The renowned futurologist Jacques Lesourne is Professor Emeritus at the Conservatoire national des arts et metiers (National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, one of France’s elite universities) and a member of the Academy of Technology. In 2015, he published Research and Innovation in France (with Denis Randet).
In this book Jacques Lesourne attempts to answer a central question: “Despite the extraordinary success of science, why is it that developed societies have thus far proven so incapable of controlling their history?”
Convinced of our ability to innovate despite past mistakes, the author attempts to identify the causes of this “inadequacy in terms of control” and mastery, leaving us fascinated by the future but powerless to dictate our destiny.
He identifies four levels where the locks blocking innovation are the strongest: the individual level, the economy, “national political systems” and lastly, international politics. That is where the inadequacies are the most obvious and the most serious.
Driven by tremendous conviction, this book is a wake-up call, emphasizing the need for government leaders, business leaders as well as heads of state to return to courageous decision-making and above all, to courageous political decision-making.