SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The creator of the Gaia hypothesis and the greatest environmental thinker of our time has produced an astounding new theory about the future of life on Earth. James Lovelock argues that the anthropocene - the age in which humans acquired planetary-scale technologies - is, after three centuries, coming to an end. A new age - the novacene - has already begun. New beings will emerge from existing artificial intelligence systems. They will think 10,000 times faster than we do and will regard us as we now regard plants. The cruel, violent machine takeover imagined by sci-fi writers will not happen: these hyper-intelligent beings will be as dependent on the health of the planet as we are. They will need the planetary cooling system of Gaia to defend from the increasing heat of the sun. Gaia depends on organic life. We will be partners in this project. It is crucial, Lovelock argues, that the intelligence of Earth survives and prospers. We are at present the only beings capable of understanding the cosmos, but he speculates that the novacene could be the beginning of a process that will see intelligence suffusing the entire cosmos. At the age 100, Lovelock has produced the most compelling work of his life.

An analysis of economic and other variables that might affect US-China relations for the balance of this century. Complete with various future scenarios.

Editor-at-Large for "Wired" magazine and guru of the digital age Hammersley offers the essential guide to things people need to know for life in the 21st century.

"Hope and the Future" presents a provocative examination of what being optimistic about the future ultimately depends on. It describes how we face a growing number of human challenges that require that we think, act, and relate in new ways-often fundamentally new ways. And it looks at how effectively addressing those challenges will require not just fresh ideas, but a critical "growing up" as a species-a new Cultural Maturity. This short book introduces the concept of Cultural Maturity and examines how the changes it describes will be necessary to a future that is at all healthy-and perhaps even survivable. It also looks at ways in which Cultural Maturity's changes are already happening, and how, when we are ready for them, needed changes can seem surprisingly straightforward; indeed, like common sense. Hope and the Future is an exploration of the "new common sense" on which our future depends.

What will America do when robots render 50% of its human workforce obsolete? Accelerating progress in artificial intelligence and robotics ensures that mass human obsolescence will arrive sooner than we might expect. And it won't stop there. Economic incentives will relentlessly drive advances in robotics until robots displace the entire human workforce. How will Americans survive? Who will support them? Can a human reasonably hope to control robots that are smarter than he is? Are Asimov's laws adequate? Is a robot-human war inevitable? How can we smoothly transition from having no intelligent robots to being overrun by them? How do we avoid violence and privation on the way to becoming a robot nation? Tackling these questions head on, Robot Nation not only describes the stark consequences of mass human obsolescence, it lays out solutions and argues that these require unprecedented changes in the political, economic, social, and moral underpinnings of Western civilization.

A powerful investigation into the chances for humanity's future from the author of the bestseller The World Without Us.
In his bestselling book The World Without Us, Alan Weisman considered how the Earth could heal and even refill empty niches if relieved of humanity's constant pressures. Behind that groundbreaking thought experiment was his hope that we would be inspired to find a way to add humans back to this vision of a restored, healthy planet-only in harmony, not mortal combat, with the rest of nature.
But with a million more of us every 4 1/2 days on a planet that's not getting any bigger, and with our exhaust overheating the atmosphere and altering the chemistry of the oceans, prospects for a sustainable human future seem ever more in doubt. For this long awaited follow-up book, Weisman traveled to more than 20 countries to ask what experts agreed were probably the most important questions on Earth--and also the hardest: How many humans can the planet hold without capsizing? How robust must the Earth's ecosystem be to assure our continued existence? Can we know which other species are essential to our survival? And, how might we actually arrive at a stable, optimum population, and design an economy to allow genuine prosperity without endless growth?
Weisman visits an extraordinary range of the world's cultures, religions, nationalities, tribes, and political systems to learn what in their beliefs, histories, liturgies, or current circumstances might suggest that sometimes it's in their own best interest to limit their growth. The result is a landmark work of reporting: devastating, urgent, and, ultimately, deeply hopeful.
By vividly detailing the burgeoning effects of our cumulative presence, Countdown reveals what may be the fastest, most acceptable, practical, and affordable way of returning our planet and our presence on it to balance. Weisman again shows that he is one of the most provocative journalists at work today, with a book whose message is so compelling that it will change how we see our lives and our destiny.

