Approaching the Future: 64 Things You Need to Know Now for Then

by Ben Hammersley

From a Wired technology an “astute” and “easy-to-read” primer on the vast technological and cultural changes shaping tomorrow’s world ( Financial Times ).

In Approaching the Future , Editor-at-Large for Wired magazine and guru of the digital age Ben Hammersley offers the essential guide to life in the ever-changing 21st century. Explaining the latest ideas in technology and their rippling effects on culture, business and politics, this book will demystify the internet, decode cyberspace, and guide you through the revolution we are all living through. This is for everyone who wants to truly understand the modern world, to no longer be caught off guard by an ever-changing society, and to prosper in the coming decades.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Science, Internet, Economics

448 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

Reviews

[Tim Pendry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and easy-to-read run-through of some of the key technological and cultural changes that we are facing at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

It is not perfect. His list falters a bit near the end and his short sharp chapters sometimes leave out too much where more on one subject might have been more useful than one of the other 64 - but what he does well is give us a check-list of things that we ought to be more aware of.

Some things are perhaps not directly relevant. Others are things that most of us (though not all of us) have already come to terms with. But I will certainly be pricking up my ears for threats and opportunities in such areas as bio-hacking, net neutrality and geo-engineering.

And, although I have little interest in, say, the Quantified Self Movement (which seems like anxious narcissism taken to the nth degree), I have a short-list now of developments that I actively want to know more about, master the jargon and make work for me and mine.

I work in the world of memes professionally but I now know that I have to understand better the semantic web, techno-nomadism, the open data movement and the effects of cyber war. I also need to think, really think, about the internet’s effects on personal freedom and public accountability.

I need to know more about Anonymous, hacker culture, the ‘dark net’ and hacktivism and about artificial intelligence and the (possibly dubious) ‘singularity’. The struggle between States and order on the one hand and an advanced and creative avant-garde has started already.

My world is certainly going to be changed by 3-D printing, improved video conferencing and the internet of things. I am more convinced, if cautiously, that there may be something in the transition town movement, but these latter are all relatively superficial developments compared to the massive and wider cultural and psychological changes under way.

This book is not, and does not claim to be, a book of answers but it does a damn fine job of introducing us to the basic ideas that should, if we have any sense of personal and family survival, force us to ask all the right questions.

Highly recommended, especially for those we elect and the bureaucrats they purport to control and manage on our behalf.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now lets see here...I've read quite a few books in the futurology department, most of which are extremely similar, in fact you can find little difference in all of them, it's almost as if once you read one, you've read them all" Most of them speak either of Renewable energy or the earth's depleting water sources. But this book is allot different, I learnt a great deal of things from this. It covers multiple areas, such as technology, politics, society. I found myself taking time to digest the though provoking topics and thinking for at least 10 minutes after reading just 3 pages sometimes. I really got to say, this book was good times. Definitely an enjoyable Read!

While i have very few problems with this book, i'll take this paragraph to address them. For one this book is in the business section, but not all the topics seem to have a serious implication on businesses in the future. And I think it would've been allot more suiting if Ben made an effort to put a concluding paragraph on each topic stating what these things may mean for business across the world. But hey, I guess one has to think for themselves here. Secondly not all of these things seem to be definitely comming, some of them are in infant stages and chances for many of them devloping further may be slim. And thirdly some of these topics are to closely correlated, someitmes it felt like i was reading an extension of a previous chapter. But perhaps that was his intent. But overall please do not let that discourage you. I think this would make an excellent book for your night-stand, you may find that not all of these things are news to you, but still worth a read for the few little things you do learn

The Verdict:
Very good futurology, in terms of being different, this book was very refreshing. And as with all books there are slight problems. but nothing too serious. Am sure glad i picked it up

Physical Quality:
The book is published by Hodder & Stoughton. I bought the hardcover version, The hardback is strong but the quality of the jacket could be imrpoved. The text is of decent standard.

Hoped my review was of some help, email me if you'd like a chat
Ken James
London Based Capitalist

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

You want internet-length pieces summarizing what everyone's been talking about on the internet for the last couple years, but for some reason, in book form. If that's you, perhaps you'll like this. But for most people with a little bit of knowledge already on these topics, it comes off as unresearched, redundant, and flip. And in my personal opinion, the book is the wrong format for these pieces - I'd have more understanding for them if they were just a series of blog posts. But using actual paper for this? I don't see the point.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is pretty slim stuff, doesn't scratch the surface, and when it attempts to it makes random sweeping generalisations. It's an easy read, but a frustrating and an unsatisfying one. Half-way through at the mo, likely to give up before finishing...

[Nic Brisbourne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hammersley is pretty accurate with his predictions, but they aren't very groundbreaking, at least for anyone who reads Techcrunch. Also, he's a little clever for my taste.

[mxd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much I must have recommended it to at least a dozen people. On flicking through it, you'd think it's aimed at the tech savvy, those who know well the name Ben Hammersley and Wired magazine, but the first person I would recommend this to would be the person who has none to little interest in technology and social media.

This book has sixty-four three page chapters that offer up tasty and digestible biscuits of things that are really worth knowing. I just sped through the book in no time - it's incredibly accessible, interesting and informative and I really felt it flipped my way of looking at a few things, or at the very least made me more thoughtful in my general approach to the way I use information technology. Great book - lots of fun.

[William Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

A light guide to the foundations of technology and the space of the internet. Generally not succinct, but provides a gentle reminder and introduction of key elements in the history of technology and important aspects in the geopolitics of technology. Likely, reading a series of Wikipages would be as informative and enjoyable.

