Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Life for the next 100 years. This book warmed of pandemics like COVID. Many 5* Amazon reviews of The Future of Almost Everything + chapter on life in the year 2120. How to forecast long term trends. I've been proven right countless times in last 30 years

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

“A brilliant guide to our future, which should be read by every decision-maker, packed with deep insights on a huge number of trends. Patrick Dixon has a great track record over many years in forecasting opportunities, risks and challenges that will affect us all.”  Sir Brian Souter - Chairman, Stagecoach Group Plc

"Absolutely brilliant.  I love this man's exhilarating thinking and writing.  Here are far-sighted insights into the tangible and intangible horizons of future change, underpinned by wisdom abut its ultimate driving force - human nature."  Nigel Nicholson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, London Business School

"Every leader needs to keep ahead of major trends. Think radically and read this book to keep ahead of the future!"  Sinclair Beecham MBE, Co-Founder of Pret A Manger

"Insightful views about the global trends that could shape our future. A thought-provoking tome which should help businesses think differently about the markets of the future."  Linda Yueh, Adjunct Professor of Economics at London Business School, Visiting Professor of Economics at Peking University.

The Future of Almost Everything describes hundreds of key trends which will impact your business and personal life, and explains what it all means for our wider world. Practical insights for leaders and decision-makers in every industry, for government, non-profit organisations. Order The Future of Almost Everything from Amazon. Read FREE SAMPLE of the book.

* "How AI Will Change your life - A Futurist's Guide to a Super-Smart World" - Patrick Dixon's latest book on AI is published in September 2024 by Profile Books.  It contains 38 chapters on the impact of AI across different industries, government and our wider world. 

Order "How AI Will Change Your Life" NOW

Need a world-class keynote speaker for your event? Phone or e-mail Patrick Dixon now.

Read more: Life for the next 100 years. This book warmed of pandemics like COVID. Many 5* Amazon reviews of The Future of Almost Everything + chapter on life in the year 2120. How to forecast long term trends. I've been proven right countless times in last 30 years

18 Books by Patrick Dixon, Futurist keynote speaker on Trends and Strategy - CALL NOW +44 7768 511390

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Patrick Dixon's latest Futurist book is How AI Will Change Your Life - A Futurist's Guide to a Super-Smart World - published September 2024. His last book was The Future of Almost Everything - also published by Profile Books. He has written 18 books in total, mostly on future trends, including  SustainAgility - about the $40 trillion green tech revolution and how profitable innovation will help protect our world. 

See SustainAgility videos and reviews Futurewise and Building a Better Business, with 650,000 books printed in 43 languages (English, French, German, Greek, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Turkish, Thai, Portugese, Estonian, Latvian, Russian, Czech, Hausa, Nepalese, Paite, Hindi, Urdu, Hungarian, Luganda, Nepalese, Telegu, Amharic, Xhosa and Swahili), plus a million free chapters downloaded in just 15 months.

Each book is packed with original research, practical insights and industry / organisational experience. Dr Dixon is often described in the world's media as Europe's leading Futurist, and has been ranked as one of the world's 20 most influential business thinkers.

Call Patrick Dixon NOW on +44 7768 511390 - World-Class Futurist Keynote Speaker

Free copies of "AIDS ACTION" are available now in English, Spanish, French and Russian and many other listed above, in bulk, to organisations for distribution in developing countries - from ACET International Alliance, in partnership with OM. Save lives and care for those affected: donate to ACET online. $15 supports 10 AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe for a month; $130 supports a schools worker in Ukraine for a month; $50 pays for 150 books for project workers in India.

You can read the entire text of 6 of Patrick Dixon's books on this website - free, below.

Need a world-class business author keynote speaker? Phone Patrick Dixon now or email.

Do books have a future?

