Writer, speaker and futurist Richard Watson is upfront in calling Future Files a book for business, and the reader could be forgiven for expecting another treatise on how big business can extract more money out of us.

In fact, Watson has an interesting take on everything from health to transport, culture, eating and more. After also stating at the outset that anyone foolhardy enough to make predictions will be judged harshly by history, he goes on to make plenty of his own.

These include the appearance of artificial intelligence by 2025 and the merging of the movie, pharmaceuticals, neuroscience and computer industries by 2050.

Future Files' overarching theme is that the future will converge on one of two extremes. In one scenario, things will be trimmed and whittled down to be as fast and easy to handle as possible – supermarket meals pre-packaged for your genetic make-up, or the end of cash for all-digital money for example.

At the other extreme, ubiquitous technology and 'busyness' fatigue will increase our desire to connect with the old ways of consuming – high quality and handmade goods will be appreciated.

Watson's assertions on the drivers of change make a lot of sense. It's not about frivolities such as fridges that order milk over the Internet (an existing invention that has failed to catch on, he notes), flying cars or holidays to the Moon, but the rising influence of emerging markets like China and India, or the impact of the burgeoning aged population on society.

The execution isn't as good as the premise, but Future Files is worth reading and remembering until 2050 to see what Watson was right about.