn't help but think that each chapter felt like it needed a bit more deep dive than a quick highlight of innovations. I guess the books of this day and age -where everyone is addicted to tiktok and suffer from attention deficit- are evolving to be abridged versions of what they could have been. This certainly might not be an issue for others but I would have enjoyed deeper analyses in each chapter.
The authors are also quite optimistic and deliberately choose to be so as they mention at the end of the book, but I couldn't help but feel aggravated how naive the whole book sounded as I read it. As if human and corporation greed would allow the social benefits they predict to come out of some of the innovations or projects they mention.
March 18, 2024
My first book on futurism and I’m glad I picked it up. I wish it would have gone a bit more into the individual level and shared stories and examples of individual people and less about the large initiatives on a corporate and governmental level but regardless I did leave with a feeling of hope and optimism.
I especially appreciated the discussion points and critical questions at the end of each section. A topic that impacts us all but needs to be looked at from as many different viewpoints as possible needs to be discussed critically in a group of diverse people.
I especially appreciated the discussion points and critical questions at the end of each section. A topic that impacts us all but needs to be looked at from as many different viewpoints as possible needs to be discussed critically in a group of diverse people.
February 12, 2024
I will just come back in 10 years and see how all of this lived up.
Overall, a not very complicated or elaborate, but a lot of interesting points. More like a collection of short blog posts really.
Not too bad, just nothing ground braking, that's all.
Beautiful quote at the end of this book:
"The future is not about technology.
The future is about the ingenuity of people and what we can achieve together."
Overall, a not very complicated or elaborate, but a lot of interesting points. More like a collection of short blog posts really.
Not too bad, just nothing ground braking, that's all.
Beautiful quote at the end of this book:
"The future is not about technology.
The future is about the ingenuity of people and what we can achieve together."
March 29, 2023
Insightful and readable
As a sustainability consultant I love to read about the new trends…both those that put our lives at risk and also the potential solutions. This book has both and packaged in a way that is a genuinely enjoyable and engaging read. I’ll be dipping back in and out for a while. Look forward to what Rohit and Henry do next!
As a sustainability consultant I love to read about the new trends…both those that put our lives at risk and also the potential solutions. This book has both and packaged in a way that is a genuinely enjoyable and engaging read. I’ll be dipping back in and out for a while. Look forward to what Rohit and Henry do next!
Read
June 12, 2023A very fascinating read, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the social and political sides of all of it. The future normal like this is impossible (or at least unattainable for 99% of the world’s population) without a huge global mindset shift and I don’t see the humanity moving in the right direction so far. Yeah yeah, I’m another 20 something saying that capitalism is bad, can’t help myself.
April 16, 2023
Livro mostra possíveis cenários de tecnologia e impactos sociais, para o futuro próximo. Não faz previsões, mas mostra caminhos. Boas ideias para mundos possíveis. Muita informação e dicas valiosas, gostei muito
October 24, 2024
I liked Non-Obvious and wanted to check this out! I wouldn’t say it gave me many new insights/ideas/examples of what the world will look like, and the perspective on sustainability felt a bit rosy (hope I’m wrong there), but I really liked the short chapters and rhetorical questions.
February 19, 2025
A 2023 Staff Nonfiction Favorite for Natalia! For readers of Mindless by Robert Jacob Alexander Skidelsky and On the Edge by Nate Silver.
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...
March 8, 2023
Nailed It
Such insights from thought leaders.
Will definitely inform the way we think and work going forward. A must read for anyone.
Such insights from thought leaders.
Will definitely inform the way we think and work going forward. A must read for anyone.
March 12, 2023
Boat from the future!
An enjoyable tour of many of the new technologies we can expect to see in the near future. Writing style is accessible and enjoyable. Highly recommend.
An enjoyable tour of many of the new technologies we can expect to see in the near future. Writing style is accessible and enjoyable. Highly recommend.
January 4, 2024
Very well organized and positive in vibe. A little glimpse of what could be, without the dark aspects that generally the futurologists bring with'em.
April 25, 2023
Highly engaging and a braingym
Wohooo, this is an incredibly amazing book. I wanted to use chatgpt to write this review but thought will give it a pass for this book.
Wohooo, this is an incredibly amazing book. I wanted to use chatgpt to write this review but thought will give it a pass for this book.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews