Make, Think, Imagine
LONGLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2019
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'A much-needed antidote to pervasive pessimism' Financial Times
'An ode to the ways in which engineering has improved human civilisation' John Hennessy, Chairman, Alphabet
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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 robots going to take our jobs? Will better healthcare lead to an ageing population that cannot be cared for? 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. Civilisation 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 and was CEO of BP from 1995 to 2007. He is Chairman of the Crick Institute, a Fellow of the Royal Society, past President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and former Chairman of Tate. He is a collector of antique books and art and the author of four previous titles, including The Glass Closet.