Read more: 18 Books by Patrick Dixon, Futurist keynote speaker on Trends and Strategy - CALL NOW +44 7768 511390

Building a Better Business - Futurist keynote speaker - book reviews and comments

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Reviews of Building a Better Business - book on business leadership, strategy, innovation, management, marketing and motivation by Dr Patrick Dixon.

Read more: Building a Better Business - Futurist keynote speaker - book reviews and comments

How to win the $20,000 Management Challenge - Futurist Keynote Speaker and author of Building a Better Business

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

The Challenge is described in a new book "Building a Better Business" by Patrick Dixon: “One of the most stimulating and challenging reads in this field for a very long time” Sir Digby Jones, Director General, Confederation of British Industry. “A really helpful guide to success.” Brent Hoberman , co-founder and CEO lastminute.com.* 50% of the author's receipts from sale of this book will be used to support AIDS care and prevention programmes in Africa and Asia.

Prize: $20,000 donation to your favourite charity

You don't have to buy a copy of "Building a Better Business" to enter the $20,000 Challenge, although reading it will help you understand the values behind the challenge, and how to approach it more effectively. The winner can nominate a charity of their choice to receive a donation of $20,000 from Global Change Ltd.  

(NOTE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED - after a decade of trying by many people at online and at conferences, the challenge remained unbroken! A gift of $20,000 has been made by the author to the charity ACET - AIDS Care Education and Training).

Read more: How to win the $20,000 Management Challenge - Futurist Keynote Speaker and author of Building a Better Business

Signs of Revival

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

History of world revival and analysis of the so-called Toronto blessing. Entire text of book online.

Author Dr Patrick Dixon

Read more: Signs of Revival

CyberChurch

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Cyberchurch published by Kingsway. Every day thousands of people pay a visit to cyber churches - faith communities that exist only in the virtual world - social networking. Virtual faith for people - or another dimension to real spirituality?

Read more: CyberChurch

The Rising Price of Love

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Entire text online - browse it now for free

Relationships, Singles, Dating, Marriage, Divorce, Child Welfare

This 275 page free online book on relationships, dating, marriage, children, child welfare, family life, singles, the sexual revolution, cohabitation, by Dr Patrick Dixon, made banner headlines on publication by Hodder in 1995. Backed by hundreds of references, many of which are scientific papers, it questions the sustainability of current trends regarding dating, relationships, marriage, divorce and child welfare. The book correctly anticipated the shift in government thinking - whether left or right wing.

Huge media coverage followed launch of this book. Along with the social, emotional and health costs, Patrick Dixon has actually calculated the financial price of modern morals, with help from the UK government's Actuary Department. He argues that in some parts of Western society, the pendulum is swinging back so fast towards traditional values that government policy is often totally out of step with popular thinking.

Author: Dr Patrick Dixon is author of "The Rising Price of Love" published by Hodder 1995, director of Global Change Ltd.

Read more: The Rising Price of Love

The Truth about AIDS

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Entire text online - browse it now for free

This book hit the front page of three British newspapers in the 24 hours following publication, with two editorials calling for the government's Chief Medical Officer to resign. It also led directly to the launch of a major new international relief agency, ACET (AIDS Care Education and Training), now operating in ten nations. The ten point plan for government action has largely been implemented, and the manifesto for community action has become a reality through ACET. Now entire text of third edition available on net FREE.

"The Truth about AIDS" is published by Kingsway

The Genetic Revolution

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Entire text online - browse it now for free

Within days of publication over thirty British MPs signed a motion calling for this book's Gene Charter to be adopted by Parliament covering ethical and safety issues. But nothing short of international regulation will do. The book is now in second edition and correctly forecast many major headlines since first published in 1993.

