Name: Lena Köninger's review of Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman
Item: Utopia for Realists
Rating: 4
Author: Lena Köninger

Rutger Bregman

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Listen out for Rutger Bregman. He has a big future shaping the future' Observer 'A more politically radical Malcolm Gladwell' New York Times 'The Dutch wunderkind of new ideas' Guardian In Utopia for Realists, Rutger Bregman shows that we can construct a society with visionary ideas that are, in fact, wholly implementable. Every milestone of civilisation – from the end of slavery to the beginning of democracy – was once considered a utopian fantasy. New utopian ideas such as universal basic income and a fifteen-hour work week can become reality in our lifetime. From a Canadian city that once completely eradicated poverty, to Richard Nixon's near implementation of a basic income for millions of Americans, Bregman takes us on a journey through history, beyond the traditional left-right divides, as he introduces ideas whose time has come.

And How We Can Get There

Utopia for Realists

Lukas

Greater flexibility in the workplace demands that we also create greater security. Globalization is

Not coincidentally, the countries with the shortest workweeks also have the largest number of volunteers and the most social capital.

You can't pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you have no boots.

In the twenty-first century, the real elite are those born not in the right family or the right class but in the right country.

Shelby Doherty

Was sind heute die großen Ideen? Historischer Fortschritt basierte fast immer auf utopischen Ideen: Noch vor 100 Jahren hätte niemand für möglich gehalten, dass die Sklaverei abgeschafft oder die Demokratie wirklich existieren würde. Doch wie begegnen wir den Herausforderungen der modernen Arbeitswelt, des Familienlebens, des gesamten globalen Gefüges? Der niederländische Vordenker Rutger Bregman sagt: «Das wahre Problem unserer Zeit ist nicht, dass es uns nicht gut ginge oder dass es uns in Zukunft schlechter gehen könnte. Das wahre Problem ist, dass wir uns nichts Besseres vorstellen können.» Wir müssen es wagen, das Unmögliche zu denken, denn nur so finden wir Lösungen für die Probleme unserer Zeit. Bregman macht deutlich, warum das bedingungslose Grundeinkommen eine echte Option ist und inwiefern die 15-Stunden-Woche eine Antwort auf die Digitalisierung der Arbeit sein kann. «Alternativlos» ist für Bregman keine Option, sogar die Armut kann abgeschafft werden, wie er am Beispiel einer kanadischen Stadt zeigt. Bregmans Visionen sind inspirierend, seine Energie ist mitreißend; er zeigt: Utopien können schneller Realität werden, als wir denken. «Rutger Bregman rüttelt uns wach.» The Times

Die Zeit ist reif für die 15-Stunden-Woche, offene Grenzen und das bedingungslose Grundeinkommen

Utopien für Realisten

Piet Terheyden

Ritik Sahni

die Zeit ist reif für die 15-Stunden-Woche, offene Grenzen und das bedingungslose Grundeinkommen

Gute Gedanken Anstöße, die an der Oberfläche bleiben.

Lena Köninger

Priyanka Pal

An eye opener to the possibility of a host of ideas I have always somehow felt in my gut but never deemed them as truly plausible. The idea of the smartest minds being invested in bullshit jobs increasingly has struck a chord most profoundly in me. Definitely would recommend everyone to give it a read because the book dares you to dream of a new Utopia and to take that dream seriously.

