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Urgent reading... Karl Popper for the 21st century Robert Phillips, former CEO of Edelman Europe, Middle East and Africa and author of Trust Me, PR is Dead.
"Heffernan... a master storyteller. Uncharted... is wise and engagingly human." Tim Harford, Financial Times

How can we think about the future? What do we need to do—and who do we need to be?

In her bold and refreshing new book, businesswoman and acclaimed author Margaret Heffernan explores the people and organizations that are undaunted by uncertainty. We are prediction junkies, eager for certainty about the future. But the complexity of modern life won't deliver. Forecasters are reluctant to look beyond 400 days. History doesn't repeat itself, and even genetics won't tell you everything you want to know. Unavoidable uncertainty is now a reality. In complex environments, efficiency is a risk, not a help; resilience is the better, safer option. Drawing on a wide range of people and places, Margaret Heffernan looks at long-term projects developed over generations that could not have been planned the way they were run. Experiments, led by individuals and countries, are discovering new possibilities and options. Radical practices in building a new future with highly diverse participation enable everyone to achieve results together that no one could achieve alone. Existential crises reveal the vital social element of resilience. Death is inevitable, but how we deal with it affects the future of those we leave behind. Preparation—doing whatever you need to do today for tomorrow—provides an antidote to negativity and self-doubt.

This refreshing book moves freely across history, from business to science, from government to friendships, challenging us to resist the false promises of technology and efficiency, and instead draw on our creativity and humanity to create the future we want and believe in.