The Ten Most Useful Books for Understanding Our Perspective
from A Message from Future Generations
by Allen Tough, Ph.D., University of Toronto
email tough @ ieti.org
This list of books comes from A Message From Future Generations. These are the books that future generations recommend we read in order to understand the very long-term perspective.
- Emmanuel Agius and Salvino Busuttil (editors). What future for future generations? Papers from one of the stimulating conferences sponsored by the Future Generations Programme, Foundation for International Studies, University of Malta.
- Wendell Bell. Foundations of futures studies. A comprehensive guide to studying the future.
- Norman Care. On sharing fate. The need to take our needs into account, since you and we share the same fate.
- Caring for the earth: A strategy of sustainable living. A total plan of bold action to sustain the planet.
- Eric Chaisson. The life era: Cosmic selection and conscious evolution. In the history of the universe, we are now probably entering the era of widespread life and diverse civilizations.
- Donella Meadows, Dennis Meadows, and Jorgen Randers. Beyond the limits: Confronting global collapse; envisioning a sustainable future. Understanding the planet, and moving toward a better relationship with it.
- Ernest Partridge (editor). Responsibilities to future generations: Environmental ethics. Several philosophers discuss your relationship with us.
- Jonathan Schell. The fate of the earth. A profound and powerful look at the horrors that you may inflict on us.
- Thinking about future generations and Creating a new history for future generations. Two collections of wide-ranging essays by some of the best thinkers about future generations. (Kyoto: Institute for the Integrated Study of Future Generations, Future Generations Alliance Foundation.)
- Allen Tough. Crucial questions about the future. What is most important, how can you achieve a positive future, and how can you help us? (USA: University Press of America. Other countries: Adamantine Press.)
Ten additional suggestions for further reading
- Alan Durning. How much is enough? The consumer society and the fate of the earth. One of many useful books from the staff of the Worldwatch Institute.
- Future generations journal of the global network on responsibilities towards future generations and their environment. Published by the Future Generations Programme at the University of Malta.
- Future survey: A monthly abstract of books, articles, and reports concerning forecasts, trends, and ideas about the future. Indispensable. Edited by Michael Marien and published by the World Future Society.
- Futures: The journal of forecasting, planning and policy. A forum for some of the most thoughtful writing on the future.
- Hans Kung and Karl-Josef Kuschel (editors). A global ethic: The declaration of the Parliament of the World's Religions. Toward a global ethic based on beliefs that are common to all religions.
- Martha Rogers. Learning about global futures: An exploration of learning processes and changes in adults. Patterns of the mind, heart, and soul when people face the reality of future generations. (Doctor of Education dissertation at the University of Toronto.)
- Richard A. Slaughter. New thinking for the new millennium: The knowledge base of futures studies. This book, plus his subsequent "Knowledge Base of Futures Studies" series, provides a panorama of relevant ideas from around the world.
- Allen Tough. "Making a pledge to future generations" (Futures January 1993 and The Futurist May 1993) and "What future generations need from us" (Futures December 1993 and The Futurist March 1995). For the second article, people in nine countries role-played future generations and composed a message.
- Warren Wagar. The next three futures: Paradigms of things to come. A bold conceptual framework for organizing the various approaches to the future.
- Edith Brown Weiss. In fairness to future generations: International law, common patrimony, and intergenerational equity. A legal approach that takes our needs and rights into account.
Copyright © 1995 by Allen Tough. All rights reserved.
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