I’m a recovering ambassador, now running an Oxford college. After almost 25 years in diplomacy, including working in no 10 for three prime ministers, I realised that education is upstream diplomacy. If we are to find a way through the challenges ahead – from climate change to pandemics and economic crisis to artificial intelligence – we must act, urgently, to upgrade why, what, and how we learn. I set out to ask hundreds of the most inspirational people on the planet what they wished they had known, and what they would share with the next generation if this was their last day.
By Tom Fletcher
A handbook on what we need to survive and thrive in a time of fragility and change. Head, hand, and heart: essential knowledge, skills, and values. How do we not just navigate this unstable moment, but take the practical steps to become great ancestors?
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By Yuval Noah Harari
This is the most extraordinary repackaging of what we know of our shared history. It helps us understand the journey we have made from cave paintings to the driverless car, and the ingenuity and creativity that we must marshall once again if we are to ensure that the tech works for us, not the other way round. It is humbling and uplifting.
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By Peter Frankopan
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By Doris Kearns Goodwin
The book on leadership, character, and resilience. And a reminder both that we have navigated similar moments of peril and uncertainty, and that individual humans have an agency to shape the world around them in better ways. History hasn’t ended, and we badly need leaders who can combine intellect with emotional intelligence.
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By Omar Saif Ghobash
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By Emma Smith
A book of immense humanity and authenticity, which reminds us of how the great themes of great literature and art can offer solace and guidance in moments of fragility. By helping us go back to Shakespeare with less insecurity or baggage, the book opens up new perspectives on how others have grappled with these questions about how to be human. And it reminds us that we are allowed to question, challenge, and have fun.
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