Could, Should, Might, Don't

A stirring exploration of the ways we think about the future from pioneering creative leader Nick Foster. Rigorous, rationally optimistic and ultimately empowering. A deeply-considered – and funny – treatise on complacency. Essential. A rare and wondrous thing. As the tempo of change accelerates beyond anything our ancestors could have imagined, the ability to think clearly about what lies ahead has never been more important – yet we remain remarkably bad at it. This book asks how we can think about the future with greater rigour. Nick Foster has built a career around this question and offers an invaluable guide for the rest of us. From the Could of excitable, science fiction utopianism and the Should of data-driven, dogmatic certainty, to the Might of scenario planning and the Don't of fear-driven risk avoidance, Foster traces how humanity has grappled with the future, exploring distinct schools of thought, their virtues, blind spots and inevitable shortcomings. It resists cocksure prophecies and bombastic predictions, encouraging more balanced, detailed and truthful versions of tomorrow to improve what we leave behind for those who might follow.

The book maps the spectrum of future-thinking approaches, highlighting how different mindsets shape our expectations and decisions. It presents a framework to evaluate ideas without falling into certainty or cynicism, promoting careful analysis and practical thinking as we navigate uncertainty.

Nick Foster (Auteur) – Verschenen op 11/09/2025 bij Penguin Random House USA. Pages: 352, Edition: 1 armband, Paperback, Canongate Books.

Kenmerken

• Biedt een framework voor toekomstdenken
• Verkenning van Could, Should, Might en Don't
• Bespreekt scenario planning en data-gedreven denken
• Waarschuwt tegen te sterke voorspellingen
• Focus op balans en transparante toekomstverhalen
• Geschikt voor lezers met interesse in besluitvorming