The Precipice
Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity
by Toby Ord
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“1/4 Let me introduce you to a brilliant book!I think a lot about existential crises for two reasons: The first is that I live right near Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a military conflict for several months now. The danger of a nuclear war erupting is quite concerning. | Enjoyed @tobyordoxford’s The Precipice. Odd time to read about endofworld scenarios. Need a new book. Maybe science fiction | The world can have a very good future, but there are risks that can mean that we don't have a future at all. We should be thinking about those risks now. Toby Ord's book is about those risks and I very, very much recommend it.”
Source →“1/4 Let me introduce you to a brilliant book!I think a lot about existential crises for two reasons: The first is that I live right near Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a military conflict for several months now. The danger of a nuclear war erupting is quite concerning. | Enjoyed @tobyordoxford’s The Precipice. Odd time to read about endofworld scenarios. Need a new book. Maybe science fiction | The world can have a very good future, but there are risks that can mean that we don't have a future at all. We should be thinking about those risks now. Toby Ord's book is about those risks and I very, very much recommend it.”
Source →“1/4 Let me introduce you to a brilliant book!I think a lot about existential crises for two reasons: The first is that I live right near Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a military conflict for several months now. The danger of a nuclear war erupting is quite concerning. | Enjoyed @tobyordoxford’s The Precipice. Odd time to read about endofworld scenarios. Need a new book. Maybe science fiction | The world can have a very good future, but there are risks that can mean that we don't have a future at all. We should be thinking about those risks now. Toby Ord's book is about those risks and I very, very much recommend it.”
Source →“1/4 Let me introduce you to a brilliant book!I think a lot about existential crises for two reasons: The first is that I live right near Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a military conflict for several months now. The danger of a nuclear war erupting is quite concerning. | Enjoyed @tobyordoxford’s The Precipice. Odd time to read about endofworld scenarios. Need a new book. Maybe science fiction | The world can have a very good future, but there are risks that can mean that we don't have a future at all. We should be thinking about those risks now. Toby Ord's book is about those risks and I very, very much recommend it.”
Source →Recommended by 6 notable people, including Patrick Collison and Tobi Lutke
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Recommended by 7 sources and appears in Most Recommended Books, Politics, and Philosophy.
This urgent and eyeopening book makes the case that protecting humanity's future is the central challenge of our time. If all goes well, human history is just beginning. Our species could survive for billions of years enough time to end disease, poverty, and injustice, and to flourish in ways unimaginable today. But this vast future is at risk. ...
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Why recommended
Recommended by 7 sources and appears in Most Recommended Books, Politics, and Philosophy.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Max Roser
“1/4 Let me introduce you to a brilliant book!I think a lot about existential crises for two reasons: The first is that I live right near Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a military conflict for several months now. The danger of a nuclear war erupting is quite concerning. | Enjoyed @tobyordoxford’s The Precipice. Odd time to read about endofworld scenarios. Need a new book. Maybe science fiction | The world can have a very good future, but there are risks that can mean that we don't have a future at all. We should be thinking about those risks now. Toby Ord's book is about those risks and I very, very much recommend it.”
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Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Soft-spoken, heavily illustrated fable built from short dialogues and watercolor sketches. Each spread pairs a spare line of text with a loose drawing, so the pleasure is visual and aphoristic rather than narrative; readers collect felt-true sentences more than plot. Most useful when you want quick consolations, a prompt for conversation with a child, or a pause during a rough day. Limiting if you want sustained argument, concrete advice, or tightly plotted storytelling: the repetition of gentleness can feel sentimental or thin after a while.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.
The Precipice
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