John Naisbitt was an American writer and public speaker. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 15, 1929. He studied at Harvard University, Cornell University, and the University of Utah. His career included working for IBM and Eastman Kodak. He gained experience in politics working as an assistant to the Commissioner of Education during the Kennedy administration and as special assistant to HEW Secretary John Gardner during the Johnson administration. In 1968 he founded the Urban Research Corporation and later, the Naisbitt China Institute at Tianjin University.
He is best known for his first book, Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives, published in 1982. It was on the New York Times bestseller list for two years. In 1985, he published Reinventing the Corporation. His other books included Megatrends 2000 (1990), Global Paradox (1994), Megatrends Asia (1996), High Tech High Touch (1999), Mind Set! (2006), and China's Megatrends (2010).
He received 15 honorary doctorates in humanities, technology, and science. His work in future studies influenced people around the world. John Naisbitt died at his home on April 8, 2021 in Velden am Wörthersee, Austria. He was 92.
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