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The Inevitable

Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future

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The Inevitable

By: Kevin Kelly
Narrated by: George Newbern
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About this listen

A New York Times Bestseller

From one of our leading technology thinkers and writers, a guide through the twelve technological imperatives that will shape the next thirty years and transform our lives


Much of what will happen in the next thirty years is inevitable, driven by technological trends that are already in motion. In this fascinating, provocative new book, Kevin Kelly provides an optimistic road map for the future, showing how the coming changes in our lives—from virtual reality in the home to an on-demand economy to artificial intelligence embedded in everything we manufacture—can be understood as the result of a few long-term, accelerating forces. Kelly both describes these deep trends—interacting, cognifying, flowing, screening, accessing, sharing, filtering, remixing, tracking, and questioning—and demonstrates how they overlap and are codependent on one another. These larger forces will completely revolutionize the way we buy, work, learn, and communicate with each other. By understanding and embracing them, says Kelly, it will be easier for us to remain on top of the coming wave of changes and to arrange our day-to-day relationships with technology in ways that bring forth maximum benefits. Kelly’s bright, hopeful book will be indispensable to anyone who seeks guidance on where their business, industry, or life is heading—what to invent, where to work, in what to invest, how to better reach customers, and what to begin to put into place—as this new world emerges.
Forecasting & Strategic Planning Future Studies History & Culture Leadership Management & Leadership Social Sciences Technology & Society Technology Business Computer Science Artificial Intelligence Management Robotics Industrial Real Estate

Critic Reviews

“A quintessential work of technological futurism . . . what’s valuable about The Inevitable, from a business perspective, is less what it says about how to innovate, and more what it says about where to innovate.” – James Surowiecki, strategy + business, “Best Business Books 2017 – Innovation”

"Anyone can claim to be a prophet, a fortune teller, or a futurist, and plenty of people do. What makes Kevin Kelly different is that he's right. In this book, you're swept along by his clear prose and unassailable arguments until it finally hits you: The technological, cultural, and societal changes he’s foreseeing really are inevitable. It’s like having a crystal ball, only without the risk of shattering."
David Pogue, Yahoo Tech

"This book offers profound insight into what happens (soon!) when intelligence flows as easily into objects as electricity."
Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail

“How will the future be made? Kevin Kelly argues that the sequence of events ensuing from technical innovation has its own momentum . . . and that our best strategy is to understand and embrace it. Whether you find this prospect wonderful or terrifying, you will want to read this extremely thought-provoking book.”
Brian Eno, musician and composer

"Kevin Kelly has been predicting our technological future with uncanny prescience for years. Now he's given us a glimpse of how the next three decades will unfold with The Inevitable, a book jam-packed with insight, ideas, and optimism."
Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One


"As exhilarating as the most outlandish science fiction novel, but based on very real trends. Kevin Kelly is the perfect tour guide for this life-changing future."
Mark Frauenfelder, Boing Boing

"Creating a fictional future is easy; Kevin Kelly makes a habit of doing the difficult by showing us where we're actually going. The Inevitable is an eye-opening roadmap for what lies ahead. Science fiction is on its way to becoming science fact."
Hugh Howey, author of Wool

“Automatic must-read.”
—Marc Andreessen, co-founder Andreessen Horowitz
All stars
Most relevant
Excellent story and food for thought. Listened before read, must get it now. Do it.

It's inevitable - must read/listen

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An engaging and entertaining tale which extrapolates from where we are now to where we are headed. My conclusion: What a time to be alive!

An eye-opening peek into our future

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What did you like most about The Inevitable?

It's OK in a way that makes you doubt everything you have done for your child up to the point of listing to this book.
Now I have reservations about everything and have concerns that "lil baby" will grow up to be a fiend.

Not bad if you like babies

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essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the last 30 years and the next 100 years. Exceptionally well written with very erudite and exceptionally compelling

exceptional in every way! essential reading

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I personally found chapters 2 and 11 resonate with me.

The book talks about the next 30 years and where we are going.

It’s very abstract as such there are no tangable actions one can and should do now. It’s a precursor to something tangable I believe.

I really liked how this books identifies and discusses novelty to commodity, any euntrepemures dream.

Eye opening

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