Towards the end of this article, I present a list of my fundamental loyalties, defined as the intellectual commitments guiding my participation, writing and speech in the public sphere. Why am I doing that? To model transparency. To be clear, both with myself and with others, about what I intend to do, before I start … Continue reading Loyalties: A framework for how I intend to engage in the public sphere
Author: Alan AtKisson
How I recovered from burn-out
A “near-complete recovery.” That is how I describe my situation now, eight months after a sudden debilitating collapse in physical and cognitive capacity, caused by extreme stress in an already-demanding job. I wrote in detail about this in a previous blog post and LinkedIn "Pulse" article. The first thing to say about my much-improved health … Continue reading How I recovered from burn-out
Keynote Speech: “Future Thinking for Sustainable Development”
The following is a more polished version of the opening keynote speech I delivered (speaking from notes) in Gdansk, Poland, on 16 June 2025, at an international conference on sustainable development hosted by WEB Merito Universities (see Endnotes for more info and link). I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to present this speech, which … Continue reading Keynote Speech: “Future Thinking for Sustainable Development”
Chronicle of a CEO Burnout
Update 4 August 2025: There is now a complementary blog post to this one, called "How I Recovered from Burnout." Please read the two articles together. This is a cautionary tale. I tell it so that others might successfully avoid the kind of health-related collapse that I experienced after a long period of unrelenting stress … Continue reading Chronicle of a CEO Burnout
Third-Age Thoughts
Initial reflections after a long professional career in public service for sustainability On January 1, 2025, I woke up to the reality that I was actually and truly retired. I have no professional position, no company or business to maintain, no formal work responsibilities, at all. I am living on my income from a modest … Continue reading Third-Age Thoughts
Announcing my retirement from public service
Letter and social media post sent 1 January 2025 To friends and colleagues around the world: I am retiring. After 44 years of professional work, 36 of them spent working to advance sustainability and sustainable development, it’s time for a rest. I had intended to continue working professionally a few more years, but in November, … Continue reading Announcing my retirement from public service
Fleeting Beauty of Life
Over the past year, like millions of other people, I have been "playing" with various AI applications, chiefly ChatGPT and DALL-E. And like millions, I have watched with astonishment as these tools rapidly advance. After it first launched, I asked ChatGPT about me. It told me that I had died three years ago. I said, … Continue reading Fleeting Beauty of Life
Launching a new book: “Embraces, Vincent”
I am so pleased to announce the publication of this new book by my friend Vincent Williams (1933-2017). I had the pleasure and honor of editing it, together with Vincent’s daughter, Alexina Thorén Williams (who initiated and led the project). Purchase the book on Amazon.com or Amazon.se Vincent was a truly unique, wonderful person and … Continue reading Launching a new book: “Embraces, Vincent”
Getting Better, or Getting Worse? Revisiting my book Believing Cassandra
© 2022 by Alan AtKisson Part 1 in a series of essays. DRAFT published 19 July 2022 at AlanAtKisson.com In 1999 I published my first book, Believing Cassandra. That book – which opens with a retelling of the history of another book, The Limits to Growth (1972) – was an instant hit in its very … Continue reading Getting Better, or Getting Worse? Revisiting my book Believing Cassandra
Closing my company — AtKisson, Inc. — for good
The title is a play on words. Yes, I am completely closing down my nearly 30-year-old company, AtKisson, Inc., and English uses the phrase "for good" to mean "permanently." The last logo of the AtKisson Group But I also want to celebrate that company's history, because it truly aimed to be a force for good: … Continue reading Closing my company — AtKisson, Inc. — for good
Alan AtKisson 