"The Genetic Revolution" is published by Kingsway

Full text of The Genetic Revolution - press here

Read more: The Genetic Revolution

The Truth About Westminster

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Future of Parliament and Democracy.  This important book takes us behind the sleaze headlines to ask what life is really like at Westminster, the mother of all Parliaments? Inside 10 Downing Street on the first day of research, Dr Dixon found that he had open access to the heart of power.  Former senior politicians confessed in private interviews to things they felt deeply ashamed of - and explained the pressures of public office.  While keeping his promise to protect their identities, he swiftly found himself in battles with libel lawyers and other powerful figures in public life who feared disclosure. Thousands of pounds of legal costs later, with a new publisher, "The Truth about Westminster" finally rolled off the presses.

One former Minister said:

"In a dictatorship I would have been bumped off - I knew too much. Instead I was sacked"

"MPs confessed things to me that made my hair stand on end, The rot is deep and a change of government won't be enough to root it all out."

"Few MPs are corrupt but the system itself is corrupting, and encourages secrecy together with abuse of power. Most people regard politicians with contempt. Unless Westminster thoroughly reforms itself the place will die, losing powers to Europe on the one hand and to Scottish and other regional assemblies on the other."

"The Truth about Westminster" is published by Kingsway

Read more: The Truth About Westminster

The Truth About Drugs - free book by Dr Patrick Dixon - research on drug dependency, addiction and impact on society of illegal drugs

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Entire text online - browse it now for free

Drug-related killings on the street, countries destabilised by drug addiction, many millions young lives around the world wrecked by drug abuse, tragic addiction deaths.Police chiefs and judges say the war against drugs is lost.Every day calls to soften the law get louder, while parents, schools and governments are confused about how to prevent abuse. At the same time, the worst predictions about new crack epidemics and other drug addiction nightmares have turned out to be drug abuse scare stories.So what is the truth about drug addiction and chemical abuse? What should we expect? How should we respond to growing drug abuse?

Dr Dixon takes a hard look at the facts about drug addiction and drug absue and argues for urgent action.

"Drug addiction is far more serious than most people realise but the good news is that treatment for drug addiction works.There are many practical steps that can be taken to tackle the drug addiction problem. For example random compulsory testing for both drugs and alcohol should be introduced widely to identify those who need help, increase productivity and protect public safety.

How we became a nation of drug addicts

How Marijuana and other drugs impact the brain

Why drug epidemics come and go

The role of genes and personality

The cost of drug addiction and control - health and law

Why governments are scared of prevention

Treatment of drug addiction works - cure and harm reduction

Legalization - disaster or the only way forward?

Dr Dixon concludes with a ten point plan for the government and a practical way forward for parents, teachers and others concerned about drug addiction.

Dr Patrick Dixon MA MBBS has been involved in the AIDS field for more than ten years and has seen at first hand in several continents the personal destruction caused by drug addiction.He is well known as an author, broadcaster and lecturer on global trends. Other books include The Truth about AIDS, The Genetic Revolution, The Rising Price of Love and The Truth about Westminster.

Read more: The Truth About Drugs - free book by Dr Patrick Dixon - research on drug dependency, addiction and impact on society of illegal drugs

Futurewise - Six Faces of the Future - RealVideo

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

This page about Futurewise book has moved to HERE

The Truth About Westminster - Reviews - VIDEO

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Sleaze in British Politics - Real or Imagined?

(On launch of Truth about Westminster - Archive of 1996 book and media coverage for interest - also see 2007 video below on future of government)

The Truth About Westminster - Interview

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Sensational interview with former Conservative Minister who confesses to involvement in keeping secret a major scandal. Millions due in compensation if truth comes out.

Great interest in Dr Patrick Dixon's book on integrity in British public life published by Kingsway.

Read more: The Truth About Westminster - Interview

Building a Better Business - ARTICLE IN DANISH

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Building a Better Business and other speeches by Dr Patrick Dixon - on IT innovation, creative design

Read more: Building a Better Business - ARTICLE IN DANISH

Aids And You

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

Entire text online - browse it now for free

Unless something changes over 200 million men, women and children will die of AIDS. The epidemic is spreading faster than ever in the poorest nations, killing four times as many people every week as a decade ago.How can churches and Christian individuals save lives and care for those affected?

