South Africa, Nov. 24 -- "Flatten the curve," "Build back better," "The great reset." We've all heard these phrases repeated through politicians and publications this year. Small, simple words designed to get big ideas to spread throughout our collective consciousness and facilitate a specific change or set of actions within our communities.

With these words buzzing in my ears, on my screens and throughout my social feeds, this week, I've been reading Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral and Drive Major Economic Events by Nobel Prize winner, Robert J. Shiller.

Also, as a futurist, economist and trend analyst myself, the book fits snugly in the centre of my own personal Venn diagram at the intersection of persuasion (marketing), eco...