Everything seems to be in flux: capitalism through the Occupy movement, democracy through political reorganization in North Africa, the climate through the economic advancement of newly industrializing nations, our media usage through the ubiquity of digital devices. Whether one welcomes change or clings to established habits, one cannot ignore the fact that our planet is currently seething with developments. Now, the new edition of ABSTRACT focuses on a subject that has almost been forgotten in these stormy seas of change: that which endures.

Through insightful texts—some factual, some fantastic—as well as appealing images, information graphics, and detachable postcards “What Remains: A Homage to the Enduring” explores what has remained the same throughout the history of humankind and why. The edition asks whether it is life itself that naturally produces these constants or whether it is the decision of individuals to perpetuate them. Input and answers can be found in contributions by a wide range of experts including curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, former Swiss president Doris Leuthard, psychologist Hans J. Markowitsch, and author of crime fiction Heinrich Steinfest.

ABSTRACT is a series of books that seamlessly combines scientific rigor and entertainment, intellectual depth and overview, hard facts and the surreal. Each issue gets to the root of the challenges pertaining to a current topic by providing a platform for thinkers and doers from diverse fields of knowledge and activity. Readers of ABSTRACT include scientists, managers, politicians, artists, and anyone who expects more than usual from a print publication.

The ABSTRACT book series is created by W.I.R.E. Web for Interdisciplinary Research & Expertise. This independent think tank is affiliated with the Collegium Helveticum of the ETH (Federal Technical University) and the University of Zurich. W.I.R.E. researches global developments in trade and industry, society, and the life sciences and enjoys the support of an international board of experts, pioneering thinkers, and decision makers.

This book is also available in German.