"Pensamento arrojado, ideias inovadoras e texto contagiante." – Steven Pinker "Leitura obrigatória para todos aqueles que se preocupam com as injustiças da sociedade atual e desejam contribuir para sua cura." – Zygmunt Bauman, autor de Modernidade líquida "Se você quer ver um mundo mais justo mas não sabe como chegar lá, este livro é para você. Bregman revela de forma extraordinária como ideias comumente desprezadas como utópicas são na verdade possíveis e até chegaram perto de se concretizar." – Ben Rawlence, pesquisador para o Human Wrights Watch e colunista do The New York Times Utopia para realistas é um daqueles raros livros que surpreendem e desafiam o que você prevê para o futuro. Vivemos uma época de agitação social sem precedentes, com questionamentos sobre a sociedade, o trabalho, a felicidade, a família e o dinheiro, e ainda assim nenhum partido político de direita ou de esquerda nos oferece respostas. O historiador Rutger Bregman, um dos jovens pensadores mais aclamados da Europa, apresenta um novo caminho. Nesse livro ele mostra que podemos construir uma sociedade com ideias visionárias que são, de fato, viáveis. Cada marco da civilização — do fim da escravidão ao início da democracia — já foi considerado uma fantasia utópica. Mas soluções aparentemente utópicas, como a renda básica universal e a jornada de trabalho de 15 horas por semana, podem se tornar realidade ainda nesta geração. Este roteiro para uma utopia revolucionária porém realizável é embasado por estudos e muitos casos de sucesso. De uma cidade canadense que foi capaz de erradicar a pobreza até a quase implementação pelo presidente Nixon de uma renda básica para milhões de americanos, Bregman nos leva a uma jornada através da história – para além das divisões tradicionais entre esquerda e direita – e compartilha ideias prontas para serem postas em prática.

Utopia para realistas

Filipa Carvalho

Katarina

How to wrap this up?
Saya benar-benar tertarik dengan Bregman setelah videonya di Davos viral di internet. Butuh setahun bagi saya buat beli buku ini (karena saya bener-bener gak nemu buku ini di marketplace Indonesia). Akhirnya ada satu orang yang jual dengan harga lumayan murah. Akhirnya saya baca buku ini.

Setelah selesai baca, saya banyak menulis lagi tentang poin-poin yang Bregman sampaikan. Universal Basic Income sebagai solusi untuk penurunan kasus kriminal, kenakalan remaja, perceraian, dan bahkan kemiskinan. Fifteen Hour Workweek diajukan sebagai solusi agar pekerjaan masyarakat terfokuskan (stick to the real job) tanpa harus mengorbankan keluarga, teman, dan kesehatan mental mereka. Open Borders adalah ide paling menantang. Ini memberikan suatu tantangan bagi semua negara untuk membuka batas-batas negara untuk menaikkan employment rate. Menurut saya, Open Borders agak sulit untuk direalisasikan mengingat level of trust negara berbeda-beda.

Bregman dalam penulisannya tidak bertele-tele, persuasif, tak memberikan sebatas opini namun juga fakta-fakta sejarah yang belum saya tahu sebelumnya. Fakta sejarah sangat unik dan ini juga menyadarkan saya bahwa manusia dalam perjalanannya harus belajar dari sejarah untuk membangun masa depan yang mereka inginkan. Utopia dapat dicapai, bahkan dekat sekali dengan mata kita. Bregman menunjukkan faktor-faktor krusial yang dapat menjadi suatu bukti bahwa kita membutuhkan utopia. Kita sadar bahwa dunia kita sangat korup, serakah, bahkan timpang. Tapi mengapa tidak ada dari kita yang maju untuk mengatakan hal ini dan juga mengajukan suatu ide? 

Ide-ide baru pasti akan dianggap tidak realistis, tidak dapat diaplikasikan, bahkan dianggap tidak rasional. Tapi Bregman dengan kepercayaan dirinya dan kemahirannya dalam memberikan data lewat storytelling membukakan mata saya. Kita perlu suatu utopia. Kita perlu mewujudkan itu. Rutger Bregman dengan idenya telah membangkitkan kembali sedikit optimisme dalam diri saya (dan juga beberapa negara lain yang telah kembali melakukan eksperimen Universal Basic Income). Buku ini merupakan suatu awal dari perubahan yang panjang. Salut untuk Bregman dengan ide dan risetnya yang mendalam.

