The Inevitable

Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future

By: Kevin Kelly

Narrated by: George Newbern

A New York Times Bestseller

From one of our leading technology thinkers and writers, a guide through the twelve technological imperatives that will shape the next thirty years and transform our lives

Much of what will happen in the next thirty years is inevitable, driven by technological trends that are already in motion. In this fascinating, provocative new book, Kevin Kelly provides an optimistic road map for the future, showing how the coming changes in our lives—from virtual reality in the home to an on-demand economy to artificial intelligence embedded in everything we manufacture—can be understood as the result of a few long-term, accelerating forces. Kelly both describes these deep trends—interacting, cognifying, flowing, screening, accessing, sharing, filtering, remixing, tracking, and questioning—and demonstrates how they overlap and are codependent on one another. These larger forces will completely revolutionize the way we buy, work, learn, and communicate with each other. By understanding and embracing them, says Kelly, it will be easier for us to remain on top of the coming wave of changes and to arrange our day-to-day relationships with technology in ways that bring forth maximum benefits. 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, in what to invest, how to better reach customers, and what to begin to put into place—as this new world emerges.

Critic reviews

“A quintessential work of technological futurism . . . what’s valuable about The Inevitable, from a business perspective, is less what it says about how to innovate, and more what it says about where to innovate.” – James Surowiecki, strategy + business, “Best Business Books 2017 – Innovation”

"Anyone can claim to be a prophet, a fortune teller, or a futurist, and plenty of people do. What makes Kevin Kelly different is that he's right. In this book, you're swept along by his clear prose and unassailable arguments until it finally hits you: The technological, cultural, and societal changes he’s foreseeing really are inevitable. It’s like having a crystal ball, only without the risk of shattering."
—David Pogue, Yahoo Tech

"This book offers profound insight into what happens (soon!) when intelligence flows as easily into objects as electricity."
—Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail

“How will the future be made? Kevin Kelly argues that the sequence of events ensuing from technical innovation has its own momentum . . . and that our best strategy is to understand and embrace it. Whether you find this prospect wonderful or terrifying, you will want to read this extremely thought-provoking book.”
—Brian Eno, musician and composer

"Kevin Kelly has been predicting our technological future with uncanny prescience for years. Now he's given us a glimpse of how the next three decades will unfold with The Inevitable, a book jam-packed with insight, ideas, and optimism."
—Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One


"As exhilarating as the most outlandish science fiction novel, but based on very real trends. Kevin Kelly is the perfect tour guide for this life-changing future."
—Mark Frauenfelder, Boing Boing

"Creating a fictional future is easy; Kevin Kelly makes a habit of doing the difficult by showing us where we're actually going. The Inevitable is an eye-opening roadmap for what lies ahead. Science fiction is on its way to becoming science fact."
—Hugh Howey, author of Wool

“Automatic must-read.”
—Marc Andreessen, co-founder Andreessen Horowitz

12 trends thought of in new ways

I really liked this book. It introduced a lot of good ideas and brings a lot of new ways of looking at things, for example, have you ever thought of gross domestic mass? and how that number had been changing, and what that might mean? Kevin has and gives an interesting analysis in a small part of the book.

at times, the book felt to technical, but it moves pay it in every case.

I recommend it, our new world of 2046 will need need ways to think and see it, better start now.

great for those unaware

not so much new for those that have been paying attention inside the it business

Mind opening

great thoughts and ideas about the future and what is to come a good read for anyone that thinks about what's next

it was average

I just didn't like this book this much I find it a bit annoying the author to me seemed to pick up on a soapbox quite often. He was very good at stating the obvious and at the same time was just not that informational in a way that impressed me. I still listen to entire book I did get a few things out of it but would not recommend it.

Some excellent concepts, but drags a little

For tech fans and those interested in how technology will shape the future, this book is excellent, although some of what is described as “the impending future” is already my daily life in Shenzhen, China (online sales, delivery, automation, peer reviews...) I think the book could have been an hour shorter and still been just as good. Happy to recommend it to others. Thanks!