Can big data make us happy? Social thinker Jeremy Rifkin thinks so — through the digitized global network the Internet of Things (IoT). In The Zero Marginal Cost Society, he posits how people, natural resources and more “will be linked via sensors and software to the IoT platform, continually feeding Big Data to every node — businesses, homes, vehicles”. Rifkin sees the IoT as allowing economic exchange through a collaborative commons that will eclipse the capitalist marketplace and save the planet.

Rifkin is known for his insight on social and technological trends. Although he does not sufficiently explain how the IoT will reduce environmental problems, the book has many stimulating ideas on everything from bitcoin and prosumerism to the smart economy. If you are not a millennial and have yet to try crowdfunding, this is for you. Pull up a garden chair — just remember to turn on the Wi-Fi.