Book Review
by Leopold Mureithi
Professor of Economics
University of Nairobi
making. The range can only be limited by human
imagination and ingenuity.
“The Future of Business”
Editor: Rohit Talwar
B
ased on critical Insights by sixty futurists,
future thinkers, and experts in a range of do-
mains, this book’s “intention is to provide a broad
perspective on the key forces, trends, develop-
ments, and ideas that could redefine our world
over the next two decades. The intention is to
highlight how these “future factors” are shaping
the opportunities, challenges, implications, and
resulting choices for those driving the future of
business.” (p. 1). It is divided into ten sections.
Section one is a one-chapter overview of the
emerging issues. The concluding chapter ties
up the emerging ideas and forms section ten.
The substantive chapters cover a wide range of
aspects of disruptive technologies: computing,
telecommunications, biotechnology,
nanotechnology, genetic engineering, cyptocur-
rencies.
An interesting contribution is the characterization
of “seven primary technologies [that] define “the
possible” for our places, society’s connection to
them, and the resulting creation and use of pro-
perties.” (p. 192). They are transportation, infor-
mation, communications, making, energy (power),
learning and money (TICMELM). All “have ad-
66 HF |
April 2019
All manner of business are possible in the
face of rapid technological change... The
range can only be limited by human imagi-
nation and ingenuity.
-Leopold Mureithi
vanced at an exponential rate, with greater prog-
ress being made over steadily decreasing time
periods.” (p. 282). This is the milieu with which
old and new businesses will have to engage.
The book contains two major sections (8 and 9)
on futures methodology such as design thinking,
participative scenario planning, storifying, wild
cards, critical futures thinking skills, and long
term planning. Such tools are necessary in the
face of rapid changes with attendant vulnerabiliy,
uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA).
When internalized, this would lead to futures pre-
pared (foresight infused) businesses, those ready
to adopt “the possible” and abandon the “used
future (the future that no longer works.)” (p. 510).
Yet, businesses are evolving towards “algo-
rithm-only zero-employee companies.” (p. 415).
Thus, technological unemployment is a rising ten-
dencyin the face of “good life aspirations” (p. 167)
and “a workforce that could span in age from 16
to 90 years as people’s life expectancy rises and,
in order to survive, they are forced to keep wor-
king long past the historical age of retirement.” (p.
1). If a large proportion of the workforce remains
permanently unemployed, there will be need for
unconditional “universal basic income” (p. 2)
financed from the state fiscus. “The system has
been trialed successfully” in some countries. (p.
157).
Simultaneously, there is need to work towards
“A very human business” (p. 569). Such socially
a enriching future is the result of the confluence
among social desirability, technical visibility, and
economic viability. Technology can only enable
things to be done (the how); the what and the why
have to come from the realm of human values. To
further human happiness (p. 82), the book calls
for “digital ethics” (p. 86) and contains a model
digital ethics treaty (p. 91). It argues that “every
algorithm will need a humarithm” (p. 87) placing
humanity at the center of the agenda, protecting
what’s human. In the effort to serve humanity’s
needs “in future there will be new forms of busi-
ness regulations to ensure consistent corporate
behavior across the globe.” (p. 539).
3D printing (additive manufacturing) was ranked
as the “most disruptive technology.” (p. 435).
“While the printing press gave birth to capitalism,
All manner of business are possible in the face
of rapid technological change: use of blockchain
technology, customized forms of telecommu-
nication, wireless power transmission, networ-
king of infrastructure for internet of things (IOT),
enhancement of humans and their ambient
experiences, manufacture of cosmeceuticals, ma-
king of “conscious machines” for business and
society, enhancers of risk analysis and decision
HF | Human Futures 67