Michael Porter, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard University
A Fascinating book about the art of unlocking fresh perspectives for the future, a crucial challenge in any organization.
Stewart Brand
Artful scenario spinning is a form of convergent thinking about divergent futures. It ensures that you are not always right about the future but - better - that you are almost never wrong about the future. The technology is powerful, simple, and enjoyable, and so is Schwartz's book.
Product Description
"Artful scenario spinning is a form of convergent thinking about divergent futures. It ensures that you are not always right about the future but–better–that you are almost never wrong about the future. The technology is powerful, simple, and enjoyable, and so is Schwartz′s book." –Stewart Brand What increasingly affects all of us, whether professional planners or individuals preparing for a better future, is not the tangibles of life–bottom–line numbers, for instance–but the intangibles: our hopes and fears, our beliefs and dreams. Only stories–scenarios–and our ability to visualize different kinds of futures adequately capture these intangibles. In The Art of the Long View, now for the first time in paperback and with the addition of an all–new User′s Guide, Peter Schwartz outlines the "scenaric" approach, giving you the tools for developing a strategic vision within your business. Schwartz describes the new techniques, originally developed within Royal/Dutch Shell, based on many of his firsthand scenario exercises with the world′s leading institutions and companies, including the White House, EPA, BellSouth, PG&E, and the International Stock Exchange.
From the Back Cover
"Artful scenario spinning is a form of convergent thinking about divergent futures. It ensures that you are not always right about the future but–better–that you are almost never wrong about the future. The technology is powerful, simple, and enjoyable, and so is Schwartz′s book." –Stewart Brand What increasingly affects all of us, whether professional planners or individuals preparing for a better future, is not the tangibles of life–bottom–line numbers, for instance–but the intangibles: our hopes and fears, our beliefs and dreams. Only stories–scenarios–and our ability to visualize different kinds of futures adequately capture these intangibles. In The Art of the Long View, now for the first time in paperback and with the addition of an all–new User′s Guide, Peter Schwartz outlines the "scenaric" approach, giving you the tools for developing a strategic vision within your business. Schwartz describes the new techniques, originally developed within Royal/Dutch Shell, based on many of his firsthand scenario exercises with the world′s leading institutions and companies, including the White House, EPA, BellSouth, PG&E, and the International Stock Exchange.
About the Author
PETER SCHWARTZ is one of the world′s leading futurists. He is president of Global Business Network, an international think tank and consulting firm in Emeryville, California, that includes many of the world′s leading–edge thinkers about the future, as well as innovative scientists, artists, and business executives. His previous publications include Seven Tomorrows, a book of global scenarios jointly authored with Paul Hawken and Jay Ogilvy.
