Future Stories

David Christian’s approach to understanding history can help all of us learn to prepare for the future that lies ahead and the big challenges facing humanity. – Bill GatesIn this erudite and immersive study, Big History Project cofounder Christian (Origin Story) examines the science and history of “future thinking” and sketches what the distant future might look like… Christian lucidly explains complex scientific, philosophical, and historical concepts. The result is a stimulating look ahead. * Publisher’s Weekly *Future Stories is simultaneously entertaining and sobering, and is recommended reading for anyone who may be curious about what’s ahead of us. * Shelf Awareness *A fascinating journey… reminiscent of Peter Godfrey-Smith’s writings on the octopus… Future Stories is rich with insights… Most dangerous threats arise from technological and economic overreach… Future Stories not only shows how we have approached such choices through history - it helps us to understand the odds. * New Scientist *

David Christian is a distinguished professor in history at Macquarie University in Australia and the co-founder, with Bill Gates, of The Big History Project, which has built a free online syllabus on the history of the universe and is taught in schools all over the world. He is also co-creator of Macquarie University Big History School, which provides online courses in big history for primary and high school students. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford. He has delivered keynotes at conferences around the world including at the Davos World Economic Forum, and his TED Talk on the history of the Universe has been viewed over 7 million times.