Your future is being priced, ranked, and routed-often before you've noticed the nudge. This book shows how predictions don't just describe what you might do next; they can quietly steer you there.
It charts the rise of predictive systems across markets and politics, translating complex models into plain sense and concrete choices. You'll see how predictive analytics ethics differ from PR gloss, why surveillance capitalism thrives on attention capture, and where algorithmic prophecy turns from foresight into force. If you've ever wondered whether free will and AI can coexist, or how forecasting in elections targets your persuadability, this is your field guide.
- Understand data determinism without surrendering agency
- Spot influence manipulation in feeds, pricing, and "personalised" offers
- Read reflexive markets-learn how reflexivity in markets can make forecasts come true
- Demand ethical AI governance with practical tests for transparency and fairness
- Build everyday defences against behavioural steering
Written for thoughtful readers who want clarity more than comfort-policy leaders, product builders, investors, and citizens-it offers a disciplined lens for separating helpful prediction from covert control. By the end, you'll carry a usable framework to keep futures open, exercise judgement under uncertainty, and choose when to welcome, refuse, or reshape the models that claim to know you best.
