World Future Society 2005 Conference Volume Preface

Foresight, Innovation, and Strategy:
Toward a Wiser Future

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Preface

It is an honor to attach my name to the roster of esteemed futurist thinkers sharing their insights and wisdom for this volume. It has also been a privilege to bear first witness to the dialogue in which these writers had unknowingly been engaged. Though the papers were written and submitted separately, the authors seemed to be speaking to each other: Questions raised in one paper would be addressed in another; ideas examined from one point of view would be reexamined from other perspectives.

Reading these papers may seem like attending a lively intellectual dinner party. And like a good host, the editor need only draw these bright conversationalists together and provide a congenial setting for the dialogue to take place. A quick synopsis:

Part 1: Innovation and Impact offers overviews of trends, from the general to the specialized, including discussions of two major areas of scientific research: genetic engineering and nanomedicine.

Part 2: Science, Spirit, Body, Mind traces ideas about the roles of science and religion throughout human history—and their influence on our future.

Part 3: Planetary Foresight and Strategy examines global issues such as resource use and abuse, prospects for peace, and ways to achieve a sustainable future.

Part 4: Organizations and Change covers innovation, foresight, and strategy applied at the institutional level, particularly corporations and governments.

Part 5: Foresight and Futuring offers new ideas to advance the field of futures research and the work of futurists.

Part 6: Futuring Case Studies illustrates real-life applications of the tools of foresight to solve specific problems and build desired futures.

Part 7: Learning for Tomorrow not only makes the case for instilling a futurist mind-set in education and training, but also provides an inspiring curriculum for it.

Part 8: Wisdom for the Ages highlights the lessons, ideas, and values of the past that will guide us toward a wiser future.

One idea that truly inspired me was explored in several of these papers. It is the idea that collaborative, "open-source" thinking will have a power far greater than we can now imagine.

This volume, of course, represents only a small sample of the wisdom available at the conference and from the World Future Society as a whole. The dinner host may wish the guest list could be longer, but we hope you will feast heartily and healthfully on what is offered here.

I will leave you with a number to ponder. This volume contains 31 papers by 36 individual contributors. Let us assign each author, somewhat arbitrarily, an average of 25 years of life experience and 25 years of professional experience, for a total of 50 years of "wisdom." (Some authors will find that figure too stingy; others, too generous.) That’s 1,800 years of collective wisdom in your hands right now. Together, I think we can handle the future.

cgw, Bethesda, June 2005

Prepublication Offer! Order your copy now and receive a 20% discount!
Your copy of Foresight, Innovation, and Strategy will be shipped immediately upon publication. Price: $24.95 nonmembers; $19.95 members (for orders placed before August 1).

Note: Foresight, Innovation, and Strategy is free for attendees of the World Future Society's 2005 annual meeting. Institutional and Comprehensive Professional Members of the World Future Society will also receive a complimentary copy of the volume. For more information about the conference and membership programs, visit www.wfs.org.

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