We know what we want the world to be like in forty years. We know what the world could be like in forty years if we all did what needs to be done to create a more sustainable future. But what do we know about what the world will actually be like in forty years? Drawing on global forecasting tools, his own experience in the sutatinability arena, and the predictions - included in the book - of more than thirty leading scientists, economists, futurists and other thinkers, Jorgen Randers guides us through the future he feels is most likely to emerge. He examines matters such as: * How many people will the planet need to support? * Will there be enough food and energy? * Will youth revolt under the debt and pension burden of the old? * Which nations will prosper and which will suffer? * Will the race toward renewables succeed? * Will the belief in endless growth crumble? * How will megacities evolve and human communication change? * Will the shift to Chinese economic superiority be peaceful? * Will runaway climate change have taken hold? These are just a few of the questions he deftly probes, and there are some surprising answers.