• The truth about AIDS
• How to stop the epidemic
• Questions people ask
• How to stay happy and healthy
• What to do if you are worried
• AIDS in your church
• The judgement of God?
• Unconditional love
• What should we teach about condoms?
• Why AIDS is a development issue
• What you and I can do to help today

Aids and You - free online book by Dr Patrick Dixon, published by Kingsway 1989, 1990, 2002, 2004 with completely new edition "AIDS Action" published 2010.

Read more: Aids And You

The Island of Bolay

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

The Island of Bolay is a fast-moving thriller with a clear message about future bio-threats, written by Patrick Dixon - has been sold in airport bookshops.   An Air Ambulance doctor discovers that rescue flights are being used to smuggle biological weapons - hidden in medical equipment.  He is in a race against time to evade capture and prevent a terrorist attack.

"Feels as if it was penned by Frederick Forsyth - ingeniously constructed, tense and correct in every detail. Dixon's tightly crafted prose moves quickly through a series of plots, subplots and flashbacks. From the opening pages the narrative grabs readers by the lapels and pulls them into a world of deception, murder and romance. Definitely take this one to the seaside this summer." Woman Alive magazine.

Dr Patrick Dixon, author of The Island of Bolay, published by Harper Collins, commented on the background to the thriller:

"Much greater efforts are needed to get nations to halt further development of these technologies."

Read on for background and research on which the book is based.

Read more: The Island of Bolay

FUTUREWISE 4th Edition - Global Trends - Growth Strategies - Take Hold of Your Future - Futurist Keynote Speaker - Summary of Key Messages to Corporations

Dr Patrick Dixon MBE: Futurist Keynote Speaker - Futurist Books - free books on Future Trends

4th edition of Dr Patrick Dixon's highly acclaimed book on what the future will be like, and strategies for growth: an early warning system for future business and personal life. Dr Dixon's perspectives have stood the test of time. 

FOR LATEST FUTURIST BOOK:  The Future of Almost Everything

Futurewise contained detailed research into latest trends, consumer insights, industry innovation and long range forecasts.  Book describes Six Faces of the FUTURE - F ast, U rban, T ribal, U niversal, R adical, E thical.

DR DIXON HAS BEEN PROVEN A RELIABLE GUIDE ON GLOBAL TRENDS OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS FOR HUNDREDS OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST CORPORATIONS - 4 EDITIONS OF FUTUREWISE SINCE 1998 - SEE LIST OF PREDICTONS IN LINK BELOW.

Reviews of Futurewise:

Business Executive Magazine - 'Fascinating and in some ways terrifying book. It is a vital read if you want to get a glimpse of what the future may hold for all of us.' Professional Manager - 'very readable. Covers a staggeringly wide subject range'.

"The best book on future trends I have ever read" - Hans-Dieter Vontobel, Chairman Bank Vontobel

"A must-read for anyone keen to understand what the future holds for them." - Lynda Gratton, Associate Professor London Business School

"A momentous achievement" - Professor Zuhayr Mikdashi, School of Business Studies, University of Lausanne

"If you want to intelligently invent your own future, this is the guidebook" - James Johnson, President and CEO Eikon Strategies

See Patrick Dixon's latest Futurist book:  The Future of Almost Everything

Can a Futurist REALLY predict the future?  JUDGE FOR YOURSELF:  Here are a stack of predictions I made in Futurewise previous editions going back to 1998 and in other earlier books etc.

Need a world-class Futurist keynote speaker? Phone Patrick Dixon now or email.

Video of keynote at Google travel industry event - structure around Futurewise - Six Faces of Global Change - see below.

Many executives are feeling battered and bruised right now. Hit by one event after another, there’s little time to regroup or reflect, and the top of a corporation can be a lonely place. Profit warnings, share price pressures, mergers, reorganisations, relocations, disposals, painful layoffs and great geopolitical uncertainties can sweep away even the most comprehensive strategies – and that’s despite outstanding management over many years.

