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The Invention of Tomorrow
A Natural History of Foresight
Description
A spellbinding exploration of the human capacity to imagine the future
Our ability to think about the future is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. In The Invention of Tomorrow, cognitive scientists Thomas Suddendorf, Jonathan Redshaw, and Adam Bulley argue that its emergence transformed humans from unremarkable primates to creatures that hold the destiny of the planet in their hands.
Drawing on their own cutting-edge research, the authors break down the science of foresight, showing us where it comes from, how it works, and how it made our world. Journeying through biology, psychology, history, and culture, they show that thinking ahead is at the heart of human nature—even if we often get it terribly wrong. Incisive and expansive, The Invention of Tomorrow offers a fresh perspective on the human tale that shows how our species clawed its way to control the future.
Praise
—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Rationality
“A fascinating perspective on what it means to be human, told with a clear voice and an expansive canvas… Sprinkled throughout the book are well-placed moments of deadpan humor to leaven the authoritative research.”
—Kirkus“Stimulating […] sure to captivate popular science readers. Fans of Steven Pinker will want to check this out.”
—Publishers Weekly