A series of newspaper essays and a single extended lecture that survey contemporary political, social, scientific and cultural developments, offering forecasts and critiques of institutions and practices. The writer examines experiments in government, doubts about democracy, and the growth of authoritarian movements alongside discussions of labour, empire, and the prospects for peace and war. Technological and artistic change receives attention through pieces on aviation, broadcasting, cinema, and the modern novel, while essays consider science, mental life, and practical problems such as fuel and industry. Shorter commentaries on marriage, public morals, and reformist remedies round out a broadly argumentative attempt to imagine how society may transform.