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  • The Good Ancestor

  • How to Think Long Term in a Short Term World
  • By: Roman Krznaric
  • Narrated by: Joe Jameson
  • Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (112 ratings)
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The Good Ancestor

By: Roman Krznaric
Narrated by: Joe Jameson
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Summary

Could economists have foreseen the 2008 crash?

Could political pundits have predicted Brexit or Trump?

Long-term thinking struggles to take root in a world where immediate results are demanded and rewarded. Short-term thinking is endemic across all aspects of life.

In The Good Ancestor, leading popular philosopher and best-selling author Roman Krznaric shows just how crucial long-term thinking is, not just for ordinary people but across political, economic, environmental and business worlds.

From the personal to the political, Krznaric identifies the flaws of today’s short-term mindset. Drawing on ideas from a wide range of perspectives including neuroscience, cultural history, politics, economics, art and religion, he offers eight key approaches as a road map for the future of long-term thinking and planning.

Unless we change our habits today, our quick-fix, short-term culture can threaten societies in the long run.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Roman Krznaric (P)2020 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about The Good Ancestor

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Brilliant book, the best lines of thought

Roman is the partner to Donut Economic's Kate Raworth; hence when you finish this book (which is more philosophical), follow up with Kate's text

Excellent weighting

If this was an American publication there would be more drama involved, it is the accuracy of text that you need to absorb.

Well worth the read

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An inspiring book for our time

We need this book and the wisdom within to help us become what we need to be to get through the next century.

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To my grandchildren & great grandchildren…

Thank you! I loved this book, listened the whole way through over a couple of days. I had never thought much about my grandchildren or great grandchildren, I have two young boys and am going to much more now, and become a good ancestor as much as I possibly can. We are living through some very troubling times and this has given me hope for their future…

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essential reading (listening)

Philosophy, history, analogy and anthropology all bound together in a narrative of ecology and prophecy. Outstanding book!

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Thought-provoking

This is a thought-provoking book about how to shift our thinking from the short term to the long term - particularly about climate change and intergenerational justice. It's not always optimistic. I wish our politicians and leaders would read it so that they thought beyond the next election. It demonstrates that we have a lot to learn from other cultures and ways of seeing the world. My favourite nugget was the idea that every breath of air we take contains around 15 argon atoms that we breathed a year ago, as well as argon atoms that Cleopatra and Buddha would have breathed. I also like the concept of cathedral thinking: of building something that won't be completed in our lifetime but that future generations will benefit from.

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food for thought

An important perspective in the era of "buy it now", what will an archaeological museum look like in a thousand years, empty shampoo bottles dug up from the past

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Brilliant and timely.

Loved this and has solidified sone existing thinking and inspired thinking about various areas where I can work on leaving a legacy in small but meaningful ways.

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A Hopefull Book

Well written and well read.

I found that this book clearly expressed the broad and expansive topic of 'thinking future' without seeming overwhelming. It taps into a commonality, our ancestors and offers up simple was to think longer by brining up examples like the London sewers- built for twice the capacity of the city at the time.

I am hopeful after reading this book, it is not stating that it is easy to tackle things like climate change, but it highlights a need to change our thinking in order to adapt our future.

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Read it now, and again this time next year

Read it again in 2032
Read it again in 2052





Read it again in 2152





Read it again in 2532

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Brilliant, vital thinking

Give a copy of this book and the sermon on the mount (from the New Testament) to everyone on earth, get them to follow them, and all its problems would be solved.
This has helped me target higher goals and aspirations towards meaningfulness and hope.

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