Discover Christmas gifts we know they'll love
History for Tomorrow

History for Tomorrow

Inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity

Summary

What can humankind's rich history of radical revolts teach us about the power of disobedience to change climate policy? What inspiration could we take from seventeenth century Japan to create a regenerative economy today? How might the history of financial capitalism help us understand what it takes to bring AI under control?

Here, leading social philosopher Roman Krznaric unearths fascinating insights and inspiration from the last 1000 years of world history that could help us confront the most urgent challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century. From bridging the inequality gap and keeping AI under control, to reviving our faith in democracy and avoiding ecological collapse, History for Tomorrow shows that history is not simply a means of understanding the past but a way of reimagining our relationship with the future. Krznaric shows how, time and again, societies have risen up, often against the odds, to tackle challenges and overcome crises. History can offer a vision for radical hope that could turn out to be our most vital tool for surviving and thriving in the turbulent decades ahead.

Reviews

  • Essential thinking about the big issues facing the world today
    Brian Eno

About the author

Roman Krznaric

Roman Krznaric is a social philosopher whose books, including The Good Ancestor, Empathy, The Wonderbox and How to Find Fulfilling Work, have been published in more than twenty-five languages. He is Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University's Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing and founder of the world's first Empathy Museum.

Roman has been named by the Observer as one of Britain's leading popular philosophers. His TED talk 'How to be a good ancestor' has been viewed over 1.5 million times. His writings have been widely influential amongst political and ecological campaigners, education reformers, social entrepreneurs and designers. He is an acclaimed public speaker, and his talks and workshops have taken him from a London prison to Google's headquarters in California.

After growing up in Sydney and Hong Kong, he studied at the universities of Oxford, London and Essex, where he gained his PhD in political sociology. Roman has worked as an academic, a gardener and a human rights campaigner. He is also a fanatical real tennis player and has a passion for making furniture.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more