gajeam's review
3.0
The ideas in this book are Important but the examples get tedious. I'd say read the book reviews (The New Yorker's hits hard) and watch interviews with Giridharadas instead of going for the original item.
lischa3000's review
4.0
I think this book has a very important message.
Through my life I have had this gnawing feeling in my stomach, that many of the things I learned in business school and by business people, sounded to good to be true -too easy - something was wrong. This book gives words to that feeling. Public institutions, our political system and unions are important to the life we live today. They should not be dismantled, but bettered and strengthened. We should secure high level public schools, health care and social care systems, so that they are not overrun by private do-gooder's with superior products at a price that only the well off can afford.
Through my life I have had this gnawing feeling in my stomach, that many of the things I learned in business school and by business people, sounded to good to be true -too easy - something was wrong. This book gives words to that feeling. Public institutions, our political system and unions are important to the life we live today. They should not be dismantled, but bettered and strengthened. We should secure high level public schools, health care and social care systems, so that they are not overrun by private do-gooder's with superior products at a price that only the well off can afford.
kilkilshah's review
3.0
I agree with the argument. The book itself is horribly written and doesn't really provide any recommendations. It is an essay in book form.
matttlitke's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Anand Giridharadas provides a great critique of capitalism and our flawed society. Winners Take All did a good job of presenting and explaining the world-wide mindset of the "profits over people" / "capital over community" type of globalism that is running so rampant. The obsession with limitless, endless growth and defining 'success' in terms of ever increasing money and influence is unsustainable, and for most, unattainable. If you always want more and more, you'll have to take it from someone who will end up worse off.
I worked for a company that was bought by a subsidiary of KKR, and the events that followed (especially the inverse relationship between 'shareholder profits' and the daily tangible happiness of the real people surrounding me daily) were formative for my current cynicism. That process is captured well in this book.
At times I found this book really depressing - to think that much of the good and generosity that we see is basically a farce and that the only way to get meaningful systematic change is to completely change the system. We often ask the rich to do more good, but we never force them to do less harm.
I think Giridharadas says it well himself in the Epilogue: "If anyone truly believes in the same private solutions to public problems that have promised grandly to change the world but have failed to prevent our current mess and have fueled populism's flames, wake them up by tapping them gently with this book." And finally: "The inescapable question is 'where do we go from here?' Somewhere other than we have been going, led by someone other than the people who have been leading us."
I worked for a company that was bought by a subsidiary of KKR, and the events that followed (especially the inverse relationship between 'shareholder profits' and the daily tangible happiness of the real people surrounding me daily) were formative for my current cynicism. That process is captured well in this book.
At times I found this book really depressing - to think that much of the good and generosity that we see is basically a farce and that the only way to get meaningful systematic change is to completely change the system. We often ask the rich to do more good, but we never force them to do less harm.
I think Giridharadas says it well himself in the Epilogue: "If anyone truly believes in the same private solutions to public problems that have promised grandly to change the world but have failed to prevent our current mess and have fueled populism's flames, wake them up by tapping them gently with this book." And finally: "The inescapable question is 'where do we go from here?' Somewhere other than we have been going, led by someone other than the people who have been leading us."
dkai's review
4.0
The book opens with the main point in the first chapter and always returns to it. Each time there is more perspective, and the examples and commentary build well on each other over time. I would recommend reading at least the first five chapters, as it contains perhaps the best diagnosis of the current problems facing the US. If you've ever wondered whether you should just take a high money job and then donate a bunch later, this is a book for you. If you're trying to make the world better through your work (particularly entrepreneurs, techies, politics, people working with vulnerable people), this book is for you. No more turning a blind eye to bad deeds because someone donated some money.
anishaaa's review
5.0
I fail to see how composting the rich wouldn't solve all societal issues.
This book makes me so mad.
This book makes me so mad.