Technology vs. Humanity: The Coming Clash between Man and Machine

    LONDON, ENGLAND, September 07, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Fast Future Publishing is delighted to announce the launch of this ground breaking new book by futurist and humanist Gerd Leonhard, in which he explores the critical challenges and choices we face in balancing mankind's urge to upgrade and automate everything (including human biology itself) with our timeless quest for freedom and happiness.

The book is available at http://www.fastfuturepublishing.com and there is a 20% pre-launch discount for purchases made before the September 8th launch date.

The ever quickening pace of digital transformation has driven a migration from the mainframe to the desktop to the laptop to the smartphone to wearables and soon to brain-computer interfaces. As we blur the distinction between human and machine with implants and ingestible inserts, Gerd Leonhard makes a last-minute clarion call for an honest debate and a more philosophical exchange on what society needs and wants and how to steer the relentless pace of technological innovation.

Leonhard argues that "Before it's too late, we must stop and ask the big questions: How do we embrace technology without becoming it? How do we ensure all technological progress is geared towards the service of humanity? When it happens--gradually, then suddenly--the machine era will create the greatest watershed in human life on Earth and we as humans have to be in control of it."

In 'Technology vs. Humanity' Leonhard puts a spotlight on the issues and developments that will shape our world:

•What are the technological megashifts that will transform life, work, business, the economy,
and government?
•Will scientific advances enable the next generation live to be 200?
•Is Digital Obesity the next big pandemic?
•Are we approaching the end of work-as-we-know-it?
•Will we all be eating printed food in the future?
•Why don't 'Big Data', the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence have the same kind of
global governance policies and standards that we've demanded and imposed on previous
technological revolutions such as nuclear power?
•How can we address the urgent need for Digital Ethics before Silicon Valley and its cohorts
assume mission control for the species previously known as homo sapiens?

We are rushing ever faster towards a society shaping clash between technology and humanity. So, if we are indeed the last fully 'human-only' generation on Planet Earth, shouldn't 2016 see the start of a conversation about where all this is leading?

Gerd asks us; what moral values are we prepared to stand up for--before being human alters its meaning forever?

Gerd Leonhard is a new kind of futurist schooled in the humanities as much as in technology. In his most provocative book to date, he explores the exponential technological changes swamping our societies, providing rich insights and deep wisdom for business leaders, professionals and anyone with decisions to make in this new era.

Presenting the kind of big-picture analysis once practiced by Greek philosophers, 'Technology vs. Humanity' challenges us as humans to remain toolmakers rather than become toolmade.

'Technology vs. Humanity' by Gerd Leonhard is published 8th September by Fast Future Publishing.

This is the second in Fast Future Publishing's FutureScapes series of books looking at the core issues and ideas shaping the future agenda for mankind.

Fast Future Publishing
http://www.fastfuturepublishing.com

We are a new breed of publisher founded by three futurists - Rohit Talwar, Steve Wells, and April Koury. Our goal is to profile the latest thinking of established and emerging futurists, foresight researchers, and future thinkers from around the world, and to make those ideas accessible to the widest possible audience in the shortest possible time. Our FutureScapes book series is designed to address a range of critical agenda setting futures topics that we believe are relevant to individuals, governments, businesses, and civil society. Technology vs. Humanity is the second book in the series.

Our first book, The Future of Business, provides 60 fast moving chapters and 566 pages of cutting-edge thinking from 62 future thinkers in 21 different countries on four continents. Traditional publishers would take two years to deliver a book of this magnitude; we completed the journey from idea to publication in just 19 weeks. We have also created an innovative business model that bypasses most of the traditional publishing practices and inefficiencies, embracing digital era exponential thinking and applying it to transform the publishing process, the distribution approach, and the profit sharing model.

Our publishing model ensures that our authors, core team members, and partners on each book share in its profits. Additionally, a proportion of profits are allocated to a development fund to finance causes related to the core topic. For The Future of Business, the fund will be used to finance scholarships for those wanting to take courses in foresight research and practice. For Technology vs. Humanity, the fund will be targeted at initiatives that seek to further the debate.

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