Book Review: Uncharted by Margaret Heffernan

A highly recognized TED Talks speaker and entrepreneur, author Margaret Heffernan has a new book, Uncharted, How to Navigate the Future, in which she boldly takes a deep dive into the past to answer the often-asked question, Why did no one see this coming? Her articulate road map to navigate the future without reliance upon “prediction addictions” is an outstanding exploration into the truths and myths behind successes and failures from all walks of life. Heffernan’s command of her research is richly conveyed with engaging storytelling that drives home the talking points.

Why are we reading this book?

In the author’s words, we’re reading this book to “mine our own creativity and humanity for the capacity to create futures we want and can believe in.” It’s her explanation of the downside of relying on technology’s predictions that introduced us to a very optimistic book about the complexities of “accepting that the future is unknowable and where the action begins.” While it can be a page-turner, we suggest yielding to a slower pace to absorb the takeaways.

Backstory:

Heffernan’s background is the backstory for the book’s intention to “strengthen the capacity for invention and tap the limitless talent for questions and answers.” At the BBC, she wrote, directed, produced and commissioned dozens of documentaries and dramas. She ran the most formidable lobbying organization in England, developed multimedia products for major corporations, and her writing is internationally recognized. It was when the banks were melting down that she wondered why people were surprised, thus the inspiration for Uncharted.

Challenge:

In 1999, English photographer Rebecca Hosking won a coveted BBC scholarship and worked in the Natural History Unit. Afforded the opportunity to travel the world making films, she became disillusioned by ecological devastation. When her highly anticipated film aired about the horrors plastic caused in Hawaiian waters, nothing changed. A predicted success seemingly had gone awry.

Solution:

Heffernan uses examples like this to make her points. In this case, Hosking didn’t give up. Instead, she orchestrated a campaign to change the thinking of 1,500 residents in her Modbury, England community. One dot quickly connected to another, and before the launch date, the media got wind of the story. Ultimately the response grew into worldwide recognition. Why did a small-scale goal succeed, and her movie experiment didn’t? Heffernan’s takeaway is that you’ll never know but you won’t know until you try. And try again.

Summary:

In her closing acknowledgments, Heffernan writes: “The future is not an abstract idea but a real, often daunting, reality.” Knowing that feeling uncertain about the future is not new, she examines historical examples of how people approached the future to craft her recommendations for navigating today’s “uncharted territory.” It’s how she could devote a chapter to the importance of experiments and why they shouldn’t be discarded if they failed. Facing the future isn’t easy. The good news is that most inspiring stories start with uncertainty, which is what makes this a good read.