The Future and Its Enemies

The Future and Its Enemies: The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress is a 1998 book by Virginia Postrel where she describes the growing conflict in post-Cold War society between "dynamism" – marked by constant change, creativity and exploration in the pursuit of progress – and "stasism", where progress is controlled by careful and cautious planning. Postrel endorses the former, illustrates the differences between the two, and argues that dynamism should be embraced rather than feared.

Reviews
Richard Ebeling wrote a positive review for the Future of Freedom Foundation in May 1999. He remarked, "Postrel's book stands out as one of the best popular defenses of the ideal of a free society precisely because she covers the skeletal principles of liberty with the flesh and blood of history, everyday real life, and examples of things around us that we take for granted. It is one of those rare instances of a well-balanced blending of theory and practice that may yet make free men and free markets a reality in the next century."

Dr. Edward Younkins, a professor at Wheeling Jesuit University, wrote for the journal Free Life praising the book as a "brilliant, bold, and compelling new work". He also referred to it as "a must-read for anyone interested in commerce, technology, public policy, and the search for truth in a dynamic world."