During the first internet hype, at the end of the nineties last century, the American visionary and main editor of the innovative tech magazine Wired Kevin Kelly (1952) was mainly laughed at. Kelly claimed even then that digitalization of the world would fundamentally change our lives on all fronts, but only a few believed him. His book ‘New rules for the New Economy’ from 1998 (!), however, contains insights that no longer surprise us. Take his analysis of consumer power in web communities or the prediction that our households would be directed for the large part by ‘smart controllers.’ It has all come true and is clearly described in Kelly’s New Rules. Read this book!
The same goes for his magazine Wired and the corresponding site Wired.com. These are still platforms for showcasing forward-thinking visions for digital technology and therefore a must-read for everyone who wants to be in the know. Last year Kelly published a new masterpiece: The Inevitable, in which twelve tech trends are discussed that will change our lives once more the coming twenty years. In Kelly’s words:‘I suggest we must embrace these changes, including ubiquitous tracking, accessible artificial intelligence, constant sharing, getting paid to watch ads, VR in your home, etc.’
The great thing about Kelly is his constant upbeat and optimistic tone, as stressed in many reviews. ‘Kelly’s bright, hopeful book will be indispensable to anyone who seeks guidance on where their business, industry, or life is heading—what to invent, where to work, what to invest in, how to better reach customers, and what to start putting in place—as this new world emerges.’
The Inevitable can be read as an exciting roadmap for the future and was not without reason on the New York Times Best Sellers list for a long time in 2016. The title was generally received enthusiastically, but relegated to the realm of science fiction by some reviewers. Of course, the best would be to read the book yourself. A preview can be found via The Internet Is Still at the Beginning of Its Beginning. Anyone who would like to hear Kevin Kelly himself on The Inevitable, please check: #267: The Technological Forces That Are Shaping Our World or Q&A with Kevin Kelly: The Future of Technology.
