We know what we want the world to be like in forty years. But what do weknow about what the world will actually be like in forty years? That is the question JorgenRanders tries to answer in 2052.Forty years ago, Randers was one of the coauthors of The Limits to Growth, a study thataddressed the grand question of how humans would adapt to the physical limitationsof planet Earth while in pursuit of limitless growth.In 2052, Randers draws on his own experience in the sustainability arena, globalforecasting tools, and the predictions—included in the book—of more than thirty leadingscientists, economists, futurists, and other thinkers to guide us through the future hefeels is most likely to emerge. This glimpse of the future asks: How many people will theplanet need to support? Will there be enough food and energy? Will the belief in endlessgrowth crumble? Will the shift to Chinese economic superiority be peaceful? Will therace toward renewables succeed? Will runaway climate change have taken hold? Wherewill quality of life improve, and where will it decline?These questions, and others, are deftly probed by an incisive, humane, and skilledlook at the future before us, and offer some surprising answers.