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From entrepreneur Andrew Yang, the founder of Venture for America, an eye-opening look at how new technologies are erasing millions of jobs before our eyes-and a rallying cry for the urgent steps America must take, including Universal Basic Income, to stabilize our economy. The shift toward automation is about to create a tsunami of unemployment. Not in the distant future--now. One recent estimate predicts 45 million American workers will lose their jobs within the next twelve years--jobs that won't be replaced. In a future marked by restlessness and chronic unemployment, what will happen to American society? In The War on Normal People, Andrew Yang paints a dire portrait of the American economy. Rapidly advancing technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and automation software are making millions of Americans' livelihoods irrelevant. The consequences of these trends are already being felt across our communities in the form of political unrest, drug use, and other social ills. The future looks dire-but is it unavoidable? In The War on Normal People, Yang imagines a different future -- one in which having a job is distinct from the capacity to prosper and seek fulfillment. At this vision's core is Universal Basic Income, the concept of providing all citizens with a guaranteed income-and one that is rapidly gaining popularity among forward-thinking politicians and economists. Yang proposes that UBI is an essential step toward a new, more durable kind of economy, one he calls "human capitalism."
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Ultimately found this book to be very insightful and I’m inspired by Yang’s human centered ideas, however I do find them very idealistic and I’m not sure how likely it is for us as a society to actually implement. But still, I found hope that maybe we can make this more humanistic shift in my lifetime. Yang has led a life I imagine is hard for the average people to relate to, and I wonder if “normal people” read this what their thoughts are on his proposed solutions. I have a very similar background to Yang so I could relate and understand a lot of his personal narratives, but I imagine “normal people” would have a harder time connecting with him. I don’t know, just some thoughts. Again, I did like the ideas proposed and how problems were framed. I’d love to discuss with others their thoughts on this book and it’s ideas and how to make them a reality, work out some of the gaps and really get us moving towards a brighter future.