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Published 18 January 2027The Next Rung
Why AI is breaking the career ladder, and how to find your next step.
ADVANCE PRAISE
What leaders are saying.
Every entrepreneur and business leader should read this. Chris Simmance has written a sharp, unsentimental account of how AI is reshaping who gets hired and trained, and why that should concern anyone building a company for the long term. Timely, well argued, and very hard to put down.
This is a challenging and thought-provoking book. Its warning that AI may disrupt the traditional pathways into employment is particularly relevant for those of us committed to creating opportunity for young people, especially those from challenging backgrounds. The message is clear: academic achievement alone will not be enough. We must equip young people with the human skills that AI cannot replicate, judgement, creativity, resilience, collaboration and adaptability. It is a valuable contribution to an important debate about the future of work and the future of education.
This book sets out the challenges in an AI disrupted world of work looked at from the perspective of jobs, careers and opportunities. Chris asks big questions about what we need to do to adapt in business, policy, and education, but also what we can each do to prepare for a transition that is already happening. People and skills need to be the focus of all our attention in this era of rapid change.
ABOUT THE BOOK
An honest map of what is coming.
Every previous technological revolution had somewhere for displaced workers to go. AI is different: it automates the next rung at the same time as the current one. The cognitive work that knowledge workers would normally retrain into, analysis, coordination, synthesis, is precisely what AI performs best.
The Next Rung maps what that means for the people in the middle, why they can feel the change but cannot yet name it, and what they can do this week, on their own role, household, and family. It is written for anyone whose job title still appears on the org chart but whose work is quietly hollowing out beneath them.
THE ARGUMENT, DRAWN
Three figures from the book.
The spine of the argument, in pictures. The full set of nine runs through the chapters.
The three pillars under loadEvery previous technology wave was absorbed by three pillars. This is the first wave under which all three crack at once.
The exposure hourglassThe top and bottom of the org chart hold longer than the middle. The educated middle is squeezed hardest.
The J-curve, conditionalDisplacement, trough, recovery. The trough this time is decades long, and the turn is conditional on what we do.
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WHY PRE-ORDER
Pre-orders change everything.
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For a first-time trade author, every pre-order also signals to the publisher that the audience is real. It is the most useful thing you can do to help the book reach the people it was written for.
MORE PRAISE
From founders and parents.
AI feels like a Tsunami that is engulfing all aspects of work and play; and at other times it feels like a fantastic opportunity. Chris Simmance’s book is a refreshing “warts and all” journey of discovery for anyone that has any interest in AI, or just wants help working out how it can impact everything that we do. A great read and recommended to all!
A rare book that refuses to comfort and refuses to catastrophise. Simmance writes with the clarity of someone who has skin in the game on both sides of the AI disruption, and it shows on every page.
An enlightening read as both a CEO embracing AI and a parent of three teenagers navigating future career choices.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
About the book.
What is The Next Rung about?
The Next Rung is Chris Simmance's book on how AI is changing work. Its argument is that AI is automating the coordination and analysis work the knowledge economy runs on, the "next rung" of the career ladder that people climb into on the way up, and that this reshapes who gets hired, trained and promoted. It sets out what is being displaced and what is not, what work becomes, and what individuals, employers, educators and policymakers can do about it.
When is The Next Rung published?
The Next Rung is published on 18 January 2027 by Practical Inspiration Publishing. You can pre-order it now in paperback, hardcover or Kindle.
Who wrote The Next Rung?
Chris Simmance, a business advisor and founder who works with agencies, consultancies and founders on AI and operations. He also builds Orca, an AI orchestration app. You can read more about him at simmance.ai/advisory.
What formats is The Next Rung available in?
Paperback, hardcover and Kindle (ebook). The ISBN-13 is 978-1805760740 and the ISBN-10 is 1805760742.
How much does The Next Rung cost?
In the UK, the paperback is £14.99, the hardcover £24.99, and the Kindle edition £7.99. Prices in the US and elsewhere are set by each retailer; for readers in the United States, Barnes & Noble is usually the best value.
Where can I pre-order The Next Rung?
From Amazon and Waterstones in the UK, and from Barnes & Noble in the US. All three pre-order links are on this page.
Is The Next Rung available in the US?
Yes. Readers in the United States can pre-order from Barnes & Noble, which is usually the cheapest option for US delivery.
Who should read The Next Rung?
People in the middle of the career ladder, and the employers, educators and policymakers whose decisions shape what happens to them. It is written to be read by a marketing director in Reading and cited by someone shaping skills policy.
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The career ladder is changing. The question is whether you see it before it reaches you.