Make, Think, Imagine: Engineering the Future of Civilization

An impassioned defense of progress and innovation—and an argument for social responsibility from engineer, businessman, and former CEO of BP Lord John Browne.

Today's unprecedented pace of change leaves many people wondering what new technologies are doing to our lives. Has social media robbed us of our privacy and fed us with false information? Are the decisions about our health, security and finances made by computer programs inexplicable and biased? Will these algorithms become so complex that we can no longer control them? Are robots going to take our jobs? Can we provide housing for our ever-growing urban populations? And has our demand for energy driven the Earth's climate to the edge of catastrophe?

John Browne argues that we need not and must not put the brakes on technological advance. Civilization is founded on engineering innovation; all progress stems from the human urge to make things and to shape the world around us, resulting in greater freedom, health and wealth for all. Drawing on history, his own experiences and conversations with many of today's great innovators, he uncovers the basis for all progress and its consequences, both good and bad. He argues compellingly that the same spark that triggers each innovation can be used to counter its negative consequences. Make, Think, Imagine provides an eloquent blueprint for how we can keep moving towards a brighter future.

 John Browne trained as an engineer, was CEO of BP from 1995 to 2007, and remains an influential leader in the energy business. He is chairman of the Crick Institute, a fellow of the Royal Society and the US Academy of Arts and Sciences, and former president of the Royal Academy of Engineering and former chairman of Tate. He is a collector of antique books and the author of four previous titles, including The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out is Good Business and Seven Elements that Changed the World, also available from Pegasus Books. John lives in London.