Where's It Going? (Prospects for Tomorrow) [Paperback]

Ian Pearson (Author), Chris Winter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000 | Series: Prospects for Tomorrow

An examination of the profound developments in information technology, predicting the seamless merging of communication, computing and consumer electronics in coming years. The authors are futurologists who explore the significance of these developments and their radical impact not only on business and economic systems but also on the very structure of society. Computers will talk to one another; new textiles will control the body's temperature; and smart buildings will monitor and alter heat, light, music, decoration and mood. People will work in local technology centres, while retail outlets will give way to personal agents who choose goods from the Internet. As networks link individuals far and wide, governments will find it harder to control what happens within their boundaries; sophisticated new surveillance techniques could threaten individual freedoms and cyberwars could wreak terrible technological destruction. Will we accept that our species could make a great evolutionary leap forward by becoming part human, part machine?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ian Pearson is a futurologist at British Telecommunications. Chris Winter is Development Director in Cyberlife Technologies at BT.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500281378
• ISBN-13: 978-0500281376
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,087,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A scenario for Tommorrow!, September 22, 2002

By 

CHING-MIN CHIU (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where's It Going? (Prospects for Tomorrow) (Paperback)

¡§Imaging yourself sitting in front of a computer in the year 2020. What do you see?¡¨ (Pearson & Chris, 1999, p.40) If you have no clue, and do not know where you should start, ¡§Where¡¦s IT Going¡¨ is a nice read for you who is interested in the future developments of Information Technology. In this book, two futurologists, Pearson and Winter provide a vision for readers in which Information Technology develops into a global infrastructure that can support most of aspect of human culture. According to them, the process and development of technology will be extremely profound. They discuss the technical changes and how these changes will be implemented. They map out a possible scenario in terms of hardware, software, communication, commerce, education and most importantly, humanity. In the last chapter: ¡§What is human?¡¨ Pearson and Chris argue that ¡§within the next fifty years¡¨ we will be able to control the evolutionary process. ¡§Homo sapiens is now able to take control of both the speciation process and the move from carbon to silicon life forms. We believe that this change is inevitable¡¨ (Pearson & Chris, 1999, p.110).

However, the future that Pearson and Winter portray seems too optimistic and lacks of comprehensive considerations of political, economic and social perspectives. For instance, they overlook the digital divide and wealth gap between the developed world and the developing countries. ¡§A number of new technologies will enable much more rapid development that was previously possible.¡¨ ¡§These countries quickly develop skills and move up the wealth ladder¡¨ (Pearson & Chris, 1999, p.93). Nevertheless, in my opinion, many of their forecasts are more favorable to ¡§techno-utopia¡¨ and relatively ignore realistic circumstances that people actually decide what they are going to adopt and what to reject. Therefore, I would say that this book is a base for having a glace of how technologies go in the next twenty years rather than an answer of our future.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Chips in your potato chips, March 1, 2002

By 

Joshua Jacobs (Kailua, HI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where's It Going? (Prospects for Tomorrow) (Paperback)

This book explores the world of possibilities enabled by advances science, with a focus on chip technology. With "disposable" computer chips which can network with each other, the implications on society are seemingly limitless. At least that's what the authors of "Where's IT Going?" would have us believe.

Computer chips that can be ingested for biometric monitoring is one example of the many innovative uses envisioned for the future of information technology. This particular example is indeed close to reality. The science discussed in this book is not the eye-opening material; it is the social and sociological consequences of this science that make the book a compelling read. The authors may or may not have it "right" when they talk of the future of society, but their views certainly stimulate interesting discussions of the possibilities. The technology is coming. With the aid of the views proposed in this book, it is interesting to contemplate how our society will evolve in response to these technological changes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Where's IT Going? Will people be ready for IT?, January 8, 2002

By 

Yun-Bin Hsu (Aiea, Hawaii United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where's It Going? (Prospects for Tomorrow) (Paperback)

Have you ever wondered how the future will be? If you have, Where's IT Going is one book that you have to read. The book is written by two futurologists named Ian Pearson and Chris Winter and some ideas where are written in this book shocked me when I was reading it. The book talks about concepts that already existed, such as VR and electronic cash, but it also talks about concepts of the ego badge, smart clothing, microbots, intelligent agents, and more concepts that people today would not even dream about happening. However, intelligence is one thing that every computer will have in the future. The computers will be so smart and powerful that programmers will no longer be needed. Chips with everything will turn on the lights when people walk into a room, inform people when fruit should be discarded, give cooking instruction, and even pinpoint position. The authors also talks about intelligent agents who will inform people when the price of a good from certain brands has decreased or make travel arrangement. The authors not only introduced new concepts, but they also talk about impacts on creativity, financial systems, physical things, and social institutions and behavior. A lot of new concepts that the authors wrote in the book are true eye-opening and will sure come to reality, but many problems will also occur at the same time. One questions then arised: are we ready for the future where computers are smarter than us?