{"product_id":"the-optimists-telescope-thinking-ahead-in-a-reckless-age-9780735219489","title":"The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age","description":"\u003cb\u003eNamed a Best Book of 2019 by NPR\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"How might we mitigate losses caused by shortsightedness? Bina Venkataraman, a former climate adviser to the Obama administration, brings a storyteller's eye to this question. . . . She is also deeply informed about the relevant science.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA trailblazing exploration of how we can plan better for the future: our own, our families', and our society's.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eInstant gratification is the norm today--in our lives, our culture, our economy, and our politics. Many of us have forgotten (if we ever learned) how to make smart decisions for the long run. Whether it comes to our finances, our health, our communities, or our planet, it's easy to avoid thinking ahead. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe consequences of this immediacy are stark: Superbugs spawned by the overuse of antibiotics endanger our health. Companies that fail to invest stagnate and fall behind. Hurricanes and wildfires turn deadly for communities that could have taken more precaution. Today more than ever, all of us need to know how we can make better long-term decisions\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003ein our lives, businesses, and society. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBina Venkataraman sees the way forward. A former journalist and adviser in the Obama administration, she helped communities and businesses prepare for climate change, and she learned firsthand why people don't think ahead\u003cb\u003e--\u003c\/b\u003eand what can be done to change that. In \u003ci\u003eThe Optimist's Telescope\u003c\/i\u003e, she draws from stories she has reported around the world and new research in biology, psychology, and economics to explain how we can make decisions that benefit us over time. With examples from ancient Pompeii to modern-day Fukushima, she dispels the myth that human nature is impossibly reckless and highlights the surprising practices each of us can adopt in our own lives\u003cb\u003e--\u003c\/b\u003eand the ones we must fight for as a society. The result is a book brimming with the ideas and insights all of us need in order to forge a better future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Riverhead Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/25\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780735219489\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.10h x 5.40w x 1.10d","brand":"Bina Venkataraman","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36640828293276,"sku":"9780735219489","price":14.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_06c1d4f2-f224-4edf-8096-dd684b669ec2.jpg?v=1603852771","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-optimists-telescope-thinking-ahead-in-a-reckless-age-9780735219489","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}