The Wonderful Future That Never Was
Flying Cars, Mail Delivery by Parachute, and Other Predictions from the Past
by Gregory Benford
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Pub. Ed. $24.95
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Bonus Content
The Wonderful Future That Never Was
Between 1903 and 1969, experts made hundreds of predictions about the future in Popular Mechanics magazine. Gorgeously illustrated with the original artwork, The Wonderful Future That Never Was captures the most intriguing of these predictions, from flying cars (no) to touchtone phones (yes) and beyond.
With insightful commentary by Gregory Benford, the book showcases visions of the city, home, communications, health and transportation of the future. From 1931 comes the idea of cities where unwanted noise is eliminated; a 1944 claim foresees underground pneumatic tubes replacing garbage trucks for waste disposal. A 1956 prediction foresaw the picture phone (hello, Skype), while in 1935 one statistician predicted that more than half of the US population would be living in mobile homes by 1955. Someone in 1938 thought that hot air balloons would someday hover over busy intersections and report collision to a central location via radio, while already in 1954 we were looking forward to flat-screen TVs in 10 years (it took a bit longer).
In 1939, statisticians claimed that by 1980 the average American might live to age 70—a figure remarkably close to the actual ones, 70.1 for men and 77.6 for women. Yet another doctor predicted we could add 10 years to our lifespans by drinking heavy water. As for transportation, here are visions of the personal helicopters we were promised but never received, along with a series of monorail-type vehicles that resemble some we have today. We’re crossing our fingers that the 1965 prediction of vertical-takeoff-and-landing planes for commuters comes true really soon.
In showcasing our guesses about things to come, The Wonderful Future That Never Was reveals much about our society, our dreams and ourselves.
Hardcover : 208 pages
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. ( October 05, 2010 )
Item #: 13-135480
ISBN: 9781588168221
Product Dimensions: 7.375 x 9.25 inches
Product Weight: 28.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Terrifically good, except for the editing 
January 08, 2011
This is all you'd want in a book describing what the future was supposed to be. Great artwork and info. There are two (non-fatal to your enjoyment) problems: the sloppy editing and the obscuration of some of the artwork. Parts of sentences are jumbled and some of the most interesting parts of vintage graphics are either cropped off or covered by overlays of graphic bars with type on them. Still, it's worth it for the wonder. Enjoy it!
Reviewer: Henry
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