Wednesday, November 24, 2010

That Image on the Cover

Yes. The one on the front of It’s YOUR Future… Make it a Good One! If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out at the Amazon or Barnes and Noble web sites or at www.vernewheelwright.com.

Several people have asked about the “compass” hanging above the globe. Actually, the designer used a “compass rose’, the outer design that shows the four directions, but the center is another instrument that is found in airplanes of all types and sizes. It is an “attitude indicator,” also called an “artificial horizon.” It shows the pilot the position of the airplane relative to the horizon: banking left or right, climbing or descending. A very useful device, especially in bad weather. A pilot who is not aware of his or her plane’s attitude can get into trouble very quickly.

I was surprised when I first saw this cover design, but quickly decided the designer had the right idea, because that is what this book is about, understanding where you are in life and in the world around you. The exercises with the personal domains help you recognize where you’ve been and where you are now in each domain. Studying the forces in the world around you also help you recognize your position in the larger world. There’s a reason why futurists use the term “horizon scanning.”

Just one more note about the book, I had a very short video made, a book trailer. If you’d like to see it on YouTube, here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anKiQ_rJua4. If you would like to read the first chapter of It’s YOUR Future… Make it a Good One! you’ll find the download at www.vernewheelwright.com .