Why it endured
Asimov's magnum opus follows mathematician Hari Seldon, who predicts the fall of galactic civilization and creates a plan to shorten the coming dark ages from 30,000 years to one thousand. A foundational work of science fiction that shaped how generations of scientists and entrepreneurs think about civilization-scale problems.
What they're saying
6 people recommend this book
“Foundation — I read it as a teenager. It affected my thinking more than almost anything. It is about the development of civilization and how you can take actions to minimize the probability of a dark age and reduce its length.”
Interview
“On the topic of sci-fi’s I really like books written by scientists turned writers because I find the world building to be much more compelling, interesting and logically consistent. Recently I enjoyed [this]. Especially the concepts of psychohistory and dark ages.”
“Foundation shaped how I think about the long-term trajectory of civilization more than almost any other book.”
Blog
“Asimov's Foundation inspired me as a kid — the idea that you could understand and guide the arc of history through knowledge and science.”
Interview
“When I was a kid, I was obsessed with science fiction. Paul Allen and I would spend countless hours discussing Isaac Asimov’s original Foundation trilogy.”
“Matt Ridley, Neal Stephenson, Taleb, Borges, Ted Chiang, Anthony DeMello, Osho, J Krishnamurti, Harari, Asimov, Bradbury, Greg Egan, Feynman, Schrödinger, Bohr, Chris Alexander, the Durants, Darwin, Adam Smith, David Deutsch, Karl Popper, Douglas Hofstader, Douglas Adams”