The Future Normal: How We Will Live, Work and Thrive in the Next Decade

NEXT BIG IDEA BOOK CLUB 2023 MUST READ BOOK

This is a handbook for visionaries.
Making outlandish predictions about the future is easy. Predicting the future normal is far harder.

For the past decade, Rohit Bhargava and Henry Coutinho-Mason have been on the front lines of exploring the global forces shaping our future normal through their work independently leading two of the most successful trend consultancies in the world: TrendWatching and the Non-Obvious Company.

From donning full body haptic suits to sampling cultivated meat, their work has taken them into cutting-edge labs, private testing facilities, and invite-only showcases across the world. Now for the first time, they are teaming up to share a uniquely eye-opening vision of the future unlike any other.

Across thirty fast-moving chapters, The Future Normal spotlights dozens of ideas and instigators who are changing the world. From biophilic skyscrapers to generative AI, these stories offer an optimistic yet deeply human view of the next decade. Along the way, we also tackle some of the biggest ethical and societal questions raised by all this progress.

In this book, you’ll read about the ideas and instigators that are bringing about new ways to satisfy our fundamental needs and wants, changing not just their industries but also transforming our wider culture and society.

These are the stories of the future normal, and they are coming sooner than you think. For anyone looking to get ready, this book will empower you to seize the opportunities that lie ahead in this crucial decade.

Winner of 16 Book Awards!
2024 AXIOM BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS SILVER MEDAL WINNER
2023 ERIC HOFFER AWARD GRAND PRIZE FINALIST
2023 NYC BIG BOOK AWARD WINNER

ROHIT BHARGAVA is on a mission to help the world be more open-minded by teaching others how to be non-obvious thinkers. He is the founder of the Non-Obvious Company and previously spent 15 years leading brand strategy for large global brands while at Leo Burnett and Ogilvy. Rohit is the #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of ten books, a monthly contributor to Inc magazine and is a popular Adjunct Professor of storytelling, persuasion and marketing at Georgetown University.

Henry Coutinho-Mason is one of the world’s leading authorities on consumer trends, having spent a decade as the managing director of TrendWatching. He is the author of Trend-Driven Innovation and has given more than 100 inspiring and practical keynotes and workshops in 30+ countries, to the world’s biggest brands including J&J, Calvin Klein, Mastercard, the Tata Group, and many more.