Promise Ahead

The sequel to Duane Elgin's bestselling classic Voluntary Simplicity, which changed the lives of thousands and was called the "bible" of the simplicity movement by the Wall Street Journal, Promise Ahead looks beneath the headlines to reveal the deeper currents now changing our lives.

Elgin sees two powerful sets of trends converging in the coming decades. The first set he calls "adversity trends." These include

1. Global climate changes that threaten our food supply

2. Massive human population

3. Mass extinction of species

4. Rapid depletion of crucial natural resources

5. Civil unrest caused by global poverty.

The second set he calls "opportunity trends." These include

1. Recognition of the universe as a living system

2. The quiet revolution toward simpler ways of living

3. Use of the Internet as a tool for social awareness and change

4. Growing efforts toward reconciliation of racial, gender, religious, and other differences

If we meet these unprecedented challenges, we can make a dramatic leap in our evolutionary journey and will have a very promising future.