These are exceptionally difficult times and it has never been more important to connect planning to executive board thinking than now. It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture in the rush to cut infrastructure cost and conserve cash. Hopefully you succeed in protecting the business, satisfying shareholders and analysts, but what about capacity and flexibility, morale and momentum?

To be a winner in the next three years you need to use the downturn to reshape for growth, propelled by an unshakeable conviction that your mission is still important, that more prosperous times lie ahead, and that in some way your company infrastructure is helping to build a better kind of world. Your own passion for running the race matters most of all in a downturn when people are insecure, see only savage cost savings, and loyalty is tested.

The future is about emotion, not just innovation, fashions, technology and political change.  If you want to understand the future - connect with the passions people have.

Your corporation’s future will be dominated by six factors, or faces of a cube, spelling F U T U R E.

Need a world-class Futurist keynote speaker? Phone Patrick Dixon now or email.

Fast

The world is changing faster than boards can think, and far faster than management can respond. Gone are the days when grand plans could be made with confidence for a post-merger HQ. In today's economy you may be overtaken by further consolidation and perhaps even by the entire reorganisation of the corporation. We have to think differently. Survival means scenario planning as far as possible before events happen, with rapid response plans, making every logistics dollar count. Market research can’t predict the future in a rapidly changing world – it just shows what consumers and internal clients think. We need bifocal leadership: clear short-range thinking and sharp action now to steer through the downturn, as well as accurate vision and steady nerves to see beyond.

Look out for the next big wave of techno-social-change which will profoundly alter office and manufacturing requirements as well as client relationships – we are still in the first day of the digital age, the first 10 minutes of social networks, and many corporations are distracted by other pressures. Who’s watching your radar screen? Where does your own team get fresh insights from? Who’s bringing external perspectives to protect you from institutional blindness? Who’s watching your own back? New technology is dramatically speeding up back-end integration of incompatible IT systems but this will continue to be an area of major concern and should be at the centre of thinking about every new IT project.

Urban

Big demographic and social “lifestyle” shifts will impact your customer requirements in this new decade with profound changes in working practices. Every aspect of life is being transformed with fickle fashions, ageing but wealthy populations, retired people inheriting trillions of dollars, aggressive war for top talent, female consumer influence, designer biotech life, human cloning, medical breakthroughs, virtual relationships and a host of other factors, including the huge untapped challenge of megacity markets in emerging economies. These society changes are fundamental to the future shape of your business, in many ways indirectly because they will alter how people think and feel. Soft factors may create your greatest new business opportunities. But are your teams gearing up to exploit them?

Tribal

Although the world is increasingly globalised, tribalism is the most powerful force on earth, when a group of people identify only with each other. It’s more powerful than nuclear bombs, or the combined might of the US, Russian and Chinese military. We see it around the world in 100s of tribal conflicts and tensions and in recent events, fuelled by growing global inequality and anger at perceived injustice. Attention will be focussed around the world on these issues. Terrorism will continue, but will not win. Individuals will respond by sacrificing personal liberties for increased security, and by resolving that normal life must go on.

Yet tribalism is also a huge positive force. It’s the basis of every family and every neighbourhood. Tribalism makes us proud to be who we are, and gives us national identity. It also affects us all through niche branding and product loyalty: every one of your successful products creates a tribe and every successful organisation is one. Tribalism is the secret of your strongest teams, corporate character, people movements and product lines. The key to all successful mergers and leadership is harnessing tribal culture. Team leaders manage up to twelve others, but tribal leaders create dynamic people movements of more than 100,000. Are you making tribalism work for you, rebuilding group confidence and a sense of belonging at a time of workforce reductions?

Are you paying enough attention to tribalism when planning and running global operations? The current geopolitical situation makes it even more important that all operations on the ground are conducted with utmost sensitivity to local customs and culture.

