We’re pleased to annouce:
a) Optimist’s Tour is being translated into Lithuanian
b) The movie of the book now has a visual team behind it responsible (in part) for movies including Star Wars, Bladerunner, The Hunger Games, Aliens and Avatar. We’re also very happy that Mark will be co-writing the Screen play with none other than the awesome Nick Sagan.
The lovely people at HVG have bought Hungarian language rights to the book…. Nagyszeru!
….and you can find it at Audible.co.uk. http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B008UCAOV0&qid=1345107226&sr=1-1
Here at optimist towers we’re being inudated with requests from investors, businesses, legislators and a whole host of others to help them lean into the future. This means Mark’s next book is still taking longer than we hoped to emerge. The League of Pragmatic Optimists also continues to go from strength to strength. Why not join?
2012 is the year of LOPO…. For details of the London meeting on Jan 26th visit http://lopolondonjan2012.eventbrite.com/. International and regional chapters coming this year….
We’re very excited that a movie of the book (along with a spin-off TV series) is now out of the starting gate after over 18 months of extreme patience and fortitude from the team involved (particularly the lovely people over at Greg Atkins Productions).
Mark has been asked to co-curate with the British Library a series of talks to accompany their Out of This World exhibition. They’re sure to sell out fast and it’s a fascinating line up. You can find out more by following the links below:
Tue 24th May: Who owns the Story of the Future? http://www.bl.uk/whatson/events/event121797.html
Wed 25th May: Compared to this, the Industrial Revolution was nothing! http://www.bl.uk/whatson/events/event121798.html
Fri 27th May: Fixing the Planet: Have we Finally got some Concrete Options? http://www.bl.uk/whatson/events/event121891.html
Tue 31st May: The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations that Transform the World: http://www.bl.uk/whatson/events/event121894.html
Fri 3rd June: The Age of Enlightenment: Are we too Intertwined with Technology? http://www.bl.uk/whatson/events/event121895.html
“There’s nothing like some flattery and a nice sausage to cheer you up,” says Mark – which is why he’s very happy to have a cracking review from Wired’s ‘Geek Dad’ – and to be invited to Spain in September for the launch of Spanish language edition of the book.
We’ve been getting some really very lovely reviews from around the globe (well, the US and Australia!)
Mark has been blogging again. Visit www.optimistontour.com
"Sharp and fascinating" - The Wall Street Journal ...a rollicking roller-coaster ride around the cutting edge of science with dozens of laugh-out-loud moments —The Scotsman "stellar reviews everywhere and certainly one of the most interesting science books I've read for a long time...contentious subjects tackled in an approachable way" - New Statesman "Stevenson's journey is a measured effort to take stock of the reasons for hope, and to keep faith with the enlightenment project... he makes a good case for believing that we can have a future worth making an effort to reach." - The Guardian Stevenson puts the trends of tomorrow’s world into perspective with a quizzical, fast-paced, quick-witted tour of the scientific horizon. - The Times "...infectiously enthusiastic... Despite the book’s title, Stevenson is not a relentlessly wide-eyed guide to the future. He is alive to the self-puffing of scientists and engineers he meets, and has a nice eye for the absurd." - Sunday Times "[a] grand tour of charismatic technologies. Stevenson bags some impressive interviewees." - Financial Times “Stevenson wears no blindfold. His tools are curiosity, open-mindedness, clarity and reason. That makes his journey intriguing… and ultimately exhilarating.” —Chris Anderson, TED.com Curator "Essential...illuminating and refreshingly hopeful...an auspicious yet grounded vision" - The Atlantic "A refreshing reminder that the future will always belong to the optimists" - New Scientist "It’s invigorating to be led to the far-side by someone who sees the bright-side!”— Henry Pollack, author of A World Without Ice and Nobel Peace Prize winner "a hilarious and inspiring romp" - Cory Doctorow @ Boingboing ...a brilliant book, Stevenson is the perfect guide to a dizzying future. The ideas come so quickly, with such great humour - it's like the smartest dinner party you've ever attended - Peter Miller, author 'The Smart Swarm' "an absolute winner: entertaining, educational, jaw dropping.Never before have I been so captivated by a piece of non-fiction" - The Book Bag "Uplifting and liberating: optimistic without being naive, fun but not silly, entertaining yet enlightening.. This is a book to gladden the gloomiest heart." —Michael Brooks, author of 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense "Stevenson turns out to be an energetic tour guide to the cutting edge of science - like inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil, but without that doomed feeling that can come from hearing Kurzweil's predictions." - Washington Post "insightful...entertaining...Stevenson's restrained and rational enthusiasm makes for optimistic reading" - The Australian "Part trendhunting, part rigorous research, part cultural anthropology, An Optimist’s Tour of the Future may just be our generation’s version of Bill Brysons’s iconic A Short History of Nearly Everything — a bold and entertaining blueprint for a future that’s ours to shape and ours to live." - Brainpickings In questioning progress, Stevenson employs science, ethics and philosophy and never fails to be inspirational.” - Mind Food Magazine |
