A tour de force of technologies that are defining the present and questions that will shape the future, beautifully interweaved with historical narratives spanning science, fiction, and philosophy.

Gradually. Then suddenly. The cadence of technological change described in this book is paramount. Although Perelmuter covers a wide range of technology domains, the overarching theme in each case is similar. The impact of what is coming must not be underestimated. Certain decisions that may seem small today could be very consequential tomorrow. Looks can be deceiving because of the cadence—gradually, then suddenly. Every policy maker, business leader, entrepreneur, and investor should read this book.

Forget about trying to predict the future—most people struggle to even understand what’s already possible today. Guy Perelmuter writes his world tour with a globalist’s perspective. I challenge you to find a marvel he’s missed.

Present Future is a veritable tour de force. Perelmuter synthesizes the full range of complex, advanced technologies into a readable form for the discerning layperson. Tracing the arc of history, Perelmuter focuses his intellectual spotlight on the unevenly distributed future that awaits humanity.

Present Future is a compelling tour through the technological trends that will be shaping the next 50 years in Silicon Valley and beyond. Perelmuter draws upon his own experiences as a successful tech entrepreneur and investor, and the writings of dozens of other experts, to highlight the most important implications of multiple emerging technologies. Recommended!

Guy reminds us that the future is arriving gradually, then suddenly. Present Future is a fascinating, expert look at the history of the key technological advances affecting life today, and preparation for the exponential leaps yet to come. Essential reading for anyone who wants to marvel at the incredible technological advances of our recent past, and for those who want to help shape where we go from here.

As we barrel through technological change into an unstable future, it will be important to understand how innovation will touch and transform practically every sector of our daily lives. Guy has written a spotter’s guide to outbreaks of the rapidly oncoming future with insight and meticulous attention to detail.

Ranging widely across time and touching upon a huge number of topics in science and technology, Guy Perelmuter gets you to think about the deep history of the most cutting-edge technologies in our society. We can only build the future if we know how we got here, so let Perelmuter be your able guide.

With the context of an economic historian and the on-the-ground insights of an active technology investor, Perelmuter’s Present Future brings readers to the bleeding edge of the science and technologies poised to revolutionize the 21st century. Comprehensive and yet enthralling, the book is a must-read for anyone who has an intellectual or commercial interest in what the future may hold.

Popper, in The Poverty of Historicism, claimed that because the growth of human knowledge cannot be predicted, the future course of human history is not foreseeable. At the same time, we like to quote William Gibson’s ‘The future is already here—it’s just not very evenly distributed.’ In Present Future, Perelmuter is attempting to bridge these two opposing perspectives by delving into specific technologies and using the past to forecast their future impact.

If knowledge is power (and it surely is), then Guy Perelmuter’s excellent book Present Future provides readers serious power as they look to navigate an increasingly complex world. Too often books exploring the future fail to provide the kind of context the past provides. Perelmuter doesn’t make that mistake. He has gathered many minds, plowed through diverse mountains of data, history and thought, and intelligently distilled it all to give us the perceptive and multifaceted handbook we all need to shape things to come with insight and intelligence.

Those who fight for the future live in it today. This book is an invaluable guide to how new technology will shape our future across personal, professional and public life.

In this engaging and thoughtful book, Perelmuter reminds us that the future of innovation is already part of our present, with endless possibilities. He argues that technological change—from artificial intelligence to robotics and quantum computing to nanotechnology —brings great opportunities and responsibilities. Present Future urges investors, entrepreneurs and governments to use the gift of innovation wisely to productively transform how society functions.

A comprehensive survey of action across the entire frontier of advanced technologies is daunting in concept and even more so in execution. Guy Perelmuter has pulled it off, providing an accessible yet historically informed review from the world of algorithms to the world of genomic analysis by way of just about every field of science in between. Most important: he avoids the hype-ridden cheerleading that all too often accompanies accounts of breakthrough innovation. Rather his introductions to the future are thoughtfully accompanied by relevant caveats and contingencies. Thus, Present Future offers an informed and balanced assessment of the technologies driving our lives.