The book covers the 2010 Workshop on Describing Socioeconomic Futures for Climate Change Research and Assessment, which was organized in response to help understand climate change vulnerabilities and adaptive capacity. The need for improved analysis of feedbacks between human and climate systems was one of the themes that emerged from the international workshop. The books reviews the state of science for considering socioeconomic changes over long time frames, and it clarifies definitions and concepts to facilitate communication across research communities. It also explores driving forces and key uncertainties that will affect impacts, adaptation, vulnerability and mitigation.