Writer Gary Shteyngart embarks on the biggest cruise ship to find 'real' America but discovers isolation instead. He details the bizarre characters, terrible food, and the pressure to keep up appearances. The podcast delves into the luxury, hierarchy, and reflections at sea, the social challenges of fitting in, and how the cruise ship experience reflects American identity and societal aspects like politics and status obsession.

Gary Shteyngart joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “Omakase,” by Weike Wang, which was published in *The New Yorker* in 2018. Shteyngart is the author of five novels including, most recently, “Lake Success” and “Our Country Friends.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Leading futurists Rita McGrath, Esther Dyson, and Gary Shteyngart discuss past predictions, the digital age, social media, science fiction, and methods for sensing the future. They explore predicting future trends, dystopian inspiration, human connections, and methods for contemplating the future. The podcast also touches on challenges in Korea's advanced economy, re-enchantment, permissionless organizations, potential disruption in advertising, and upcoming books and foresight.