A review by fleeno
Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World by Rutger Bregman

4.0

In Utopia For Realist, Rutger Bregman explores the best-ideas-you’ve-never-heard-of-or-just-thought-were-crazy-to-work. In this book Bregman lays out his case for why the modern status quo is hobbling human potential and what we should do to change that. His ideas include universal basic income, 15 hour work week, and open boarders. Bregman explores the history of the ideas, experiments where they have worked, who the benefit, and how they benefit people. In fact we have been close to having these policies in some places and we could be close again. While reading this I had two thoughts - 1) we could have had a much better world, citizens have come close to having a better life in so many places, and 2) these policies help everyone except billionaires. The world now has too many and the people in charge are too easily bought. Overall though I am hopeful that these ideas could lead to a better society and we could achieve it. There are more people who believe in positive change and are hopeful for the future. In closing the book Bregman leaves us with the wisdom, 'If we want to change the world we need to be unrealistic, unreasonable, and impossible.'