Magnus Lindvkist’s book, written as one of the best trend forecasters in the world, will help you understand how unexpected things happen and how they affect us as individuals, groups, and societies. Based on research and interviews with people whose lives have been “attacked” and deeply changed by the unexpected, this book tries to help you get over your fear of the unknown by teaching you to embrace it and use it to your advantage. It does this by walking you through the “uncertainty reframe” process, which involves rethinking your perspective and attitude toward uncertainty.
We are all worried about how the world is right now. So, why do we often ignore the changes going on all around us, or even worse, find ourselves unprepared when they do happen? What can we learn from all the bad things that have happened to us in recent years, from the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, to the financial crisis in 2008, to the current unrest in the Middle East? How often do long-term changes lie behind the daily news and buzzwords, and how can we spot them before they become common?
In this interesting book, Swedish futurologist Magnus Lindkvist uses a number of examples to show how people see and miss technological progress. He uses a funny tone to teach the reader how to spot trends at a time when we all need to better understand what personal, professional, and global events mean for us.
Long-term planning is so common in our society that we often ignore it or think it doesn’t matter. We use forecasts that are at best wrong to plan big things like vacations, retirement, school decisions, wedding vows, and business plans.
We need to stop making snap decisions and ignoring the need to plan for the long term.
Magnus Lindkvist, a futurist, says that the problem is that people aren’t taught how to think and plan for the long term. Many people think that trend analysis is the same thing as astrology or that it should be left to “trend gurus” or “pseudoscientists.” It might help us all see a better future and get ready for it. The world’s top expert on predicting future trends gives people tools they can use to make good decisions in everyday situations.
There is a lot of uncertainty in our lives. Everything in your life affects you in some way, from the people you meet to the things you do. But every once in a while, something completely out of the blue changes your path.
The idea is to accept uncertainty instead of trying to get rid of it.
