The Future is going to be Awesome

The future is looking bright and things are actually getting better all the time. That might not sell headlines or do well on 24-hour news stations, but the human race is pretty inventive. January gets dark (in Scotland it does anyway) and a healthy does of good news and optimism is always welcome.

To support my case here are a few books that tell you exactly why the future is bright.

Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think (click for Amazon)

Written as a collaboration of Peter Diamandis (X Prixe founder amongst many other things) and Steven Kotler. This book sets out how so many perceived issues and shortages have been resolved by human invention and progress.

Exponentially growing technologies will make it possible to meet the needs of every man, woman and child on the planet. This book was my reading over the Christmas break and it is indeed an antidote against pessimism. We have the ability to create quite an amazing society. Up to us to make it happen. Filled with hard realism and setting out a path forward that is quite impressive.

It also provides a fascinating picture of some of the technologies under development and already being used.

The perfect read for dark winter nights while oil remains at $35.

An Optimist’s Tour of the Future (click for Amazon)

The result of a journalist getting fed up with writing doom and gloom stories. Mark Stevenson decided to find out how good things really were/are. What found out what solutions in development for artificial intelligence, solutions for climate change that are already available and increasingly being used, medical science that will prevent rather than cure many ailments and of course the ability for all of us to take a trip into space. (My personal favorite).

The book sets out how technological progress and advances in science provide us with the ability to overcome problems, shortages and hardship. Many of these solutions are available now. Others are very close to being available.

It is also very funny. A well written, funny and informative book. What’s not to like?

The Luck factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Life (click for Amazon)

Richard Wiseman is a professor in the UK with an interest in psychology and behavior. This brilliant book sets out the actual research done on the concept of luck. Why are some people lucky? Why are others unlucky? Could you do something to make yourself luckier? Richard Wiseman has done a lot of the research and it makes for great reading.

The studies are interesting and the conclusions often counter intuitive. It turns out that you can make yourself luckier. He provides 4 scientifically established behaviors you can implement to increase your own chances of being lucky.

It is well researched, funny and who does not want some more luck?

 The only downer appears to be the lack of jetpacks. We were promised jetpacks.