"There can be no greater advantage than certainty of the future.Not in nature. Not in business. Not in governance." So begins Rebecca Costa’s much-awaited exploration of foresight: "the crowning achievement of human ambition." According to Costa, advances in Big Data, predictive analytics, genomics, artificial intelligence, and other breakthroughs have made it possible to pinpoint future results with mind-blowing accuracy—cracking the door to what Costa calls predaptation: the ability to adapt before the fact. Never before has the information needed to avert danger, get the jump ahead of others, or prepare for the inevitable been so clearly within grasp.
Through fascinating real-life examples, Costa reveals how technology has brought nations, businesses, and individuals to the edge of clairvoyance. Yet, our ability to act on foreknowledge often falls short—causing leaders to squander the advantage of preemption. To counteract this failure, Costa illuminates 12 principles of adaptation, and predaptation, used to succeed in fast-moving environments.
In the spirit of the best in popular science, On the Verge is a landmark examination of big-picture forces affecting society today. Costa’s unique sociobiological perspective, combined with her ability to blend humor, breaking science, and insightful personal stories, distinguishes her as one of the most important female thought leaders of our time.
"There can be no greater advantage than certainty of the future.Not in nature. Not in business. Not in governance." So begins Rebecca Costa’s much-awaited exploration of foresight: "the crowning achievement...
Rebecca D. Costa
Rebecca D. Costa is an American sociobiologist and futurist. She is a world renowned expert on "fast adaptation" in complex environments, and a recipient of the prestigious Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Award. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, The Guardian, and other leading publications. Costa’s weekly column, THE FIX, is presently featured on Newsmax.Costa was the founder and CEO of one of the largest technology marketing firms in California, where she developed an extensive track record of introducing disruptive, bleeding edge technologies. Her clients included industry innovators such as Hewlett-Packard, Apple Computer, Oracle, Siebel Systems, General Electric, 3M, and others. She has been on the forefront of technological and scientific innovation for more than four decades.Retiring at the zenith of her career in Silicon Valley, Costa spent six years researching and writing the international bestseller The Watchman’s Rattle: A Radical New Theory of Collapse. Her follow-on book, titled On the Verge was introduced in 2017 to critical acclaim, shooting to the top of Amazon’s #1 New Business Releases. The success of The Watchman’s Rattle led to a popular weekly news program called The Costa Report which was syndicated throughout the United States until 2018.Owing to the pressures to respond more rapidly and effectively to the fast pace of change, Costa is a popular international speaker. Costa brings an evolutionary biologist and technologist’s perspective to successful adaptation. She is represented by the American Program Bureau.A global thinker in the mold of Alvin Toffler, Jared Diamond, and Thomas Friedman, Costa attributes her ability to see the "big picture" to her cross-cultural education and upbringing. Raised in Tokyo, Japan, and Vientiane, Laos, during the Vietnam conflict, Costa brings a unique global perspective to the every day challenges of work and life. Rebecca Costa is an alumnus of the University of California at Santa Barbara and currently resides in Astoria, Oregon.For more information about Rebecca Costa and The Costa Group, visit www.rebeccacosta.com.
