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The Good Ancestor

How to Think Long Term in a Short Term World

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The Good Ancestor

By: Roman Krznaric
Narrated by: Joe Jameson
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

'This is the book our children's children will thank us for reading' – The Edge, U2


How can we be good ancestors?


From the first seeds sown thousands of years ago, to the construction of the cities we still inhabit, to the scientific discoveries that have ensured our survival, we are the inheritors of countless gifts from the past. Today, in an age driven by the tyranny of the now, with 24/7 news, the latest tweet, and the buy-now button commanding our attention, we rarely stop to consider how our actions will affect future generations. With such frenetic short-termism at the root of contemporary crises, the call for long-term thinking grows every day – but what is it, has it ever worked, and can we even do it?

In The Good Ancestor, leading public philosopher Roman Krznaric argues that there is still hope. From the pyramids to the NHS, humankind has always had the innate ability to plan for posterity and take action that will resonate for decades, centuries, even millennia to come. If we want to become good ancestors, now is the time to recover and enrich this imaginative skill.

The Good Ancestor reveals six profound ways in which we can all learn to think long-term, exploring how we can reawaken oft-neglected but uniquely human talents like ‘cathedral thinking’ that expand our time horizons and sharpen our foresight. Drawing on radical solutions from around the world, Krznaric celebrates the innovators who are reinventing democracy, culture and economics so that we all have the chance to become good ancestors and create a better tomorrow.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Roman Krznaric (P)2020 Penguin Audio
Economic History Economics Future Studies Personal Development Personal Success Politics & Government Social Sciences Capitalism Socialism

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Most relevant
We need this book and the wisdom within to help us become what we need to be to get through the next century.

An inspiring book for our time

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Loved this and has solidified sone existing thinking and inspired thinking about various areas where I can work on leaving a legacy in small but meaningful ways.

Brilliant and timely.

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Philosophy, history, analogy and anthropology all bound together in a narrative of ecology and prophecy. Outstanding book!

essential reading (listening)

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Give a copy of this book and the sermon on the mount (from the New Testament) to everyone on earth, get them to follow them, and all its problems would be solved.
This has helped me target higher goals and aspirations towards meaningfulness and hope.

Brilliant, vital thinking

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An important perspective in the era of "buy it now", what will an archaeological museum look like in a thousand years, empty shampoo bottles dug up from the past

food for thought

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