The Signals Are Talking

By: Amy Webb

Narrated by: Tiffany Morgan

Axiom Business Book Award in Business Technology winner, 2017

Amy Webb is a noted futurist who combines curiosity, skepticism, colorful storytelling, and deeply reported, real-world analysis in this essential book for understanding the future. The Signals Are Talking reveals a systemic way of evaluating new ideas bubbling up on the horizon—distinguishing what is a real trend from the merely trendy.

This book helps us hear which signals are talking sense, and which are simply nonsense, so that we might know today what developments—especially those seemingly random ideas at the fringe as they converge and begin to move toward the mainstream—that have long-term consequence for tomorrow.

With the methodology developed in The Signals Are Talking, we learn how to think like a futurist and answer vitally important questions:

• How will a technology—like artificial intelligence, machine learning, self-driving cars, biohacking, bots, and the Internet of Things—affect us personally?
• How will it impact our businesses and workplaces? How will it eventually change the way we live, work, play, and think—and how should we prepare for it now?

Most importantly, Webb persuasively shows that the future isn't something that happens to us passively. Instead, she allows us to see ahead so that we may forecast what's to come—challenging us to create our own preferred futures.

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

©2016 Amy Webb (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Webb teaches us to listen...[she] combines well-researched, reader-friendly insights on Google, drones and artificial intelligence with a system of questions you can bring to your next strategy meeting..."—Chicago Tribune

"Will undoubtedly help leaders contemplate what lies ahead. Webb provides a logical way to sift through today's onslaught of events and information to spot coming changes in your corner of the world."—Kirkus Reviews

"[The Signals Are Talking] provides several brain-bending future possibilities...Webb's stellar reputation in this red-hot field should generate demand."—Booklist

Good book, awful narrator

The content in this book could be interesting but it is hard to know for sure because the narration is so terrible. The narrator reads every sentence as though it is its own contained story - she has no comprehension of the greater point being made and seemingly little understanding of the subject matter. She emphasizes all the wrong parts of sentences word-by-word to the point where the meaning is confused and often altogether lost. Extremely frustrating. I will be returning this book.
Regarding content, there is interesting analysis of how fringe developments unexpectedly led to massive mainstream shifts. Things are a little weaker when she attempts to make predictions using current fringe developments but overall the content seems interesting when it can be comprehended from the scattershot narration.

Affirming and Enlightening

Love it! The information Amy Webb provided was such that I listened to the audio book for 4 hours straight. The narrator was fantastic! Her voice never fatigued me as a listener as have other narrators.

Forecast the Future using signals and much more!

A detailed and comprehensive book and resource to look at the future from a Futurist point of view; with 6 steps that let you look and analyze the signals, ask the right questions and forecast the future using scenario planning and more; The book includes also analysis on some of the greatest trends and projects/companies from Google to UBER and how they played a role in shaping our future and more.

Amy Webb is well known for her exceptional way of scouting and making sense of the trends and presenting how this would / may affect our lives and work today and the future.

The Signals Are Talking is a book that a futurist, marketer, technologist, entrepreneur, or simply a curious psychologist needs to read.

Horrible performance makes this hard to follow.

I'm struggling to get past the first few chapters due to the narrator and her complete lack of understanding of how the sentences belong together.

Muy buen libro

Una excelente síntesis de lo básico para entender como los bordes se pueden convertir en convención social y el impacto general de las tendencias en nuestras vidas. Un must para los prospectivistas y analistas de futuro

Boring

I was requested to read this book before inviting Amy as a speaker. I did not like the content of this book and its style. Title is much better than its content.

Great thinking story

This is a great look into how to predict the future. The performer was good, but I actually think the author reading it would have been more powerful as I’ve heard her speak before.

Great concepts.

Good stuff. Well put together.

Great material. Thought provoking and profound but the reading is a little monotonous at times.

Excellent book

Excellent book for anyone wishing to get to grips with the approach to preparing for the future. Extremely well written, engaging and comprehensive. In fact, so much so that I’m going to buy the Kindle version as well, to analyse the author’s ideas more closely.

AA Reliable & Straightforward Framework for Forecasting the Future

I came across Amy Webb while listening to TWIT. I was immediately struck by the rigor and structure of her commentary on a wide range of topics. Upon digging deeper, her writing revealed a playbook to draw upon for my own work.

For years I’ve been tinkering with and introducing new concepts for technology applications but at various times I struggled to bring along my audience. Amy’s framework shares similarities with other design thinking, BPI practices, and design of experiments. The magic for me is the straightforward approach and language she uses that is universally accessible and understandable by a wide audience, regardless of training, education, or experience.

I now have a complimentary set of tools to explore novel technologies at the fringe and a structured approach to communicate to a broad audience. Thank you Amy.