Book cover of Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World

Book description

Universal basic income. A 15-hour workweek. Open borders. Does it sound too good to be true? One of Europe's leading young thinkers shows how we can build an ideal world today.

"A more politically radical Malcolm Gladwell." -- New York Times

After working all day at jobs we often dislike,…

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Why read it?

3 authors picked Utopia for Realists as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I learned things in this book that I didn’t know, for example, about the history of the UBI, and I respect the politics overall. 

It has an admirably accessible tone, and the message that we should aim for utopia is so very needed today. It helped me realize that we must all think about life after the end of work.  

From Todd's list on waking up from dogmatic slumber.

I love this book on many levels. Utopia is always just out of reach but with the scale of time, one could argue that we’re currently living in a utopia.

Even if we don’t have flying cars, more people have opportunities and access to resources than ever before in recorded history.

This book is for optimists and pessimists alike, as the author does a great job addressing the current issues we face and outlining a future worth building. A future of Universal Basic Income (UBI) and no national borders, where opportunities are shared more equitably.

If everyone read this book…

I read this book while on a fellowship in Germany. Needing to lighten my luggage, I left it in the apartment I had rented. When I returned a year later, it was still there. With less to carry that time, I happily took it back. Bregman pulls no punches in how we get to a better world, and he knows that implementing his recommendations will require considerable political courage and persuasion. Eradicate poverty and give people time to achieve their potential – through a universal basic income, a shorter work week, higher taxes on those whose jobs hurt the public…

From Robert's list on optimistic view of the future.

If you love Utopia for Realists...

Book cover of The Next Rung

The Next Rung by Chris Simmance,

Every previous wave of automation had a next rung. Factory workers moved into services. Service workers moved into knowledge work. There was always somewhere to go.

This time the next rung is being automated at the same time as the current one, and the people most exposed are the ones…

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