The Future Is Now: How the Pandemic Has Changed the World

In this review of The Future Is Now: How the Pandemic Has Changed the World, the reviewer finds a thoughtful, interview-driven exploration of how COVID-19 altered politics, culture and daily life. The book collects conversations and personal reflections that were recorded both before and during the pandemic, giving readers a mix of prophetic observations and immediate lockdown-era ruminations. It is best for readers who want conversational insight rather than technical analysis, and the single biggest reason to buy is the access it offers to candid discussions with public figures and creative thinkers that illuminate where society might be heading.

Key Features

• Interview-driven format: The conversational structure makes complex ideas accessible by placing expert perspectives alongside personal anecdotes.
• Dual timing of recordings: Including interviews from before and during the pandemic offers both predictive commentary and real-time reflection, showing how perceptions changed.
• Range of voices: Conversations with heads of state, economists, artists and scientists provide a multidisciplinary view on social and political shifts.
• Personal context: The author weaves her own lockdown experiences into the interviews to give readers a grounded sense of how ideas played out in everyday life.
• Thought-provoking themes: The book raises questions about the future of humanity and civic life, making it useful for readers who like to reflect on long-term societal change.

Who It's For

This book is ideal for readers of politics and social science who prefer conversational, human-scaled perspectives rather than academic treatises. It will appeal to those interested in contemporary civic questions, cultural shifts and first-person accounts of how the pandemic affected decision makers and creators.

Readers seeking a data-heavy, technical or policy-focused manual about pandemic response should look elsewhere; this is not a scientific compendium but a collection of interviews and reflections aimed at interpretation and foresight.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Accessible interview style lets readers absorb ideas without specialist background.
• Mix of pre- and mid-pandemic material provides a rare before-and-after perspective.
• Wide range of contributors offers multidisciplinary context on societal change.

Cons

• Not a technical or data-driven analysis, so readers seeking empirical detail may be disappointed.

Specifications

Title	The Future Is Now: How the Pandemic Has Changed the World
Authors / Brand	Sophie Shevardnadze, Irakli Beridze
Format	Interview-based book with personal reflections
Content focus	Conversations with political leaders, artists, economists and scientists
Timeframe of material	Interviews recorded both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Main themes	Societal change, future of humanity, civic life and cultural shifts

Our Verdict

The Future Is Now is a valuable pick for readers who want human-centered insight into how the pandemic reshaped thinking among leaders and creators. Its interview format and the mix of prophetic and immediate reflections deliver perspective rather than policy, making it good value for anyone interested in civic questions, cultural trends and informed conversation about the near future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book contain scientific data about the pandemic?
No. The book emphasizes interviews and personal reflections rather than empirical studies or technical data.

Are the conversations contemporary or historical?
The material includes both pre-pandemic conversations and interviews recorded during the outbreak, offering both earlier predictions and lockdown-era reflections.

Who conducted the interviews?
The interviews and reflections are presented by Sophie Shevardnadze, with contributions credited to Irakli Beridze as part of the authorship.