Many people today measure success by short-term gains; when that distracts us from planning for the future, it seems only human nature. But Bina Venkataraman argues in her groundbreaking book that we actually have a choice in the matter and the possibility to do far better at thinking ahead. Directing us to imagine the future rather than try to predict it perfectly, Venkataraman, a fellow at New America, MIT lecturer and editorial page editor at The Boston Globe, draws on stories from around the world as well as cutting-edge research from cognitive scientists, engineers, evolutionary biologists, economists, and others to dispel the myths that keep us from considering the long-term consequences of the everyday decisions we make -- and those we make as a society.