The Coming Wave: AI, Power and Our Future (2024) Homo Deus (2016) Spellbound by Marcel: Duchamp, Love, and Art (2022) The New Megatrends: Seeing Clearly in the Age of Disruption (2022) Growth: A Reckoning (2024) Moral AI: And How We Get There (2004) A Natural History of the Future: What the Laws of Biology Tell Us About the Destiny of the Human Species (2023) Code Dependent: How AI Is Changing Our Lives (2024) What We Owe The Future (2023) Good Data: An Optimist's Guide to Our Digital Future (2021) Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture (2024) Why do book collections matter? Book a consultation with a ~personal curator Contact Quick Links Follow us @ultimatelibrary Join our community
11 Books that Look to the Future
18 Feb 2025
As the year begins, we set our sights on the horizon, anticipating the joys and challenges ahead. We imagine the future in hopeful strokes—sometimes lost in prophetic dreams, other times pushing aside distant tomorrows in favour of burying our heads in the present.
To mark our interview with
Michael Bhaskar
, author of visionary works like
Human Frontiers
and
The Coming Wave: AI, Power and Our Future
which calls on innovators to imagine a bigger, brighter future, we’ve curated a selection of forward-thinking titles. While these books aren’t crystal balls, they provide insights into the possibilities, challenges, and advancements that await us. Covering topics from algorithms and AI to cultural shifts and the pursuit of a more ethical world, they illuminate the potential of tomorrow while inspiring us to seize the day.
by Mustafa Suleyman and
Michael Bhaskar
Over the next two decades, robot assistants and quantum computers will reshape our lives. Mustafa Suleyman, a key figure in the technological revolution, argues that the rapid proliferation of these technologies will bring unprecedented prosperity, alongside significant risks. While these innovations promise to transform the way we live, work, and govern, we are largely unprepared for their impact. This essential guide will equip you with the knowledge to understand and navigate the next phase of digitisation.
by Yuval Noah Harari
Yuval Noah Harari, the acclaimed author of
Sapiens
, turns his gaze from humanity’s past to the critical challenges defining the 21st century. With his signature interdisciplinary approach—blending science, history, and philosophy— Harari tackles profound questions: What does the future hold for our species? How can we protect our fragile world from the dangers we ourselves create? Thought-provoking and visionary,
Homo Deus
offers a compelling exploration of the possibilities and risks that lie ahead in our rapidly changing era.
by Ruth Brandon
Art offers a radical lens through which to view the future and the work of Marcel DeChamp was no different, definining devolpments in conceptual art during the 20th Century. Praised by The New York Times as "a delicious and deeply researched portrait of its time," historian Ruth Brandon delves into the life of French artist Marcel Duchamp through the lens of two individuals who once loved him: Henri-Pierre Roché and Beatrice Wood. In 1913, Duchamp’s
Nude Descending a Staircase
shocked the American art world. Two years later, his arrival in New York and presence in the Arensberg salon forever redefined the boundaries of art.
by Marian Salzman
Forecaster Marian Salzman—celebrated for her uncanny ability to predict cultural shifts—traces the evolution of society from the turn of the millennium through the pandemic era and looks ahead to the next two decades. With a sharp eye for global patterns, Salzman weaves insights across business, civic life, consumer behavior, family dynamics, and entertainment, uncovering trends that will redefine our identities, reshape our future, and reinterpret our past.
by Daniel Susskind
Shortlisted for the 2024 Financial Times Business Book of the Year, Daniel Susskind offers a compelling exploration of economic growth—its history, impact, and future. Over the past two centuries, growth has lifted billions out of poverty, shaping global economic life. Yet, this progress has come with significant costs: widening inequality, disruptive technologies, and environmental destruction. In a time of growing skepticism about the value of growth, Susskind argues for a reimagined approach—one that prioritises sustainability and focuses on what truly matters for humanity's future.
by Jana Schaich Borg , Walter Sinnott-Armstrong , Vincent Conitzer
Examining real-world applications like self-driving cars, autonomous weapons, and robot surgeons, leading experts in moral psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence cut through misinformation and address the pressing questions surrounding AI with clarity and rigour. From racial equity to privacy and fake news to ethical warfare, this book offers a thoughtful guide to building a future where AI serves humanity responsibly.~
by Rob Dunn
Biologist Rob Dunn challenges humanity's belief in its dominance over nature, revealing that we are subject to life’s immutable laws rather than its masters. Through examples like antibiotic resistance, natural selection, and the unexpected ecosystems of the London Underground, Dunn uncovers the resilience of life in the face of human interventions—be it artificial islands, toxic waste, or sprawling urbanization. While life on Earth will endure, humanity’s future remains uncertain. This thought-provoking work redefines our understanding of life’s diversity and its ultimate trajectory.
by Madhumita Murgia
Shortlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, Code Dependent by Madhumita Murgia examines how AI is redefining what it means to be human. Through the stories of everyday people far from Silicon Valley, Murgia uncovers the profound impact of powerful yet flawed technologies on individuals, communities, and society at large. With sharp insight, she warns of the consequences if we fail to reclaim our humanity in the face of these transformative forces.
by William MacAskill
Philosopher William MacAskill argues that longtermism—the idea that we must prioritise the well-being of future generations—is the defining moral challenge of our time. While addressing climate change and preventing future pandemics are crucial, they are not enough. MacAskill urges us to broaden our ethical considerations, advocating for a future where we embrace value pluralism and prepare for a world where the most advanced beings may be digital rather than human. Praised by Guardian writer Oliver Burkeman as "unapologetically optimistic and bracingly realistic," this book offers a compelling vision for ethical living that is both inspiring and grounded in practical realism.
by Sam Gilbert
Tech insider and data expert Sam Gilbert challenges the prevailing pessimism surrounding the digital age, offering a refreshing perspective of optimism. While the rise of digital technology has sparked fear, Gilbert highlights how the data explosion is driving progress—combating inequality, creating jobs, advancing knowledge, and even aiding in the fight against coronavirus. With the promise of even greater advancements to come, Gilbert argues that by embracing this revolution we have the potential to vastly improve our lives.
by Kyle Chayka
When proofreader Raimundo Silva daringly inserts a single negative into a historical text, he changes the entire course of the 1147 Siege of Lisbon—and his own life. Instead of facing censure, Raimundo captures the admiration of his new editor, Dr. Maria Sara, who challenges him to create his own version of history. What follows is a moving love story between a proofreader and his inspiring editor, weaving together romance and a profound meditation on how we reimagine the past.
Sign up
for our Ultimate Library newsletter to receive monthly book recommendations, interviews with industry experts and news on our latest projects.
We believe in the power of books to create a sense of place and new perspectives. Our bespoke book collections have a great impact on a guest’s overall experience of a hotel or resort. It’s small extras like books in rooms and library spaces that make a guest’s stay extra special, and many of our clients receive high praise for their book collections. For private clients they make a house their home.
Studio 9, Chelsea Gate Studios~115 Harwood Rd~London Sw6 4QL
+44 (0)208 705 0765
Subscribe to receive monthly book recommendations, expert interviews and news on our latest projects.
Subscribe HERE
Web by:
Akros Design