This book is a culmination of myriad journeys, inspirations, and ideas. Its contents reflect the work of twenty different authors, writing on subjects as wide-ranging as the nature of state failure to human psychology. They combine to describe a present reality and plausible future that we hope startles, motivates, and helps everyday citizens and our political leaders to resolve some of the most exigent issues faced by humanity. This work would not be possible without the support of innumerable people and institutions, whom the editors and authors thank sincerely and with deep regard.
The editors would first and foremost like to thank Douglas Reil, Leslie Larson, and the entire family at North Atlantic Books, who have supported this project at every stage, and Penguin Random House for helping us distribute this work to a wide audience.
To our coauthors: we are deeply indebted to you. It has been an honor and privilege to work on this project with you, and we look forward to continued collaboration and future publications together.
Andrew Trabulsi would like to sincerely thank: my mother and father, who have supported me in every venture I’ve ever undertaken, and my sister and brother, Julie and Stephen, who’ve helped me grow in more ways than I can describe. Thank you as well to: my love, Alexandra Haygood, Nick Leach, Bjorn Cooley, Ting Kelly, Alex Gold, Mick Costigan, Kosuke Hata, Bettina Warburg, Andrew Douglas, Beto Borges, Vasco van Roosmalen, the Paiter-Surui, the Meyer family, Cecily Guest, Jay Ogilvy, Hunter Lovins, Greg Miller, Doug Carmichael, Chris Williams, Deniz Leuenberger, Maureen Taylor, Renn Vara, David Erickson, Edward West, Dori Koll, David Martin, Global Business Network, the Deloitte Center for the Edge, the Long Now Foundation, and the Institute for the Future. Also, a deep thanks to the infinite others who are not mentioned here—friends, colleagues, and strangers—who have inspired me, supported me, and challenged me to explore the world intimately and without fear.
Noah Raford would like to thank: Vinay Gupta, whose conversations planted the seed for this book, David Stevens and Alex Evans, whose early input helped give the project life, Dick O’Neill and John O’Connor, whose sustaining comments on early drafts at the Highlands Forum provided incisive direction, and the many other authors, friends, family members, and colleagues who have helped shape the thinking behind this work. Thank you all.
Finally, the editors and authors would like to thank Napier Collyns, to whom this book is dedicated, whose mentorship, ruthless curiosity, and unremitting support has helped bring this group of writers together, inspired us to carry this project through, and taught many of us how to be better human beings.
William Barnes: Thanks for comments/help on either the earlier version or this version of this paper from: Craig Calhoun, Andrew Blau, Robby Mockler, Andrew Trabulsi, Noah Raford, Jenny Johnston, Erik Olin Wright, Larry Rosenberg, George Scialabba, Jack Spence, Napier Collyns, Bob Horn, Rich Hayes, Dorothy Wall.
Tuesday Reitano: I offer my greatest thanks to my family, Carlo, Giorgio and Valentina, for the constant love, support and patience, and to Mark Shaw for inspiration and advice.
John P. Sullivan: I would like to acknowledge my doctoral advisor Manuel Castells for his tutelage and insights into networks and their impact on the state. His guidance refined my understanding of the complex dynamics of sovereignty and emerging state forms. I would also like to acknowledge the Intelligence Studies Section of the International Studies Association where I have chaired, co-chaired, or participated in panels on this book’s theme for over a decade. The collaborative inquiry of that and related efforts are helping to refine our knowledge of networks and the space of flows of the state forms of the future.
Peter Taylor: Thanks to Dr. Kalypso Nicolaidis of St Antony’s College, Oxford, for our discussions.
Shlok Vaidya: Many thanks to John Robb for his mentorship, Matt Devost for his patience, and Mark Pfeifle for his insight. Also, India’s National Security Guard for listening, and the Railway Protection Force for their assistance.