Headed Into the Abyss

Book excerpt: Today we are beset by a range of unprecedented developments that together, in this century, threaten the very existence of civilization. The current states of just ten forces -- capitalism, technology, the internet, politics, media, education, human nature, the environment, population, and transportation -- are driving society in predominantly negative ways. These forces are powerful and interconnected and their combined operation and dynamics will carry us into any number of disasters well before 2100. We have the knowledge and solutions to address our difficulties, but for many reasons we won't be able to meaningfully employ either.There is immediate urgency to this story too. We face many threats, but one of them -- the internet and its algorithms -- is rapidly changing nearly everything about our world, including our very capacity to recognize how profound and dangerous the change is.In clear, direct language intended for every citizen, regardless of his or her politics or age, "Headed Into the Abyss" describes and analyzes how each force is shaping society, and tells the big-picture story of what those effects add up to. Wherever on the globe you live, it really is, and will be, the story of our time.