Includes bibliographical references (pages 304-320) and index.
Part 1: Futures we have glimpsed -- Ch. 1. A difficult century -- Ch. 2. Deep futures -- Part 2: Understanding the task -- Ch. 3. What is the question? -- Ch. 4. Understanding how societies change over time -- Part 3: Taking charge -- Ch. 5. A strategy for managing the deep future -- Ch. 6. Guidelines I: nursing the world through endless change -- Ch. 7. Guidelines II: learning forever -- Ch. 8. Guidelines III: working on perennial issues -- Ch. 9. Stories to live by -- App. Basic properties of dissipative (energy-degrading) systems.