How Universal Basic Income could change the Future -- for the Rich, the Poor, and Everyone in Between
Ratings5
Average rating3.6
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Shortlisted for the 2018 FT & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award A brilliantly reported, global look at universal basic income—a stipend given to every citizen—and why it might be necessary in an age of rising inequality, persistent poverty, and dazzling technology. Imagine if every month the government deposited $1,000 into your bank account, with nothing expected in return. It sounds crazy. But it has become one of the most influential and hotly debated policy ideas of our time. Futurists, radicals, libertarians, socialists, union representatives, feminists, conservatives, Bernie supporters, development economists, child-care workers, welfare recipients, and politicians from India to Finland to Canada to Mexico—all are talking about UBI. In this sparkling and provocative book, economics writer Annie Lowrey examines the UBI movement from many angles. She travels to Kenya to see how a UBI is lifting the poorest people on earth out of destitution, India to see how inefficient government programs are failing the poor, South Korea to interrogate UBI’s intellectual pedigree, and Silicon Valley to meet the tech titans financing UBI pilots in expectation of a world with advanced artificial intelligence and little need for human labor. Lowrey explores the potential of such a sweeping policy and the challenges the movement faces, among them contradictory aims, uncomfortable costs, and, most powerfully, the entrenched belief that no one should get something for nothing. In the end, she shows how this arcane policy has the potential to solve some of our most intractable economic problems, while offering a new vision of citizenship and a firmer foundation for our society in this age of turbulence and marvels.
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disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for review consideration. All of the opinions presented below are my own.
I'm really glad I picked this up, as I felt it provided a pretty comprehensive overview of the idea of a universal basic income (UBI). The author talked about the history of the idea and research that had been done on similar programs both within and without the United States, as well as the potential pros and cons of setting such a thing in motion. She also spoke of the difficulties of trying to change the current system in a way that I (in my limited knowledge and experience) thought seemed realistic without being cynical. Overall, this felt like a really good primer and makes me want to seek out more information, both about this particular idea and related ones. I highly recommend this read for anyone who finds the concept of a UBI interesting, as well as anyone who wants to learn some ways we can create a more nurturing society that's less focused on the worth of individuals only insofar as they're valued in the workplace.