Did you know that I’m writing a book? It’s called Future Files and it’s out on September 3rd. If you can’t wait – or can’t get hold of it – I’ll be dripping a few bits and bobs into my blog from time to time. Here’s a few of the opening lines…
Early in 2006 a middle-aged woman called Joyce Vincent was discovered in her flat in London. She was dead. Nothing remarkable about that, except for the fact that she had been dead for more than two years and her television was still on. How could this happen? Where was everyone? The answer, of course, was that everyone was somewhere else. London, like most major cities, no longer has neighbourhoods; it has collections of individuals leading increasingly isolated, selfish and narcissistic lives. Neighbours keep to themselves and people don’t ask questions or volunteer information. In an age where everyone is increasingly connected to everyone else through the Internet nobody really knows anyone anymore.We have lots of friends but few of them dig deep to understand our hopes and fears. The general feeling is that you’ll live longer if you keep yourself to yourself.
hi,
you are writing very well what i am thinking deeply too.
So it’s hard or intimidating to leave some words on your blog then.
Your observation talent must make you a great creative.
Unfortunately, we might be a bit more depressed from our broad eyewitness point of view.
Most of what you are writing are in my daily thoughts too.
To follow up your example, I recently discover the most absurd “architect” project solving somehow the tremendous exodus that China megalopoles will be facing during the very next decade.
but as a result, I think it will be highest level of depressions, suicides and other psycho deseases the population will face.
Please let me read this book, or at least some lines.
the few sentences I just read from you, were already juggling thoughts in my mind for couple of years already.
Very happy to read you. Thank you.
Well, you brought it to the point.
We are moving more and more into bigger cities away from the country side.
These situations will are becoming normal in our big city life.
People have their own problems and thats why they are happy that the interest is no so big as it would be in a village, in the country side or in smaller towns. Its kind of selfish but thats how many people will behave. They will respect each other and just say – thats not me or my problem, so what.
Only in situations where people do not have problems or where they are happy they will be interested in other peoples life – it will be more and more difficult to find real friends…
Give us more on your book – good luck!
Pingback: Timo Veikkola (Nokia) @ PSFK « THE FUTURES BLOG
Thanks Richard, great to hear from you (realised I’d forgot to reference you properly, so have amended the post, apologies). I like the maps a lot, cheers for the links. So, when can we see more of the forthcoming book and what is your take? Future: Positive? Future: Negative? (Sounds like the subject of a conference, now there’s an idea..).
Cheers,
Ben
Hi Ben, I’ll keep the book bits coming and let you know when it’s out. It will have its own website in a month with a sample chapter, sources and further reading about similar subjects. In terms of + v – I think these things tend to operate in cycles and we are reaching the end of the whole negative/pessimism thing. I suspect that in a year or so the climate change debate will have clamed down to a less sensationalist debate (no longer ‘the end of the world’ etc) and we will have regaiuned a sense of perspective. Having said that another 9/11 type event could push us all back to the start of another negative cycle so we’ll have to see…
Cheers,
Richard.