Un ensayo ágil para reflexionar sobre el tipo de sociedad en la que vivimos y cómo resolver la gran paradoja de nuestro tiempo: que en la era de la abundancia, millones de personas sufran escasez. ¡Pongámonos a pensar. Soñemos con la Utopía! Fruto del espectacular avance de la ciencia en los últimos decenios, la globalización está transformando de forma radical el orden social y económico del siglo XXI. En un mundo más pequeño y conectado, el progreso y el bienestar llegan hasta el último rincón del planeta, rescatando de la miseria a cientos de millones de personas. Sin embargo, la nueva economía virtual, sumada a la progresiva sustitución del trabajo humano por robots y computadoras, ha generado también un incremento de la desigualdad de tal dimensión que preocupa incluso a quienes no la padecen. La distribución del trabajo y la acumulación de la riqueza se ha distorsionado, tensando a la sociedad hasta el punto de asomarse al abismo de la ruptura. La incertidumbre y el desconcierto se instalan en la gente y los políticos no ofrecen una respuesta racional sino al contrario, algunos apelan a las emociones más primarias. No la ofrecen porque no la tienen, y no la tienen, sencillamente, porque no son capaces de imaginar un sistema diferente. Este libro, que ya ha provocado un impacto considerable en su versión digital abreviada, llama a encarar el desafío desde una óptica tan audaz como realista. Rutger Bregman no propone recetas milagrosas ni fórmulas magistrales. Reconoce las dificultades que entraña un cambio profundo del modelo social, y está convencido de que éste no surgirá de un genio solitario ni de ningún grupo de iluminados, sino de arraigar en la conciencia colectiva la idea de que otro modelo es posible y beneficioso para todos. La crítica ha dicho... «Brillante, completo, verdaderamente esclarecedor y sumamente legible. De lectura obligatoria para quienes se preocupan por las injusticias de la sociedad actual y quieren contribuir a remediarlas.» Zygmunt Bauman «Si estás aburrido de debates trillados y trasnochados sobre derechas e izquierdas, disfrutarás del pensamiento audaz, las ideas frescas, la prosa vívida y los argumentos basados en datos que contiene este libro.» Steven Pinker «Un libro brillante, que todos deberían leer. Bregman nos muestra que hemos estado mirando el mundo del revés. Al darle la vuelta, de repente, atisbamos nuevos caminos para avanzar. Si conseguimos que suficiente gente lea este libro, el mundo empezará a ser un lugar mejor.» Richard Wilkinson, coautor de Desigualdad: Un análisis de la (in)felicidad colectiva «Antes de rechazar la idea de la renta básica universal, reflexionemos con calma sobre las condiciones concretas de su aplicación. Un proyecto así puede ser económicamente factible y socialmente audaz. Y, contrariamente a lo que alegan quienes confunden solidaridad con farniente, podría suponer una revalorización del trabajo y de los salarios bajos, que mediante este ingreso se beneficiarían de un verdadero derecho a la formación y de un aumento automático de su sueldo neto.» Le Monde, 25 de enero de 2017. Firmado por Antoine Bozio, Thomas Breda, Julia Cagé, Lucas Chancel, Elise Huillery, Camille Landais, Dominique Méda, Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez y Tancrède Voituriez

A favor de la renta básica universal, la semana laboral de 15 horas y un mundo sin fronteras

Utopía para realistas

Los libros de Rutger bregman siempre me dejan con un alivio en el alma, es bueno saber que alguien escribe lo que muchos soñamos 

Florencia Villalobos

Chris G

The last 2/3 chapters have some of the most eye-opening stats I have heard. And massive respect the author for reflecting on their own bias and judgements.

A noted Dutch journalist and economist proposes an outline for a new worldwide Utopia, with central tenets including a shortened work week, a guaranteed basic income for all, wealth redistribution, and open borders everywhere.

This book changed my perspective on economy and society.

Sachar 

"Das Problem sind nicht die neuen Ideen. Das Problem ist, wie wir uns von den alten Ideen lösen können." 

