Future Files: Testimonials & reviews

“Cheaper than a crystal ball and twice as fun... part Jules Verne, part Malcolm Gladwell, Watson has a puckish sense of humor and his book is a thought-provoking, laughter-inducing delight” Publishers Weekly (US)

“Richard Watson’s book is as much about analysing the speed and robustness of trends that are already emerging to distinguish between short-term fads and long-term shifts. The book is at its most interesting when Watson makes specific predictions for how everyday objects will change.” Irish Times

“Richard writes in a very clear fashion and presents a myriad of ideas and possibilities in a very readable and accessible way. It is a great read for anyone wanting to think about what the future might hold.” Emergent Futures

“A Must Read. Well written and concise predictions.” MediaFuturist.com

“Inspirational read. Take a peek 50 years into the future with this fascinating map of the trends that will change our lives for the better, as well as those things we’ll leave behind. Mind-blowing predictions are interlaced with fictional letters from the future at the end of each chapter to better illustrate the effect of these scientific advances on people’s lives.” Soul & Spirit

“Provocative, entertaining, and full of surprising facts. A book to help you decide whether the world is going mad or possibly becoming more intelligent” Theodore Zeldin, author of An Intimate History of Humanity

“Overall, Watson delivers a sane, crisp and stimulating report from the futures frontier” Richard Neville in the Australian Literary Review

“I found myself warming to his (Watson’s) intense curiosity about what is going on in the world and I appreciated the absence of academic snobbery” Simon Caterson in The Age

“The book... is fascinating, frightening and strange” Esther Van Doornum in Bookseller & Publisher

“I just read your book, the total and cover having caught my eye at the local library. It was GREAT, and I am recommending it to everyone I know who actually thinks farther than tomorrow. Some of your observations were so right on they had me nodding my head "yeah" as I read along. Please keep doing what your doing, because we need people like you to take a REAL look at what lies ahead and try to prepare ourselves and get our children ready as best we can.” A Reader

“Watson... does not at all sound like the crazy, eccentric professor who drawls with wide-eyed expressions in the movie Back To The Future. He simply is a guy who likes to sneak up on the future and muse about it through writing. He writes as he speaks with plenty of colloquial humour... So, is this book (a new edition with updates for each chapter) worth the effort and patience despite a few of the ambivalence? Yes, for the sheer joy of it. And the real rub is machines will become smarter, humans more stupid and computers become part of fashion accessories.” Malaysia Star

“Richard Watson has a great way of saying things that are really relevant to our industry (the drinks trade)” Imbibe.com