Book Review: Utopia for Realist
Book Review: Utopia for Realist
Rating: 4.5/5
Really enjoyed the book. Felt like cathartic release on what's wrong with the world. Or with capitalism. And then the book gave an idea of the future that we can hope or dream for.
I think there are 5 main points from the book that I was intersting:
• Less working hour • Universal basic income (UBI) • A better measurement of progress than GDP • Bullshit jobs • Open border
I was quite skeptical with some ideas like open border, but the book arguments are surprisingly convincing and persuasive. It provides quite a lot of study, although I haven't fully verified the rigority of the source of study.
I did feel the book is somewhat biased and there is lack of arguments thats' against the idea, and it's full of arguments/data that support the idea. Which makes me think of cherry picking and biased information.
For example, I wished the book discussed more on some concerns regarding UBI, e.g can we afford it? will this cause inflation? etc.
But it's great that the book does debunks some of the main myths: e.g the poor are poor becasuse they are lazy rather than the stress and shacke of poverty. People won't work when given handouts, etc.
Another thing I really liked was th final chapter actually addressed my concern in the book being biased. He talks about how we are prone to cognitive dissonances, and only finding information that agrees with our view and rejects or try to do mental gymanstic to justify the rest.
He talks about cognitive dissonate, and I found his thoughts on how ideas can change the world was insightful as well. On how humands are more prone to change to overwheming shock that counter their belief rather than a gradual convincing or reason. Which then makes me view the book is written purposely to be convincing and persuasive, rather than aiming for full accuracy and capturing all the nuances.
The last chapter elevated the book from 4 star to 4.5 or 5 star for me.
Polished Version
Rating: 4.5/5
Reading Utopia for Realists felt like a cathartic diagnosis of modern capitalism—validating the fatigue we feel and offering a structured dream for the future.
Rutger Bregman anchors his vision in five provocative pillars:
- A 15-hour work week
- Universal Basic Income (UBI)
- Replacing GDP with meaningful progress metrics
- Eliminating "bullshit jobs"
- Open borders
I was initially most skeptical about open borders, yet Bregman’s arguments were surprisingly persuasive. While the citations are plentiful, I admit I haven't fully vetted the rigor of every source. At times, the book feels like an exercise in confirmation bias; it advocates fiercely for its ideas without always steel-manning the counter-arguments—such as the inflationary risks or fiscal sustainability of UBI.
However, the final chapter completely elevated the experience for me. Bregman steps back to address the very nature of belief and cognitive dissonance. He argues that history isn't changed by gradual reasoning, but by overwhelming shocks to the system that force us to adopt ideas previously deemed "impossible."
This meta-commentary reframed the book for me: it isn't trying to be a neutral academic study, but rather a persuasive manifesto designed to stretch the window of political possibility. That self-awareness turned a 4-star read into a 4.5-star favorite.