A Short History of the Future Book

Such a difficult book to review. I've tried to read this book three times since college, and just haven't made past the first few pages. To be honest, the first 30 pages (or more) are a slog, mostly because they describe years that are now past rather than future and are too wonky regarding geo-political upheaval.

Things get really interesting around 2040 (the year, not the page number) when the Catastrophe happens. Virtually everything that occurs after that is fascinating from a what-if perspective. Of course, it's still written historically and somewhat dryly, so don't expect a page-turner. And the interludes, while a welcome break from the prose, are mostly dispensable. (I think it's funny that even 10 years into Wagar's future, let alone hundreds, that there would be letter-like correspondence between relatives and friends.)

Can I recommend this book? Maybe. If you start just before the Catastrophe and skip around the rest of the book depending on your speculative future interests, you just might get something out of it. Reading it straight through was a chore, though one with a few interesting diversions along the way.