Utopia for Realists : How We Can Build the Ideal World

After long hours at jobs we often dislike we end up buying things we don’t need. Dutch historian Rutger Bregman argues that this doesn’t have to be our reality—and in some places it isn’t. When Bregman delivered his TED Talk on universal basic income in 2014 it seemed radically ambitious. Now with over a quarter of a million views the topic is being seriously explored by leading economists and policymakers worldwide. This is just one of many utopian ideas he shows are achievable today. *Utopia for Realists* is a thought-provoking book that challenges your perceptions of what is possible. Bregman discusses a Canadian city that successfully eliminated poverty and recounts Richard Nixon's near adoption of basic income for millions of Americans. He takes us through history and beyond traditional political divides advocating for ideas whose time has come. Every major advancement in civilization—from the end of slavery to the rise of democracy—was once seen as a utopian dream. Bregman’s book demonstrates that new visions such as ending poverty and establishing a fifteen-hour workweek can become realities in our lifetime. Embracing the seemingly unrealistic can make the impossible inevitable paving the way for an ideal world.