Da ist glaube ich der Knackpunkt für mich. Ich bin bei den beschriebenen Ideen absolut dabei, die Ideen sind überhaupt nicht das Problem, ich finde die Begründung nur nicht passend für mich. Ich glaube das Buch sollte von vielen Leuten gelesen werden, es kann als Inspiration und Zielsetzung dienen, das ist schonmal viel. Ich finde aber, dass die Begründungen und Meinungen in diesem Buch nicht nuanciert genug sind. (Gleiches Problem was das Internet hat, Reichweite erzeihlt man gut mit polarisierenden Botschaften.) Absolute Meinungen verkaufen sicherlich, aber ich finde für die Auseinandersetzung mit unserer Zukunft (auch auch generell) sollte man etwas überlegter formulieren. Das ist sonst zu vereinfacht. 

Inga Kühn 

"Das Problem sind nicht die neuen Ideen. Das Problem ist, wie wir uns von den alten Ideen lösen können." 

Da ist glaube ich der Knackpunkt für mich. Ich bin bei den beschriebenen Ideen absolut dabei, die Ideen sind überhaupt nicht das Problem, ich finde die Begründung nur nicht passend für mich. Ich glaube das Buch sollte von vielen Leuten gelesen werden, es kann als Inspiration und Zielsetzung dienen, das ist schonmal viel. Ich finde aber, dass die Begründungen und Meinungen in diesem Buch nicht nuanciert genug sind. (Gleiches Problem was das Internet hat, Reichweite erzeihlt man gut mit polarisierenden Botschaften.) Absolute Meinungen verkaufen sicherlich, aber ich finde für die Auseinandersetzung mit unserer Zukunft (auch auch generell) sollte man etwas überlegter formulieren. Das ist sonst zu vereinfacht. 

Likes:
- I especially enjoyed the more historical look at how we have seen this issue. Universal basic income and reducing the workweek always seem like they are new ideas and in turn quite radical and progressive. Getting a look at the historical context helps to show that these ideas are not new at all and not all that radical either (with stories of even Richard Nixon looking to pass such a bill).
- I enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook a lot
- Lots of topics are covered in this book - from poverty (worldwide and national), homelessness, workers' rights, universal basic income, open international borders, the value of having work with purpose rather than working for a living, finding passion in life, etc.
- I feel that this book does a really good job of showing that the ideas that we hold and the world that we live in today are all relatively new. Thinking that this is how things are going to be for the rest of time to come is ignorant and stagnant. In this way, I think the book is very hopeful and shows that change and improvement are possible because that's what has preceded us historically.
- I find that the financial/budget data is very inspiring as it shows that these ideals are affordable and possible, it is just a matter of our priorities.
- I especially appreciated the part of the book regarding confirmation bias and how educated people are more susceptible to this.
- I never really think of the GDP much or what it means but it is interesting to see that it is not a very useful measurement and the scope of it is measuring is loosely defined and can be altered in include grey markets. I do think that year over year increases are not sustainable in the long term and it was interesting to get some information to further question the measure of GDP
- A good overview or introduction to the topics but I don't think that there is any particular deep dives

Dislikes:
- I found the middle section to be a bit harsh towards bankers/finance. At the beginning of the book, I felt that the author was doing a good job at conveying his argument in a way that makes it welcoming to people who typically hold the opposing viewpoint, but in this section, the author has some strong language about the people who are working in these roles and seems to make them out as a villain. While I agree that these jobs are not necessarily useful to our society I do think that the way they are painted here is a bit too strongly worded and would likely feel like an attack on any audience in this sector.
- This may be due to listening to this on audiobook but I felt that it was very fast-paced and hard to digest all of the information provided.
- The author at one point highlights that it is currently more expensive for an employer to hire multiple people working part time to do a job than one full time person. His ideal seems to be for everyone to work at part time. This is great but currently the only employers I am aware of that pull this off are ones that do not provide medical insurance, retirement, or other benefits. I believe that this area of his argument needs to be explored deeper as while it would be wonderful to have a 15-hour work week I do not see how this could practically be achieved from where we currently are.

