In recent years a chorus of futurologists has sprung up, some pessimistic, some not. However all are concerned with the future of the industrial society. This book takes a close look at industrial society, past and present, in order to evaluate these miltifarious claims. The author begins with the industrial revolution itself, examining the ideas it inspired, especially the idea of progress and the balance of confidence and despair about industrialism. Moving on to the post-industrial idea, Dr Kumar arrives at the conclusion that much of it is plausable only because of a widespread misconception of what "classic" industrial society was all about. He concludes with a discussion of whether we can expect a future society that geninuely goes "beyond industrialism".