Universal

The opposite of Tribal is Universal. Globalisation, the emergence of the global super-brand and huge pressures to manage global operations more effectively, using new technologies, emergence of complex digital communities, multichannel marketing, virtual teams and companies.

We are still playing games with globalisation. Many executives I know are already spending more than six weeks a year at 35,000 feet, and it’s no fun anymore. Successful multinationals need totally new management models to grow beyond constraints of constant air travel to meetings. Daylight is now the biggest barrier to the global village – because people have to get out of bed to attend virtual meetings.

The future of Europe – will be dominated by conflict between two equal and opposite forces: tribalism is causing many European countries to fragment, and universalism is welding these same fragile nations into one super-state.  Expect further stresses in the Eurozone, until some countries are forced out, or force into more rigorous controls on spending by their governments. It is strange that countries were rushing into total one-ness at the same time as neighbours were killing each other for speaking with the wrong accent or language. Low-grade ethnic cleansing by intimidation and violence is a daily reality in Europe – not only in bits of former Yugoslavia but also in the UK (Northern Ireland) and elsewhere. Tread carefully in pan-European business deals. It may all look Euro-ised from the outside, but beneath may be pure tribalism.

Globalisation will dominate the shape of all large corporations as competitors realign through rapid mergers, acquisitions, disposals or new partnerships. However reactions to globalisation will grow and require careful handling. Powerful global structures will emerge and affect your international interests. Are you being radical enough in globalising your operations and structures?

Radical

Few of your workforce or clients are likely to be active members of political parties, compared to the vast numbers who have signed petitions or campaigned for causes. With the death of left / right politics and weakening of “big” government power, corporations are increasingly vulnerable to attack by single issue groups. Examples include the war against terrorism, animal welfare, and child labor in the textiles industry. As Swiss banks found with Nazi gold, Shell found with oil rig dumping, Nestle found with baby milk products, Nike with factories in emerging nations, and MacDonalds with beef-contaminated French-fry oil in India, these issues strike hard and their impact can be hard to predict. Clear policies, strong values and rapid media response teams are vital.

Sustainability and environment are single issues that will continue to drive innovation and change for the next 20 years.

Ethical

What kind of world do you want to live in anyway? And what about your children or grandchildren? Whenever I talk to CEOs about the future, they end up talking about the personal concerns they have, their values, priorities, ethics, motivation, and spirituality – and all these will be key issues for large corporations, even more so following recent events.

The heart of our society has always been stirred by more than money, but even more so today. For example in countries like the US 60% of adults and teenagers give time to causes they believe in – an average of 200 hours a year each, equivalent in value to 4.5% of GDP or 12% of the Fed budget. We’ve seen a huge increase in a decade. You’ll learn more in five minutes asking a colleague what organisations or causes they give time to, than in five months working in a team planning a new office, call centre or factory.

Retaining and motivating top executives will mean far more than money in future. Personal work motivation has already changed dramatically in the last five years and will continue to do so. It’s much deeper than work-life balance. The key to capturing people’s passion will be showing how your operations and infrastructure builds a better kind of world, not only for individual people and their families, but also for the community and for the whole of humanity. Then people will be proud to work for you, and to by your products and services. How do you measure up?

And finally…

The six faces form a cube but the cube is weighted. Most executives see the world mainly as Fast, Urban and Universal – but how many people in a nation need to be very Radical, Ethical and Tribal to change your world? Fortune 500 CEOs and Chairmen usually tell me just 0.5-2%. And just one shareholder on a mission to change a corporation can be enough to keep a CEO awake at night before an AGM. You can’t keep all the faces in view at once so… keep turning the cube.

Article written in 2002, updated 2012

See Patrick Dixon's latest Futurist book:  The Future of Almost Everything

Need a world-class Futurist keynote speaker? Phone Patrick Dixon now or email.