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World
Megatrends: a new book from Adjiedj
Bakas
The future – in brief
Many of us fear the future. However,
Adjiedj Bakas shows us that we are on
the brink of an inspiring new age. It
is true that we will not all benefit
equally in the coming years – but we
didn’t in the past either.
What this book does is to put that stark
sounding message into perspective. Twelve
megatrends from different realms are
explored, allowing the whole picture
of the future to be revealed. Illustrated
with inspiring examples from all over
the world the book reaches beyond today’s
problems; it is highly accessible and
transcends hype. It is provocative and
ambitious in its scope.
Over-arching and intersecting trends
are described in the framework of global
realities. Peak-oil will come sooner
than many stakeholders currently expect
and the age of oil will come to an end.
The flip-side is that a new energy economy
will emerge.
In this post-oil world we will learn
to treat nature with more respect. Gaia,
the system which James Lovelock has
described as managing the Earth, will
become of utmost importance as nature
becomes increasingly disrupted.
We can expect that countries, in this
post-oil world of rising natural disasters,
will develop along several different
trajectories. In the First World of
the current rich countries, including
the UK and the US, people will speed
forward. In the Second World of emerging
markets such as China and India the
goal will be to accelerate towards the
lifestyles currently enjoyed in the
First World. In the Third World, including
countries such as Oman and Costa Rica,
progress will be slow. In the Fourth
World of states such as Pakistan and
Gaza, nations will implode with rising
populations and violence. The global
losers of the Fourth World will begin
an exodus to countries in the First
World causing disruption and unrest.
This will lead to the role of government
being questioned and the concept of
‘security’ changing.
Trends explored within this broader
picture include:
• The impact of improved healthcare
and medical advances extending life-expectancy.
We may look forward to living until
we are 120 years old, but only if we
have addressed our own happiness.
• Robots becoming part of our lives.
Computer aided intelligence and mass
intelligence systems will rise in importance,
opening up huge potential for the way
we use knowledge and for the question
of work.
• The physical and virtual worlds
blending as social networks expand,
enabling us to create web-based allegiances.
• The concept of religion expanding
to embrace non-denominational spirituality.
We will see the rise of the ‘personal
God’.
• World population growth slowing
and ultimately beginning to shrink from
the current 6 billion to a more sustainable
figure. But not before we have had to
address the issue of population control.
• Nanotechnology, genetics and
biotechnology rising in importance.
• Agriculture being re-assessed
and water shortages inspiring new farming
methods.
Technology, the end of privacy, the
future of nature, living without hydrogen,
attempting to colonize space, new media
and new heroism: it’s all part of the
cocktail of an exciting future.
For book orders exceeding 25 copies
click
here for the order form. For smaller
quantities click
here and if you saw the book in
connection with a reader Campaign click
here. |
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Reviews
& recommendations
“Adjiedj Bakas is a thoughtful futurologist
whose ideas are most important.” Robin
Sharma, bestselling author of The Monk
Who Sold His Ferrari.
“This book really makes my wheels go
spinning.” Reverend Jesse Jackson.
“Adjiedj Bakas shows us patterns not
yet visible for us. This is not a book
for drifters: the author knows where
he is going.”
Ben Verwaayen, CEO Alcatel-Lucent and
former CEO of BT
“An eye opener. A book written by a
man with a sharp vision.”
Frits Bolkestein, former European Commissioner
“Adjiedj Bakas explores several plausible
scenarios in this insightful book”.
Gerrit Zalm, CEO of ABN AMRO Bank
“Anybody making plans for the future
had better take note.” Eric Einhorn,
Chief Strategy Officer McCann Worldgroup
“Real innovation is a result of global
trendwatching, as this book clearly
shows.” Willem Vermeend, Professor Global
Economics and Finance, Harvard
“The crisis is fading, let’s look forward
to the future as this book inspires
us to.” Carol Dona, CEO Ricoh The Netherlands
“Our customers definitely have to read
this book.”
Paul Nanninga, Director Sales Ricoh
Netherlands
“This is the most up to date book to
facilitate scenario planning.”
Pieter Klaas Jagersma, Professor International
Business Strategy, The Netherlands |
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