Is mankind running at full speed into a wall?

Should we prepare to get more and more devastated by hurricanes, earthquakes and terrorist attacks as the media regularly suggests?

And where is this digital economy leading us? Will artificial intelligence and robots take power over democratic governments?

Who should we believe: the prophets of doom and gloom or the cheerful optimistic preachers? They portray our world from two uncompromising and incompatible angles. Which is relevant?

And how do we fit into the big picture?

Until recently, the world was described to us by ocean sailors who narrated tales of their global travels by the fireplace back home. But such warm voices and charming legends have been replaced by breaking flashes of bad news. The catastrophes that occur anywhere on the planet come daily into our homes. Where does this leave us?

In this bewildering twenty-first century, is there still a dream to share, a frontier to explore, and a safe place for each of us?

Unless we apply to become astronauts on Mars, an interesting yet statistically rare career opportunity, we are bound to accept globalization. But the more we understand it, the easier it will be to handle.

So let's put a few figures in play and measure our world. Let's try to assess our present situation and imagine the future that we could create together.

This book is an invitation for us to take ownership of our destiny.

Shall we?