Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman
Utopia for Realists is a call to arms for a radical rethinking of life, work, and how society functions. The book argues that the world enjoys unprecedented wealth and material comfort but is still full of problems, from soul-destroying jobs to inequality and poverty.
The author presents three core ideas for reconstructing modern society to promote a more productive and equitable life: a universal and unconditional basic income paid to everybody, a short working week of fifteen hours, and open borders.
The book explores and presents the author’s own version of utopia, which includes Universal Basic Income, a 15-hour workweek, and open borders. He presents each of these ideas, explains why they are a good idea, and how they could make life better for all of us. The author strikes a good balance of utopia and realism, presenting each utopian idea and referencing available research or historical events to prove their validity.
The book ends on a high note, reminding us that ideas can truly change the world. So we should imagine what we want to change it into. The book is a reminder that we influence the future and an invitation to think of the utopia we can create.
What I Liked
I love the optimism of the book. And while I might quibble with some of the details of his ideas, I absolutely agree that liberals need to offer people an incredible, abundant view of what could be…and then implement.
What I Did Not Like
Not a whole lot – excellent book.