Happiness is not a destination-it's a lifestyle. In Heartbeat to Happiness, Shelly Cady shows you how to transform the life you're living into the life you've always wanted, one that's brimming with happiness every day In this book, you'll learn the same principles she teaches in her acclaimed Heartbeat to Happiness training program, as Shelly shares: How your attitude affects your life and how you can change it today How to increase optimism and attract positivity. Eight principles you can immediately use to increase the joy and happiness in your life. How to avoid stress and guilt and live a life without regrets. Why things happen and the lesson that you must learn to break the cycle. How to stay true to and love yourself and the life you are living right now Don't wait another day to experience the life you've always wanted. Let your heart beat to happiness and start living a life you'll love today

A blueprint for the nation after the boom.
Australians have just lived through a period of exceptional prosperity, but, says influential economist Ross Garnaut, the Dog Days are on their way. Are we ready for the challenges ahead?
In "Dog Days," Garnaut explains how we got here, what we can expect next and the tough choices we need to make to survive the new economic conditions. Are we clever enough - and our leaders courageous enough - to change what needs to be changed and preserve a fair and prosperous Australia?
This is a book about the future by a leading adviser to government and business, someone with a proven record of seeing where the nation is going. Both forecast and analysis, it heralds a new era for Australia after the boom.
'a must-read for anyone concerned with the economic and social future of Australia'-Bob Hawke
'a brilliant guide to the future of the Australian economy'-Max Corden
'the nation's most prophetic economist'-Ross Gittins
Ross Garnaut is one of Australia's leading economists. He is Vice-Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Research Fellow in Economics at the University of Melbourne and Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Australian National University. He was a key economic adviser to the reforming Hawke government. Garnaut has held senior roles in government and business, including as Australian Ambassador to China and author of the Garnaut Climate Change Review.

Human civilization faces more challenges than ever before. Unless urgent action is taken, there will soon be biting shortages of energy, food and fresh water. Climate change also demands our attention, while conventional economic decision making and mass consumerism are leading us to ruin. The time has therefore come to fix the world.
This book is for everybody who wants to help shape a better future. Its chapters cover the interrelated topics of more local living, low energy lifestyles, dematerialization, design for repair, crowdsourcing, more women in authority, and the death of economics. Within a decade, all of these will be common cultural or business practice. "Seven Ways to Fix the World" therefore provides you with the opportunity to understand the rising agendas of tomorrow, and to help make a difference by getting ahead of the curve.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, no one could have predicted men walking on the moon, transcontinental jet air travel and of course, the personal computer revolution. And yet, all this happened before the close of the 20th Century. We are now at the beginning of a new century, but what lies ahead is anyone's guess. This book takes us on a whirlwind tour of human progress and achievement, highlighting many astonishing new ideas that may transform our lives during the course of the 21st Century.

Brilliant. A must read for every voter. Reminiscent of George Orwell s 1984. Unlike anything written on the subject. These are some of the comments from readers of Judge David Minier s future history, One Nation, under Obamas . . . Written from the viewpoint of a liberal historian, and illustrated with photographs from the future, this book chronicles America s descent into tyranny from the present until 2021, when a Joint Resolution to Repeal the Twenty Second Amendment is introduced in Congress so Barack Obama can serve a third term as President. In the ten year interim, American citizens have gradually surrendered their freedoms to an ever more powerful state. Michelle Obama has succeeded her husband as President, and America has become a one party state. Barack Obama is now President of the United Nations. The Supreme Court has been packed with four more liberal judges, talk radio has been silenced, books have been placed on the Seditious Literature List and banned from sale, and citizen riots have been brutally suppressed. The loyalty oath of public officials and military personnel had been amended to require defense and support of the President, United States Army officers have been executed for treason, and under Obamas has replaced under God in the Pledge of Allegiance. America has abandoned its nuclear weapons, placed its armed forces under United Nations command, acquiesced to Russian and Islamic expansionism, and become the world s forth ranking economy. The future history portrayed in One Nation, under Obamas . . . is a liberal s dream come true and a conservative s worst nightmare. Whether or not it becomes true is up to the American voter.

AUTHOR: Bert TITLE: The Redesign of Tomorrowland DESCRIPTION: The author uses amusement park attractions (themed for Disney World) to gently introduce some new paradigms to a wide audience. His sources include experts in nutrition, economics, technology, and psychology.

This book foretells of events that will occur in 2012, and into the new millennium. It has a unique yet controversial edge, that involves extraterrestrials arriving on Earth to assist mankind. Actual contact has been made through the medium Gilda. Through her transcripts and questions, she answers details of what will manifest. The public must embrace the reality of their future. Extraterrestrials have announced their arrival and are here to stay. "Will I Survive?," will echo in the mind of all humanity.