Douglas Rushkoff

Douglas Rushkoff is the author of Survival of the Richest. He is also a social scientist, author, columnist, early cyberpunk, and media theorist. In the introduction, he identifies himself as “a humanist who writes about the impact of digital technology on our lives” (1). Despite this background and self-identification, Rushkoff remarks that he is “often mistaken for a futurist” (1). Throughout the text, he describes the numerous times he was invited to speak at events centered around the future of technology, the future of human society, or the future of the climate. Rushkoff holds that he does not like discussing the future, especially as it pertains to the wealthy elite. Rather, he is interested in the collaborative story of humankind.

Rushkoff incorporates episodes from his vocational and personal experience to humanize himself and give shape to his scientific examinations throughout the text. He will incorporate the first person...