Ray's Reviews > Utopia For Realists

Is it hyperbolic to say that this book may change the world?

If you've already read about Universal Basic Income (UBI), or really anything by a good myth-busting economist which challenges our current era of capitalism, then Utopia for Realists may not teach you too much that you don't already know. Overall Rutger Bregman''s way is just to summarize some main big ideas into a readable paperback, and yet that is the whole point.

There are plenty of graphs which will convince the reader that income inequality is a leading social problem, and even some surprising historical examples of how realistic giving away free money to alleviate poverty would be. (The now famous Nixon example! And Speenhamland, what an unfortuante misinterpretation ... Bregman is primarily a historian after all.)

So read up to learn why value shouldn't actually be measured by a nation's GDP, and about how arbitrary it is that neoliberalism won out in the end because it could have gone so many other ways. Yet most of all, take this hopefully-important book as a manifesto. A call to stop accepting that the way it is now is the way it has to be, and instead embrace these valid possibilities for new utopias.

That is ultimately the point. The world has changed for the better before, and it can change for the better again. In bigger ways than we think. This in essence is what's being called for, to inspire leaders and citizens to have more ambition and actually improve everyone's lives.

Really, if we can't think harder about how to make life better then what's the point of civilization?

I truly hope this book fulfils such potential and does have that big an impact, I really do.

Therefore, of course, very recommended for everyone in the world to read.