In the digital age, there’s no shortage of trends to track, not least when it comes to how hyperconnectivity might shape our futures.

What we appreciated most about The Future Normal was the different approach Bhargava and Coutinho-Mason take. Rather than list yet another batch of long-range meta-trends that may or may not have a bearing on the future, they instead focus on the near term to bring into technicolour various shifts and undercurrents already reshaping how we live, work and experience the world.

As they write:

“Instead of asking what could change the future, we routinely found ourselves asking ‘What already has?’.”

From technology to food, from the climate crisis to health and wellbeing, from fashion to civic infrastructure, the authors examine trends that are already taking root and transforming what we consider ‘normal’.

If you’re interested in the next five years of business, life and work, this is an essential guide.