[Hana N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good book indeed but personally it contains a lot of IT jargon which I, a non tech person hardly know about. But above all, its a great book for people who want to understand better about today’s technology and how it can revolutionize and expanding in the future.

[Magdalene Lim · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw this book lying around at home, I thought it was my sister's lit book, being the type of person who always judges books by their covers. To my amusement, it was a tech trends book, written by none other than WIRED's Editor-at-large, Ben Hammersley. That got me more interested.

So there are 64 chapters, each about 3-4 pages long, making it very easy to digest in our attention-deficit. Wait, what was I talking about?

Anyways, it was interesting reading about tech phenomena I've heard about in a simplified manner (I finally know how to tell someone what a meme is!!"Pronounced to rhyme with dreams, memes are the most basic form of idea, the single indivisible unit of culture. They're the thing that moves from person to person as we tell jokes, or teach songs, or pass on etiquette.")As well as learn about things I didn't know about, such as Spimes (a self-documenting object) and academic doping(Err, how is this a digital trend?).

Some stuff bored me while other chapters intrigued me because I could relate to it such as #48: The Return to Craft (That explains my rekindled interest once more in paper crafting, drawing and such).

Conclusion: A "good to read" but you'll survive even if you don't.

[Julio González · Rating 3 out of 5]

Con el subtítulo "Cómo enfrentar el futuro sin miedo", este es uno del montón de libros que me regalé a finales del 2017.
El autor, Bem Hammersley, editor de tendencias y contenidos en Wired, explica 64 conceptos relacionados con la tecno-sociedad actual. En mi experiencia algunos conceptos ya eran bien conocidos, otros totalmente desconocidos, y algunos fueron refinados o ampliados con esta lectura.
Desde el capítulo cero se ofrece el principal aporte: "La mayoría de la gente que usa internet no tiene siquiera una idea básica de cómo funciona", y esta realidad trasciende a los tomadores de decisiones. Cito del forro: "El analfabetismo tcnológico tiene consecuencias en distintos niveles: impide la creación de políticas públicas eficientes, fomenta el rezago y la desigualdad social y expone a los usuarios a peligros como el robo de información y la usurpación de identidad."
Fue una lectura fácil para una temática crítica, así que tomé las ideas principales de cada capítulo y las re-escribí en un montoncito de hojas media carta, con letra extra-minúscula, a efecto de que compartir tales ideas con los tomadores de decisiones que tengan la humildad de reconocerse ignorantes (¡?) ¿Por qué sospecho que mis notas quedarán únicamente para mi consumo personal?

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it is testament to the author's passion and ability to communicate that this 400 page exploration of current and future impacts of technology is so very readable and engaging. It helps that the book is broken down into 64 short chapters, but it is no mean feat that in taking this approach it still manages to maintain a coherent sense if whole read cover-to-cover. Key themes are developed and returned to throughout (e.g. Moore's Law, collaborative development, the constantly provisional nature of technology developments, etc.). This helps ensure the text does not run the risk of being 'bitty' and makes for a thoroughly enjoyable, if occasionally sobering, guide to our expanding digital world.

[Tey Shi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would really prefer to give this book a 3.5 stars rating but Goodreads doesn't allow for that so I would settle with a lower 3 stars rating. It is a good book to get an introduction into some of the major themes that is happening in this new digital economy and lifestyle, how technology is and will be changing our social, economical and political lives. The things he writes about are interesting, but something it feels like there is a lack of depth and arrangement of similar or related ideas together might be better than spread across the chapters. But it's probably worth the time for a quick read if you're just hoping to gain some ideas and do more research on your own later.

[Tasheme Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with interesting snippets about how the Internet and budding new technologies will affect the very near future. Despite being filled with some very interesting ideas, all of the chapters are incredibly short. I realize this is the point of the book, but there are chapters that could have benefitted from several more pages. Though, in his defense, this book more like a primer for 64 topics that will serve to be more important, I would have preferred to have maybe 32 topics with more depth. That's just a personal gripe and takes nothing away from the book itself. I enjoyed it overall.

[Ilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with the idea that this books looks more like a collection of blog posts than a coherent volume. Still I enjoyed reading it and I would recommend it to anybody who is trying to understand the direction the world is moving to and what would be their place in this new world.

I like the fact that there seems to be a clear personality of the author and his set of beliefs coming through the text. I might not agree with all of these beliefs, but Mr Hammersley is not afraid to state his views.

[John Constable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff, quite thought provoking, but light on detail on everything. Not sure if it was aimed at digital policy, those struggling to come to terms to terms with the internet, or what.

Still, a good read.

[Omar Ata · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting book to read, finished the whole thing in 4 days.
it has a good predictions to what expect in the near future + explanations to things happening now.
not the best book in world in this field, but worth reading in a train or a flight.
Do i recommend this book to a friend: Yes.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly readable book about all the techno-wizardry that we encounter in our daily lives. Hammersley decodes all the confusing technical jargon, providing a useful guide to all the things that we need to know in the 21st Century.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comments on trends in Technology. Very interesting.
Highlights for me were chapters on Shanzhai (China) products, Anonymous, and Facebook.

[Dave Bolton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good summary of many issues facing us in a digital age. A book to give to your parents or someone who is on the edges of digital culture looking to have a peek into the future.

[Iain Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good whistlestop tour of technology and social trends

[sillypunk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I knew most of these! I am clearly more savvy thenI thought.

[Juan]

.