Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to play itself out?

McKibben argues that we have failed to recognize how individual actions often operated against our collective interest, and as a result we now face three daunting challenges - to adjust to a new life on a broken planet, to fight the hyper-individualism that now animates government and business; and to reverse the ways that technology is bleaching out the variety of human existence. He asks if we still retain the tools and social capital to fight these larger forces - and if we are willing to make the effort.‍

J. Paul Neeley

J. Paul is a London based designer and researcher with expertise in Speculative Design, Service Design, Design Research, and Strategy.

All author's posts
Gemma Jones

Interdisciplinary cultural researcher and strategist specialising in semiotics and futures thinking

All author's posts

December 17, 2020

This is Bill McKibben at his glorious best. Wise and warning, with everything on the line. Do not miss it' Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything and The Shock Doctrine

Thirty years ago, Bill McKibben wrote The End of Nature, the first book that alerted us to the dangers of climate change. Falter is a new call to arms, to save not only our planet but our very souls as well.

Over tens of thousands of years, through the harnessing of nature, the development of civilization, and the application of new technologies, human beings have created the world we live in. But as McKibben points out in this provocative and sobering look at the world today, we are fast approaching a tipping point, putting into question the viability of humanity itself.

McKibben argues that we have failed to recognize how individual actions often operated against our collective interest, and as a result we now face three daunting challenges - to adjust to a new life on a broken planet, to fight the hyper-individualism that now animates government and business; and to reverse the ways that technology is bleaching out the variety of human existence. He asks if we still retain the tools and social capital to fight these larger forces - and if we are willing to make the effort.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Falter-Human-Game-Begun-Itself/dp/1472266498/ref=as_li_ss_il?crid=2JKFNRO2U9NZE&keywords=falter+bill+mckibben&qid=1558094476&s=books&sprefix=faulter,stripbooks,244&sr=1-2&linkCode=li3&tag=neeleyworld01-21&linkId=28db5deed180814f89de3c2cba1124ec&language=en_GB

Featured Courses
Further Reading
Speculative Design Examples
Speculative Design goes beyond solving current problems, focusing instead on what could happen in the future. It uses design as a tool to create scenarios, products, and services that question current trends and explore the implications of emerging technologies, societal changes, and environmental challenges. Let’s look at some compelling speculative design examples that illustrate the depth and diversity of the approach.
June 19, 2024
Speculative Design vs. Design Fiction
"What is the difference between Speculative Design and Design Fiction?" – This is a question that invites us into a nuanced exploration of two closely related, yet distinct, fields within the broader umbrella of futures design. Both fields are concerned with the future and both employ imagination and creativity to explore possibilities beyond the constraints of current reality. However, their approaches, objectives, and methodologies reveal subtle differences.
June 19, 2024