Future Skills

Find out what are the 12+1 essential skills that will help you defeat the fear of the future!

The future is no longer awaited, it is feared. Development is not driven by enthusiasm, but by worry. We talk about challenges, not dreams. How can fears, worries, and challenges be turned into anticipation, enthusiasm, and dreams?

With the world developing so fast, we should not focus on what is changing but rather find what is not going to change. The next revolution is a human revolution, says Perttu Pölönen, a futurist, inventor and inspirational speaker. What makes us different from machines, makes us successful. We should develop courage, adaptability, compassion, storytelling, patience and curiosity, to name a few, in order to succeed in the era of machines, robots and artificial intelligence. Pölönen explains how.

Future Skills challenges assumptions about the future and provides insightful and thought-provoking observations. It has become an instant bestseller in Finland where its readers have reported to have changed their career paths and found meaning in their current jobs. Pölönen is a bright young mind whose personal experiences and stories make the book lively and engaging.

Praise:

"Our capacity for problem solving is a vital attribute of humankind – and Perttu Pölönen has captured the very essence of what our future depends on. Future Skills is an insightful and encouraging book about what skills we as a society should cultivate in the coming years and why. Filled with inspiring personal stories and thought-provoking examples, this is a book I would make my students read. Perttu is a visionary young thinker."- Esther Wojcicki, educator and best-selling author of How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results

"Future Skills is an important book for our times. Its mission to support the cultivation of “soft” skills like compassion, creativity, and team work – so often overlooked in today’s workplace – is vital as we move into this unpredictable decade. I’m also excited to work with Perttu Pölönen, whose impressive work as an inventor, composer, and futurist make him perfectly positioned to assess future trends with a hopeful outlook. – Hannah Bennett, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Start Publishing, US

"The most significant insight I gained [from the book] was the difference between happiness and meaningfulness, that complete freedom is not the well of creativity, and that they suffer from the Impostor Syndrome in Silicone Valley, too. For a change, it was great to read about a positive outlook on the future and the role that technology plays in it. All in all, Future Skills is an inspiring and thought provoking piece. It’s clearly targeted for young adults and hence makes a perfect graduation gift; having said this, it has lots of information from which parents can also learn.” – Lukujonossa Blog

“The ending of the book is rapturous, full of hope and by all odds pleasant - as is the whole book. The future seems easy and intriguing. Believing in yourself and in your talents seem like a simple choice, albeit Pölönen wants to remind us about the importance of how we regard other people as we are part of a community.” -Inari Juntumaa, Aikamerkki

“The book has a chapter for each of the twelve skill duos which all are treated with warmth and in a multifaceted way, often with a sense of humour. Pölönen’s own experiences are included together with real life stories. What’s most delightful is that all of the future abilities can be adopted by anyone. In order to learn these skills, there’s no need for degrees but ultimately require an open heart and mind. The book is appropriate for anyone who’s looking to broaden one’s mind and to become a better human being. -Marja Kasanen, Kollega.fi