Imaginable by Jane McGonigal is a thought-provoking exploration into the power of imagination and its role in shaping our future. McGonigal, known for her work in game design and positive psychology, argues that cultivating imaginative thinking can help us address complex global challenges and navigate uncertainties. Through engaging examples and practical exercises, she demonstrates how envisioning various future scenarios can enhance our problem-solving skills and foster resilience. The book is both inspiring and actionable, making it a valuable read for anyone interested in leveraging creativity to drive positive change.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

In "Imaginable," Jane McGonigal, a renowned game designer and futurist, embarks on a journey to equip us with the foresight and mental agility needed to navigate an increasingly unpredictable world. The book, narrated by McGonigal herself, serves not just as a reading experience but as an auditory odyssey that guides listeners through the labyrinth of the future with a confident and inspiring voice.

McGonigal's expertise in game design shines through as she transforms the abstract concept of the future into a tangible playground for the mind. Her narration adds a personal touch, making complex ideas accessible and engaging. The book is structured around thought experiments and future simulations designed to stretch the imagination and foster a sense of "urgent optimism."

The core message of "Imaginable" is empowering: we are not passive observers of the future but active participants who can shape it. McGonigal encourages readers to embrace uncertainty and use it as a catalyst for creativity and innovation. She draws on scientific research in psychology and neuroscience to provide strategies that help us think the unthinkable and imagine the unimaginable.

One of the book's strengths is its actionable insights. McGonigal doesn't just theorize; she provides practical tools that anyone can use to develop a more resilient and proactive mindset. These tools are designed to help us build a collective imagination, enabling us to dive into the future and envision, in surprising detail, what our lives could look like a decade from now.

"Imaginable" is a testament to the human spirit's capacity for hope and transformation. It's a guidebook for the future, offering a vision of what we can achieve when we harness the power of our imagination. McGonigal's narration adds an extra layer of authenticity and enthusiasm, making this book a must-listen for anyone looking to approach the future with confidence and creativity.

In conclusion, "Imaginable" is a transformative work that challenges us to see beyond the horizon of the present and into the realm of what could be. It's a clarion call to action, urging us to reclaim our agency and envision a future brimming with possibilities. McGonigal's voice, both literal and literary, resonates throughout, making this book not just a narrative but a companion in the quest for a better tomorrow.

It took me awhile to get into this audiobook, to be honest it was the first non-fiction one I tried, but it was great! In a would where imagining a positive and hopeful future gets harder and harder, this book is a beacon of light. Definitely recommend!

This book has been a great listening experience. Thanks to the author and the publisher for bringing this book to life.

This is a really interesting premise of preparing for the future through intentional thought exercises!

It’s a bit hard to conceptualize at first, because these researchers and futurists sound like a sci-fi profession rather than part of our world. However, the concepts(while sometimes hurting my already overwhelmed brain) were fascinating. I appreciated how we are walked through each step of imagining our own futures.

Though the audiobook time is already a hefty 17 hours, the experience was actually longer - I didn’t factor in the pauses I’d take to work through my own imaginings.

I had heard of Jane through her TED talks and work with SuperBetter, so I knew she’d have fascinating work to show off! This even made me redownload the Super Better app to try again!

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Jane McGonigal
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 4.5 stars

Imaginable is a very interesting book about how to be better prepared for the future. The content is relevant today, as we feel we should have been better prepared for the Covid-19 pandemic in previous years. The (audio)book includes many examples and prompts to take notes. It is a bit lengthy, and I think it could be shorter. But I enjoyed it anyway. The narration by the author is very good.

Thanks to Spiegel & Grau by OrangeSky Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a great book to read. i really enjoyed reading chapter here or there, not something i normally do. will recommend

I loved all of the inspiring and practical advice in this book. There were lots of great prompts and exercises to do. This is a great book to read if you want more motivation to tackle the future. I recommend it, especially after the last two years and how easy it is to feel lost after.

Imanginable by Jane McGonigal was a profoundly insightful read about envisioning a future. McGonigal's work provide context, exce rcises, as well as simulations to work towards envisioning the future. Listening to McGoingal read her own work assisted readers in understanding and clarity.

This was a really insightful read for anyone who deals with anxiety or worries over the future. There’s lots of exorcises and simulations throughout the book to practice.

The author did a great job narrating the book. I enjoyed the audiobook though I did think it a bit lengthy.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publishers, for providing a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely fantastic Book!!

Great read with many insightful takeaways, teaching you how to think and better prepare for the future. I listened to the Audiobook, and though the narrator was quite great, I wished there was a PDF or that I had read the physical copy to better follow up on the exercises and simulations suggested.

I would recommend it to anyone who, like me, deals with anxiety and feel a lack of control regarding the future. It does help to approach things differently and train your mind to be more prepared for what might come.

