10 books that will change the way you think about the future

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What will the next decade, century, or millennium look like?

Although no one knows for sure, many writers have imagined the future in their work, inviting us to travel through time.

We asked Lynn Lobash, manager of the New York Public Library's Reader Services department, to recommend the books about the future that everyone should read.

Here are 10, and you can see more recommendations at the NYPL's site.

"The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History" by Elizabeth Kolbert

Combining science and history, Kolbert highlights humans' impact on the environment in this Pulitzer Prize-winning book published in 2014.

By burning fossil fuels, we are impacting the atmosphere, oceans, and climate, forcing millions of species into extinction, she says. Kolbert combines vivid descriptions of natural wonders, like the Great Barrier Reef, and wild experiences, like venturing into a bat cave, to explain Earth's present and possible future.

Buy the book here »

"This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate" by Naomi Klein

Klein challenges readers to abandon capitalism and restructure the global economy and our political system to move toward a greener future. She makes the case that moving away from capitalism will not only reduce CO2 emissions, it will also help close inequality gaps and build a better democracy.

We can either embrace radical change or the Earth will change radically, she argues in the 2014 book. Staying neutral in the climate debate is no longer an option.

Buy the book here »

"In 100 Years: Leading Economists Predict the Future," edited by Ignacio Palacios-Huerta

In this 2015 book, 10 prominent economists, including several Nobel laureates, offer their takes on what the world could look like in the twenty-second century.

These thinkers consider the future of work, salaries, equality, technology, and climate change, among other topics.

Buy the book here »