Zukunftsrepublik

We shouldn't talk about what went wrong in the past, but about what we need to do to build ourselves a great future. We should no longer be scaredy-cats, skeptical of anything new, but shape change with courage and a willingness to take risks. 80 people set out to muster exactly this courage and sketched their vision of our "Zukunftsrepublik" (republic of the future) in 2030.

I came across the book "Zukunftsrepublik" through the hy podcast. I was interested in the approach of looking at the most important areas of our lives and work from the perspective of the future. I also liked the fact that sales of the book support the non-profit organization Startup Teens.

In "Zukunftsrepublik" we get to know the visions and practical tips of some well-known and lesser-known people (very good!). The contributions of the 80 authors are divided into the areas:

• Work
• Education
• Society
• Health
• Politics
• Economy

In this book review, you'll find out why this collection of concentrated tips for the future appealed to me so much and why I would definitely recommend the book despite the many repetitions.

Germany ranks second to last in Europe when it comes to digitalization. In the current global Innovation Index, we have dropped to 10th place. How can we reverse this trend? Where do we want to go and how do we get there?

I'm a (trained) engineer myself. At university, we were taught how important the "risk margin" is in our calculations. Minimizing risk is the top priority! But with this approach, the courage to try something new falls by the wayside. With this attitude, we won't take any big steps forward.

It's exactly this lack of courage that the authors of "Zukunftsrepublik" denounce. Our constant fear keeps us from thinking about and approaching things completely differently. That's why there is so much untapped potential in work, education, society, health, politics and the economy.

The book "Zukunftsrepublik" shows us mercilessly where things are falling short in the various areas, but it also keeps showing us a future worth striving for.

I would recommend "Zukunftsrepublik" to anyone who likes to engage with the potential of the future rather than the mistakes of the past. But I would also recommend it to individual professional groups, since everyone can take away practical tips for themselves.

If you like to think about "what would it look like if", you'll also be very happy with this book.

The contributions of the 80 authors all have a very good length and are pleasant to read throughout. However, the fact that there are 80 authors is also my biggest point of criticism: the contents of the contributions in the individual chapters very often overlap. Practical tips are picked up again and again by another author. At the beginning of "Zukunftsrepublik" it is pointed out that you can read just individual chapters and that each contribution stands on its own. But if (like me) you read through the whole book, the many duplications simply stand out. This could only have been avoided by aligning all contributions with each other or having them build on one another – but (as honestly announced) that wasn't the goal.

I found the "Zukunftsbausteine" (building blocks for the future) at the end of each contribution excellent. Briefly summarized, the most important tips at a glance. Great! I'd especially like to highlight the contribution by Christian Vollmer ("Megatrend: Rendite, aber bitte mit Purpose" – "Megatrend: returns, but with purpose, please"), which brings new business models together with social impact. I found that contribution really inspiring.

"Zukunftsrepublik" is packed with ideas for a future worth striving for, one we would all like to live in. After reading it, everyone should actually know where they personally can and should start. Thanks to the many authors for thinking ahead so personally!