Surviving and Thriving in the Intelligence Age

Renowned futurist Dr. Mark van Rijmenam writes of a world where “business as usual” has been swept away by the current of exponential technology. Far from a technical manual, this book is a rallying cry for blending personal grit with a strategic blueprint for the future.

The book opens unexpectedly—not in a lab or a boardroom, but on the dusty roads of Australia. Dr. van Rijmenam recounts his 2011 cycling journey around the continent, a grueling feat of endurance that serves as a metaphor for the modern professional. This personal narrative anchors the book’s high-concept theories in the human experience of adaptability.

He argues that we have moved beyond the Information Age into the Intelligence Age, driven by a “Hyper Moore’s Law.” In this era, technologies like Quantum Computing, AI, and Biotechnology don't just evolve; they converge, creating a “Digital Renaissance” that demands a radical shift in how we think and act.

To help readers navigate this turbulence, van Rijmenam introduces the WAVE Framework, a four-step iterative process designed to turn disruption into a competitive advantage.
Watch: Cultivate “futures thinking” to identify early signals of change before they become market-altering forces.
Adapt: Shift with purpose. It’s not about changing for change's sake, but aligning your evolution with your core mission.
Verify: In an age of deepfakes and data breaches, verifying decisions with integrity and ethics is non-negotiable.
Empower: Move from strategy to action by empowering your teams to drive progress independently.

What sets this book apart is van Rijmenam’s refusal to ignore the “double-edged sword” of progress. He tackles the heavy hitters head-on:
Job Displacement: How to pivot when automation replaces traditional roles.
Hyper-Surveillance: The ethical cost of a hyper-connected world.
Environmental Impact: Ensuring the “Digital Renaissance” doesn’t come at the cost of the planet.

His thesis is clear: Innovation without ethics is a recipe for disaster. He supports this by weaving together real-world case studies, ancient wisdom, and—most intriguingly—fictional narratives set in 2051. These “future-casts” allow readers to step into a world reshaped by today’s decisions, making the ethical stakes feel intuitive.

“How to Ride the Tsunami of Change” is for leaders, strategists, and anyone feeling the “future shock” of 2026. Dr. van Rijmenam bridges the gap between complex tech and human-centric strategy. He doesn't just tell you that the tsunami is coming; he hands you the surfboard and teaches you how to catch the wave.