We are facing a future of unbounded complexity. Whether that complexity is harnessed to build a world that is safe, pleasant, humane and profitable, or whether it causes us to careen off a cliff into an abyss of mind-numbing junk is an open question.

Preface xi Acknowledgments xvii Chapter 1 The Future, So Far 01 Trillions Is a Done Deal 02 Connectivity Will Be the Seed of Change 05 Computing Turned Inside Out 07 The Power of Digital Literacy 11 Chapter 2 The Next Mountain 15 Fungible Devices 16 Liquid Information 25 Cyberspace for Real 30 Interlude Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: Platforms and User Interfaces 39 Yesterday 40 Today 41 Tomorrow 44 Chapter 3 The Tyranny of the Orthodoxy 51 Information Interruptus 52 The King and the Mathematician 60 Links to Nowhere 63 The Wrong Cloud 65 The Dream of One Big Computer 67 The Grand Repository in the Sky 68 FUD and the Birth of the Impostor Cloud 69 The Children’s Crusade 71 The Peer-to-Peer Bogey 80 Chapter 4 How Nature Does It 83 The Internet of Plants 84 Nature Has Been There Before 85 The Qualities of Beautiful Complexity 93 At the Intersection of People and Information 102 Chapter 5 How Design Does It 105 Birth of Industrial Design 107 Novelty, Beauty, Ritual, and Comfort 113 Hearing History Rhyme 114 Instability as the Status Quo 117 Post-Industrial Design 119 Interlude Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: Data Storage 133 Yesterday 133 Today 136 Tomorrow 136 Chapter 6 Design Science on Trillions Mountain 139 Beyond Design Thinking to Design Science 140 Make the Right Thing 143 Chapter 7 Architecture with a Capital “A” 167 Architecture as Organic Principles 169 Architecture as Model 170 Architecture as “Style” 171 Information Architecture 173 Architecture and Design Science 178 Chapter 8 Life in an Information Ecology 181 Components 183 Challenges in the Information Ecology 188 Chapter 9 Aspects of Tomorrow 205 Beyond the Internet 206 Simplification 208 Devices 210 The Information Commons 212 The World Wide Dataflow 213 Publishing 216 Safety, Security, and Privacy 218 Epilogue Thriving in the Spacious Foothills 221 Seize the Low Ground 224 Microtransactions and the Rise of T-Commerce 225 Strange Bedfellows 226 Big Data and Information Visualization 226 The Trillions Bubble 227 Notes 231 About the Authors 245 Index 247

Praise for Trillions "MAYA Design's Trillions dangles a tantalizing and provocative notion: we can reach a promised land of prosperity by immersing ourselves in 'pervasive computing,' but we'll have to backpedal down the path of personal computing to get there. With sharp logic and vivid examples, Trillions builds the case for a truly networked future through an enjoyable series of forehead-slapping realizations. This is more than a book—it's a 200-page TED talk." —Daniel Altman, Chief Economist of Big Think and author of Outrageous Fortunes: The Twelve Surprising Trends That Will Reshape the Global Economy "Depending on your readiness to adapt to a hyper-connected world, there's tremendous opportunity–and tremendous threat—on the horizon. And therein lies the danger: companies that miss this paradigm shift may find themselves the road kill of their industries. Trillions explains this complex transformation, and its implications, in an engaging and intelligible style that even non-geeks can appreciate. The book does what we can only hope our devices of the future will do as well: it remembers that a human is reading its pages, not a processor, and tames the complexity of the thesis so that the message never falls victim to the underpinnings of the argument. My remote should take a lesson from these authors." —Linda Tischler, Senior Editor, Fast Company "Trillions is bold, unabashed, ingenious, and absolutely fizzing with insights about the new-modern process of blending design, high-tech, and commerce. Always entertaining and mostly right on target." —David Brin, author of Earth, The Postman, and The Transparent Society "While it isn't written specifically with healthcare examples, Trillions is a wake-up call for our industry. It outlines a path that could lead to a rich and fertile future. It hints at the limitless potential of a world where computers become human-literate and are woven into a rich and healthy tapestry??that could democratize and enrich medicine." —Eric Topol, Director, Scripps Translational Science Institute, and author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine "The authors of Trillions have laid out a framework for how to think about the future of big data and networked information systems, as well as the symbiotic relationship between the digital world, business, and humanity. This book will affect how we engage consumers, create experiences, and interact with products and services—it is a must read for any organization looking to be digitally fit for the future." —B. Bonin Bough, Vice President, Global Media and Consumer Engagement, Kraft Foods "If you're enchanted by Siri, have already placed an order for Google Glass, and think we've plucked only the low-hanging fruit from the tree of digital delights, this book is for you. With Trillions, authors Lucas, Ballay, and McManus belly up to the bar alongside futurists Alvin Toffler, Kevin Kelly, and Arthur C. Clark, offering a vision so compellingly argued you'll only be surprised if it doesn't happen." —John C. Abell, journalist at Reuters, former New York Bureau Chief at Wired, Founding Editor of Reuters.com

“This book provides a refreshing, insightful guide to how companies can prepare for future technology innovations and thrive in this emerging information age.  Summing Up:  Recommended.  Business and computer science collections serving upper-division undergraduates and above; general readers.”  (Choice, 1 July 2013)