Well worth reading for those looking for hope into the future of developed nations.

Recommended.

Abundance is a nonfiction book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, published March 2025.

It feels very much up-to-date. They make many recommendations for improvement.

The authors are prominent American liberal pundits. This book evaluates progress in the USA from the left of centre point of view.

It examines the reasons behind the lack of progress on ambitious projects in the United States, including those related to affordable housing, infrastructure, and climate change.

My biggest takeaway is that governments should declare more one time EMERGENCY situations, in responding to things like natural disasters, bridge collapse, and even housing shortages. Rules and regulations make developments safer — but at too much cost. Red tape should be reduced as much as possible.

Klein and Thompson propose an Abundance Agenda that they say better manages the tradeoffs between regulations and social advancement and lament that America is stuck between a progressive movement that is too afraid of growth and a conservative movement that is allergic to government intervention.