Abundance Is Our Future

In “Abundance Is Our Future,” Peter Diamandis argues that despite the constant bad news, long-term trends in lifespan, income, literacy, and the cost of basic needs show the world is steadily improving. He says four forces will speed this up: exponential technologies, DIY innovators, technophilanthropists, and the “rising billion” coming online. The result, he believes, will be a high standard of living for everyone within decades.

 Peter Diamandis  is co-author of Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think.

Since the dawn of humanity, a privileged few have lived in stark contrast to the hardscrabble majority. Conventional wisdom says this gap cannot be closed. But it is closing—and fast.

In Abundance, space entrepreneur turned innovation pioneer Peter H. Diamandis and award-winning science writer Steven Kotler document how progress in artificial intelligence, robotics, digital manufacturing synthetic biology, and other exponentially growing technologies will enable us to make greater gains in the next two decades than we have in the previous 200 years. We will soon have the ability to meet and exceed the basic needs of every person on the planet. Abundance for all is within our grasp.

Breaking down human needs by category—water, food, energy, healthcare, education, freedom—Diamandis and Kotler introduce us to innovators and industry captains making tremendous strides in each area.