An interesting listen for anyone wanting to improve upon the skills of planning and preparing for the future. I found a lot of the techniques in this audio book ones that I already do (perhaps that is why I'm generally pretty good at predicting what is to come?). I found it interesting that future episodic thinking tends to also make people more empathetic and able to see the world from others' perspective (is the reverse also likely?). I could see how middle and high school students could benefit from some of these thought practices.

Thank you so much OrangeSky Audio, NetGalley and Jane McGonigal for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange with an honest review. I truly appreciated.

This audiobook is somewhat lengthy with 17 hours, and I looked at my busy schedule to regret requesting this audiobook. However, it surprised me in a very positive way. In this book a futurist and a video game designer Jane McGonigal introduce us a variety of future that may be necessitated based on current economic, global, and political situations. Afterall, many of the things that happened during 2020-2021 has been described as "unimaginable." So what if we exercised our imagination and seriously consider these situations actually happening to us, before it happens? What if we imagine 10 year down with a drastically different reality? We would certainly better prepared and better adjusted in those situations. While these propositions sound dreadful and depressing, it can be quite fun as the author breaks it down into tangible pieces and explain in details using case studies (this is why the book is a bit long).

I really enjoyed this book and want to buy copies to my colleagues. very insightful, hopeful, and urgent book. The book is appropriate for all ages. I would recommend to others. Only thing I didn't like a lot... was the cover, to be honest. Thank you again for an opportunity to review this book, because I would not have picked it up just by the cover.

I read part of the author's previous two books. I actually bought her second book for my team lead right after she lost her mother; we had previously discussed how important games could be. I have been conscious of the author's efforts to make the world a better place using gamification. In this book, she starts out by telling you how to think about the future. I received a review copy of the audiobook from NetGalley and have left my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before needing to switch to other books that were being archived. From the portion I listened to, this book is no longer on my Goodreads "want to read" list. I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion when I finish it at a later date..

This book encourage readers to practice imagining how things might be different in ten years. The purpose is to enhance creativity and resilience. In general, I found the book fascinating and inspirational. Unfortunately, I also found it anxiety inducing and wasn't able to finish it.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The research, ideas, and content in this book are so interesting & I have listened to McGonigal in interviews, podcasts and TEDTalks for a decade. I loved how this book encourages us to really challenge what might be ‘unimaginable’ and flex our brains to prepare for a future that is, in fact, imaginable. I plan to purchase the print version and refer back to it for personal and professional exercises. I can’t give this version a full five-star rating through because I was disappointed by the audiobook narration. A professional narrator might help communicate this important content more effectively - LOVE Jane McGonigal and her whole message, it was just not as strong as a flow as I usually enjoy in audiobooks, especially nonfiction.

I wanted to give this book a try because of its author, Jane McGonigal, whose Ted Talk and concept of “gamifying your life” were incredibly inspiring to listen to and learn about. Her ideas and the concepts presented on futurism and futuristic thinking are also very intriguing, accessible, and filled with topics to spark all sorts of conversations and discussions. It was a joy listening to this book and feeling like I was in the midst of a podcast filled with practical advice for one’s life, career, and the overall community. Feelings of hope are incredibly necessary for people in this world to keep moving forward and McGonigal’s book provided prompts and information to notice moments in daily life for change and to imagine ourselves in a concrete future — active ways to maintain and carry forward hope in a world that seems so despairing on the daily. The audiobook is 16 hours long, so it’s very helpful to break this up into chunks and take lessons from each chunk to practice and apply in daily life so you can maximize the benefits. Overall, a very enjoyable read!

After two years of living through a global pandemic, you’d think that nothing is unimaginable anymore, and then, all of a sudden, a war starts in a nearby country which leads to questions such as “Was this imaginable?” or “Who could have imagined something like this?” Well, believe it or not, such a scenario might have been imagined and even debated during one of Jane McGonigal’s classes from the Institute for the Future.

If you’ve gotten so far, it means that you’re one of those people who is not afraid to look into the future and its endless possibilities, but most important, you’re not afraid to imagine scenarios that could happen, not to mention finding solutions to some of the problems or crises that could arise.

In her own 17-hour narrated audiobook, Jane McGonigal will take you through her technique of imagining any number of futures, no matter the shape and size they come with and, what I found most interesting, is a way in which to get back to the present without the burden of a possible future.

“Imaginable” comes out on 22-Mar-2022 in print and audio format!

Special thanks to NetGalley, OrangeSky Audio, Spiegel & Grau, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

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#LifeLongLearning #Imaginable #NetGalley

This book offered a step through a portal to the future in a very accessible (to me) format. The imagination prompts, background information, and "assignments" to watch for signals of change, to imagine a concrete future and how my future self will behave in any scenario, and to practice "urgent optimism" to be an agent of helpfulness in a changing world, were all tangible and active ways that gave me a sliver of hope in an increasingly despairing timeline. I was so excited and encouraged that I pre-ordered a copy of the physical book and plan to work through the activities and simulations with my family.

I learned a lot about the field of futurism/future studies and was impressed by the presentation, tone, and accessibility of the information.