Just some interesting questions for a response to a great read of The Next 100 Years by George Friedman. For a word document version of much better presentation and formatting than what is shown here email me at [email protected].

Williams Model Matrix – The Next 100 Years

Paradox How can predictions about a future surprise attack (by Japan on the USA) ever prove true, when such predictions should in truth prove to spoil the surprise?

Attribute Listing What are the technological innovations presented in The Next 100 Years? What are the social/cultural innovations?

Analogy How is future ability in space analogous to a past and present facility upon the oceans? How does the analogy present differences?

Discrepancy Is the hegemony enjoyed by the United States in service of universal freedoms? Do smaller nations, and even the world, suffer for the power of the US, or do societies benefit from its world dominance?

Examples of Change Create a time-line for The Next 100 Years that identifies significant events predicted by the author.

Provocative Question Consider http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Nonfiction-review-The-Next-100-Years-3171803.php, three reviews at http://www.amazon.com/The-Next-100-Years-Forecast/dp/0767923057, and http://www.businessinsider.com/the-next-100-years-a-review-2011-4?IR=T. In what ways is Friedman’s forecasting false and inaccurate speculation?

Creative Writing Skills Plan for the 5 C’s of three short stories based on ideas presented in The Next 100 Years.

Examples of Habit How specifically do existing and historical geo-political forces serve to predict future events? What are some examples (for Europe, or for Asia, or for America)?

Organised Random Search Make a facts chart and/or web bibliography to present results for: What is the history of the Empire of _________ (Persia/England/USA)?

Skills of Search Without using the internet, discover through five different mediums a position on potential significant events/chnges in the next century, then present your findings (note: you are not to discover five sources using the same medium, nor exercise five mediums to detail the position of a single source). Identify the different means/medium you exercised to discover each of your five described positions.

Tolerance for Ambiguity Friedman is respected as an authority on strategic and tactical intelligence issues. Do you think he deserves such respect? Why (not)?

Intuitive Expression Imagine you are looking back on events in the 21st Century. In contrast to The Next 100 Years, how do you remember the history of your life-time?

Adjustment to Development How would you explain the world and contents of The Next 100 Years to your parents? What do you expect them to believe, inquire after, challenge, and wonder about?

Study Creative Development Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heAVOA8iyCw
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P99qJGrPNLs, then make your own analytical blurb for the second clip.

Evaluate Situations Create a plus-minus-ideas table to compare and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of living in the 21st Century.

Creative Reading Skills Write a poem/ballad to summarize the predictions of George Friedman.

Visualisation Draw one of the technological innovations for the latter part of the 21st Century described in The Next 100 Years.

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