Table Of ContentPraise for Abundance
“This brilliant must-read book provides the key to the coming era of abundance
replacing eons of scarcity Abundance is a powerful antidote to today’s malaise
and pessimism”
—RAY KURZWEIL inventor, futurist and author of The singularity is Near
“Abundance provides proof that the proper combination of technology, people
and capital can meet any grand challenge.”
—SIR RICHARD BRANSON chairman of the virgin group
“This is vital book. Diamandis and Kotler give us a blinding glimpse of the
innovations that are coming our way — and that they helping to create.”
—MATT RIDLEY author of the Rational optimist
“Our world faces multiple crises and is awash in pessimism. Abundance
redirects the conversation spotlighting scientific innovators working to improve
people’s loves. The result is more that a portrait of brilliant minds – It’s a
reminder of the infinite possibilities for doing good when we tap into our own
empathy and wisdom.”
—ARIANNA HUFFINGTON CEO of Huffington Pot
“This is an audacious and powerful read! Abundance shows us how today’s
philanthropists, innovators, and passionate entrepreneurs are more empowared
that ever before to solve humanity’s grand challenges”
—JEFF SKOLL Co-founder, eBay; chairman, partioipant Produotions
PROVIDING ABUNDANCE IS HUMANITY’S
GRANDEST CHALLENGE-
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT HOE WE RISE TO MEET IT.
S
ince the dawn of humanity, a privileged few have lived in stark contrast to the
hardscrabble majority. Conventional wisdom says this gap cannot be closed. But
it is closing—fast.
In Abundance, space entrepreneur turned innovation pioneer Peter H.
Diamandis and award-winning science writer Steven Kotler document how
progress in artificial intelligence, robotics, infinite computing, ubiquitous
broadband networks, digital manufacturing, nanomaterials, synthetic biology,
and many other exponentially growing technologies will enable us to make
greater gains in the next two decades than we have in the previous two hundred
years. We will soon have the ability to meet and exceed the basic needs of every
man, woman, and child on the planet. Abundance for all is within our grasp.
Breaking down human needs by category-water, food, energy, health care,
education,freedom—Diamandis and Kotler introduce us to dozens of innovators
and industry captains making tremendous strides in each area: Dean Kamen’s
Slingshot, a technology that can transform polluted water, salt water or even raw
sewage into high-quality drinking water for less than one cent a liter; the
Qualcomm Tricorder X PRIZE which promises a low-cost, handheld medical
device that allows anyone to diagnose themselves better than a board certified-
doctor; Dickson Despommier’s "vertical farms," which replaces traditional
agriculture with a system that uses 80 percent less land, 90 percent less water,
100 percent fewer pesticides, and zero transportation costs. The authors also
provide a detailed reference section filled with ninety graphs, charts and graphics
offering much of the source data underpinning their conclusions.
In this thrilling antidote to today’s pessimism, the authors explore how four
emerging forces-exponential technologies, the DIY innovator, the
Technophilanthropist, and the Rising Billion—are conspiring to solve our
biggest problems. Diamandis and Kotler examine the stunning impact of these
forces while establishing hard targets for change; laying out a strategic road map
for governments, industry, and entrepreneurs, and giving us plenty of reason for
optimism.
PETER H. DIAMANDIS is the Chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation, the
co-founder and Chairman of Singularity University and co-founder of
International Space University. He is the founder of more than a dozen space and
high tech companies. Diamandis has degrees in molecular biology and aerospace
engineering from MIT, and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School.
STEVEN KOTLER is a best-selling author and award-winning journalist. His books
include A Small Furry Prayer, West of ]esus and The Angle Quickest for Flight.
His articles have appeared in more than sixty publications, including The New
York Times Magazine, Wired, Discover, Popular Science, GQ, and Outside. He
also writes a regular blog for PsychologyToday.com.
MEET THE AUTHORS. WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
SimonandSchuster.com
• THE SOURCE FOR READING GROUPS •
AbundanceTheBook.com
JACKET DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY KRISTEN HLADECEK DIAMANDIS
COPYRIGHT © 2011 SIMON
Free Press
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
Copyright © 2012 by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler All rights
reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any
form whatsoever. For information address Free Press Subsidiary Rights
Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Free Press hardcover edition February 2012
FREE PRESS and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event.
For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster
Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at
www.simonspeakers.com.
Designed by Maura Fadden Rosenthal/Mspace
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Diamandis, Peter H.
Abundance : the future is better than you think /
Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
1. Technological innovations—Forecasting. 2. Technological forecasting.
3. Technology—Social aspects. I. Kotler, Steven, 1967– II. Title.
T173.8.D536?2012
303.48'3—dc23 2011039926
ISBN 978-1-4516-1421-3 (print)
ISBN 978-1-4516-1684-2 (eBook)