Kusursuz Dünyayi Nasil Insa Edebiliriz

Gercekciler Icin Ütopya

Semih Pekpak

Beklediğimi, aradığımı pek bulamadım belki de benim beklentilerim farklıydı.
Kitaptan net tespitlerle, didaktik şekilde fikirler bombardımanı beklemiyordum ama sadece gelir eşitsizliği ve basit, daha önce denenmiş çözüm önerilerinden, sınırları kaldırmaktan fazlasını beklemek de mantıksız bir beklenti, istek değil.
Gelir eşitsizliğinin çözümü yazarın önerdiği gibi bir çok sorunun temelinde doğru ve bu sorunu çözmek gelecek için daha iyi bir dünya kurma açısından da basit ve temel başlangıç olabilir.
Okuması akıcı ve istatistik bombardımanına tutmadan daha çok algımızın değişmesi üzerine eğilmesi kitabın ana amcı olarak algıladığım için başarısız bir çalışma arak göremem.
Sonuç olarak gelecek için bir çıkış noktası sunuyor ve bunun da en azından insanların düşünmesine yol açması içn önemli bir çalışma.

Flavia Louise

An interesting look at the (possible) future of work.

Barbara Guerrero

"If we want to change the world, we need to be unrealistic, unreasonable, and impossible".

Lleno de datos, artículos, estudios y más, este libro tiene algunas de las ideas más ¿revolucionarias? para los problemas más grandes de la humanidad, y aún así todas han sido probadas antes... 

Además, escrito sin jerga académica complicada, divertido y esperanzador, sin ser cursi o condescendiente.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Listen out for Rutger Bregman. He has a big future shaping the future' Observer'The Dutch wunderkind of new ideas' GuardianIn Utopia for Realists, Rutger Bregman shows that we can construct a society with visionary ideas that are, in fact, wholly implementable. Every milestone of civilisation - from the end of slavery to the beginning of democracy - was once considered a utopian fantasy. New utopian ideas such as universal basic income and a fifteen-hour work week can become reality in our lifetime.From a Canadian city that once completely eradicated poverty, to Richard Nixon's near implementation of a basic income for millions of Americans, Bregman takes us on a journey through history, beyond the traditional left-right divides, as he introduces ideas whose time has come.

Darice de Cuba

If only governments were obligated to implement ideas from this book.

I totally agree with the 15 hours work week and basic income. One of my mottoes has long been "no one on their death beds wishes they had worked more or harder". It's the best thought exercise to ask yourself if you are investing in the right things in life.


“When you’re obsessed with efficiency and productivity, it’s difficult to see the real value of education and care. Which is why so many politicians and taxpayers alike see only costs. They don’t realize that the richer a country becomes the more it should be spending on teachers and doctors. Instead of regarding these increases as a blessing, they’re viewed as a disease.”

Jomo

lilgramps

Sally

leah

Saskia Klemm 

Dominik Hofer

Adam

Universal basic income. A 15-hour workweek. Open borders. Does it sound too good to be true? One of Europe's leading young thinkers shows how we can build an ideal world today. After working all day at jobs we often dislike, we buy things we don't need. Rutger Bregman, a Dutch historian, reminds us it needn't be this way-and in some places it isn't. Rutger Bregman's TED Talk about universal basic income seemed impossibly radical when he delivered it in 2014. A quarter of a million views later, the subject of that video is being seriously considered by leading economists and government leaders the world over. It's just one of the many utopian ideas that Bregman proves is possible today. Utopia for Realists is one of those rare books that takes you by surprise and challenges what you think can happen. From a Canadian city that once completely eradicated poverty, to Richard Nixon's near implementation of a basic income for millions of Americans, Bregman takes us on a journey through history, and beyond the traditional left-right divides, as he champions ideas whose time have come. Every progressive milestone of civilization-from the end of slavery to the beginning of democracy-was once considered a utopian fantasy. Bregman's book, both challenging and bracing, demonstrates that new utopian ideas, like the elimination of poverty and the creation of the fifteen-hour workweek, can become a reality in our lifetime. Being unrealistic and unreasonable can in fact make the impossible inevitable, and it is the only way to build the ideal world.

Ritik Sahni &
Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Ritik Sahni &Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Ritik Sahni &
Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman