Book Analysis Essay on a History of the Future

Introduction

A history of the Future is a book narrated by Peter J. Bowler to talk about how the twentieth-century book writers imagined and foresaw the future. The book has a subtitle that shows what Bowler explored under the writings of prophets of progress such as Isaac Asimov, Aldous Huxley, and H.G. Wells. The book consists of ten chapters that give the answers of writers and scientist who offered questions like how and where human beings live, how they shared their culture, and how they eat during interplanetary journeys and space travel (Bowler 21). The book also explores the plausible prognostics that has future predictions and how prophies brought recurring cycles on the economic and ideological mood of the western developed communities such as the U.S and Britain. This essay will summarize Bowler's book, emphasize on chapters four, five, and six and elaborate more if his writing can be used to categorize the future technologies in today's development.

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The goal of Bowler was not to judge the fulfilled prophecies but rather disqualify or praise the prophets that were earlier discussed. Bowler's interest was actually to map various ranges of futures based on people's desires or fear. However, most readers compare Bowler's statements, and previous prophecies to proactive questions like; were futurologists and scientists in tune with the demand of culture or were they trying to offer possibilities that would curb down the desire? (Bowler 34). Another common question asked by readers is whether futurology is a scientific method that analyses the change in societies or if its just imaginative to entertain people. Based on the public, the country and the media, there is a possibility that it can be real.

In the subtitle, the author chooses Isaac Asimov and H.G Wells to cover for the past because they are known to be magnificent science fiction writers. Even though Bowler never brought straight writers to talk about the future, he also never complicated the facts between futurology and science fictions. He did this by pointing out that various SF writers always explored about the near future. Excellent examples include people like 'Doc' Smith, whose writings ranged between Asimov's or Operas foundation series. Even though the purpose of fiction is to predict the future, most science fiction writers predict things that should be expected.

Background Information About Peter Bowler and the Origin of the Book

Peter Bowler is a historian of biology that had a more in-depth knowledge of the history of genetics and environmental sciences. In 1984, he produced his first book 'The history of ideas' which was later edited in 2009. Years later, he produced other books that revolved around the scientific predominance of evolutionary theories to minimize the significance of natural selection before genetics was reconciled with the modern synthesis natural selection. Bowler is a BA holder from the University of Toronto. Currently, he is a professor at the Queen's University Belfast and teaches the history of science. Bowler is also a member of the American Association of science advancement and Academie international of sciences. By 2006, he was elected as the president of the British Society of Science histories.

The book explores the predictions, the phenomenon of futurology, and the impact and development of science and technology on culture and society in the twentieth century. The book also elaborates contested responses due to the revolutionary social change brought by imagined and real scientific innovations. Even though the book talks about the effect of military and social developments on attitudes in America and Europe, it also shows how conflicts rose between the enthusiasm and critics of pessimism and technocrats and how they were presented in the exhibitions, television, radio, and books.

Chapter's Four, Five and Six Analysis

The Fourth chapter of A history of the Future talks about the space and how people were promised to live there. As the author states, the area had many predictions made from both technical and fiction writing but far from reality. This is the reason why there was enormous complexity between social forces and technology (Bowler 84). Bowler also elaborates more how the technically minded writers not only remain positive but also value the future of technology and science. In chapter five, Bowler is concerned with computing and communications. Since there was a great deal of potential, the author added that there was the success of radios for both broadcasting and communication.

The rest of the chapter talks about a wide range of content that highlights the non-fiction and fiction to show how communication worked (Bowler 102-103). To maintain the theme, chapters six to eight explores how people can travel to space. From trains to automobiles than to spacecraft, the section talks more about the typical way of writing about the future and the methods that can be used with the new technologies. Bowler uses aviation as an example to show now Henry Ford introduced flying products as demonstrated by the attention of publications and writers.

Conclusion

A history of the Future is a book narrated by Peter J. Bowler to talk about how the twentieth-century book writers imagined and foresaw the future. The book gives an inclined version of how people predicted the future through science and technology. According to Bowler, he was never on neither side but to correct the previous writers that sometimes science and technology can excite people. The book can be used in categorizing future technology today because of how the author has classified the fiction and non-fiction truth.

Works Cited

Peter J. Bowler, A History of the Future: Prophets of Progress from H.G. Wells to Isaac Asimov. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017