As the year draws to a close, we've put together a carefully chosen selection of books that particularly impressed our researchers and staff. From social upheaval and technological challenges to personal development, they offer profound insight into the issues that will shape our future.
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'Nexus: A brief history of information networks from the Stone Age to AI' by Yuval Noah Harari
In 'Nexus,' Yuval Noah Harari, the renowned historian and best-selling author, examines the impact of the AI revolution on our society. GDI Head of Strategic Services Susan Shaw says, "Harari's 'Nexus' is essential reading for anyone eager to understand how AI is changing our world and discover the challenges that lie ahead."
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'Program or be programmed: Eleven commands for the AI Future' by Douglas Rushkoff
Douglas Rushkoffs aktualisierte Ausgabe von «Program Or Be Programmed» schliesst nahtlos an Hararis Überlegungen an. Principal Researcher Karin Frick hebt hervor: «Rushkoffs Werk ist ein Weckruf. Es zeigt uns, wie wichtig es ist, die Sprache der Technologie zu verstehen, um in einer KI-geprägten Zukunft selbstbestimmt agieren zu können.» Rushkoff wird übrigens am European Trend Day on 12th March 2025.
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'Views' by Marc-Uwe Kling
Marc-Uwe Kling's 'Views' shows us the potential pitfalls of a society dominated by social media. Senior Researcher Christine Schäfer comments: "Kling's brutal political thriller shows in a frighteningly realistic way how violence can spill over from the internet into the real world. It's a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of the media."
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'Unsere Überlebensformel: Neun globale Krisen und die Lösungen der Wissenschaft' (Our survival formula: nine global crises and the solutions of science) by Ulrich Eberl
Ulrich Eberls «Unsere Überlebensformel» bietet einen hoffnungsvollen Ausblick auf wissenschaftliche Lösungsansätze für die drängendsten Probleme unserer Zeit. CEO Lukas Jezler empfiehlt: «Das Werk ist eine inspirierende Lektüre, die zeigt, wie Innovationen uns helfen können, globale Krisen zu bewältigen.»
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'Der unendliche Augenblick: Warum Zeiten der Unsicherheit so wertvoll sind' (The infinite moment: Why times of uncertainty are so valuable) by Natalie Knapp
Natalie Knapps «Der unendliche Augenblick» fokussiert Übergänge in der Natur, des menschlichen Lebens und in der Gesellschaft. Tanja Ineichen, Head of Leadership & Transformation, betont: «Die Philosophin Knapp plädiert dafür, Übergänge in ihrer Intensität wertzuschätzen. So verlagert sich die Nützlichkeit dieser Phasen von der Zukunft in die Gegenwart. Denn: Zukunft wächst aus der Gegenwart».
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'Think big - shop small: Unique stores and contemporary retail design' by Marianne Julia Strauss
Senior Researcher Gianluca Scheidegger recommends 'Think big - shop small' by Marianne Julia Strauss because it is visually impressive: "This beautiful coffee-table book uses innovative store concepts and carefully designed shops to show how inspirational bricks-and-mortar retailing can be. It perfectly complements our more text-heavy recommendations."
The outlook for 2025
We recommend two highly promising books for the coming year:
- Daniel Susskind's 'Growth: A reckoning' promises a critical appraisal of our growth paradigm. The work was mentioned on Barack Obama's list of favourite books of 2024. The best-selling author will also be speaking at the GDI Trend Day on 12th March 2025.
- 'Systems ultra: Making sense of technology in a complex world' by Georgina Voss helps us to better understand the complex technological systems of our time.
We wish you plenty of inspirational reading time, happy holidays and a great start to 2025!