Abundance (Klein and Thompson book)
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Ezra Klein Derek Thompson |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | 2025 |
| Pages | 304 (first edition) |
| ISBN | 9781668023488 |
| OCLC | 1504483512 |
Abundance is a nonfiction book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson published by Avid Reader Press in March 2025. The book 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. It quickly became a New York Times Bestseller.
Klein and Thompson argue that the regulatory environment in many liberal cities, while well intentioned, stymies development.[1] They write that American liberals have been more concerned with blocking bad economic development than promoting good development since the 1970s. They say that Democrats have focused on the process rather than results and favored stasis over growth by backing zoning regulations, developing strict environmental laws, and tying expensive requirements to public infrastructure spending.[2]
Klein and Thompson propose an Abundance Agenda that they say better manages the tradeoffs between regulations and social advancement[citation needed] 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.[3] They present the abundance agenda both as a Third Way policy alternative and as a way to initiate new economic conditions that will diminish the appeal of the "socialist left" and the "populist-authoritarian right".[4]
The book received a mixed reception from critics.[5] Critics praised the scope and clarity of the ideas presented, while some viewed the book as pointing out problems without identifying realistic solutions.
Background
[edit]At the time of the book’s publication, Ezra Klein worked as a columnist for The New York Times, while Derek Thompson held a position as staff writer for The Atlantic.[6] The book originated from an essay published by Thompson in The Atlantic in January 2022. In an interview, the two authors talked about their differing perspective to writing Abundance. Thompson stated that he felt "more comfortable starting with economics or technology", while Klein brought a viewpoint "versed in modern politics and political history".[7]
Reception
[edit]The aggregator Book Marks classified the critical reception of Abundance as mixed, tallying two rave reviews, one positive review, three mixed reviews, and one negative review.[5]
Among the rave reviews, Henry Grabar of Slate praised the book for being "unabashed in synthesizing good ideas". He wrote that Klein and Thompson present an essential vision of "a 'liberalism that builds'," which could serve as a proactive solution to stagnation of liberal governance, particularly in blue states. However, Grabar also noted that the authors provide remarkably little criticism of the Trump Administration.[8] In another positive review, Benjamin Wallace-Wells of The New Yorker described Abundance as a "fair-minded book" that "recognizes some of the trade-offs that come with redesigning government for dynamism".[9]
| Publication | Name of reviewer | Review | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slate | Henry Grabar | Rave | [8] |
| Kirkus Reviews | Anonymous | Rave | [10] |
| The New Yorker | Benjamin Wallace-Wells | Positive | [9] |
| The New York Times Book Review | Samuel Moyn | Mixed | [1] |
| Vox | Eric Levitz | Mixed | [2] |
| The Guardian (UK) | Noah Kazis | Mixed | [11] |
| The Wall Street Journal | Barton Swaim | Pan | [12] |
| Review types taken from Book Marks, an aggregator of reviews.[5] | |||
Writing for The New York Times, Samuel Moyn gave a mixed review. He questioned the potential consequences of an abundance-driven agenda, wondering whether it could reinforce a culture of consumption as a primary goal. He also critiqued the authors' viewpoint as occasionally sounding "like the brief of a few elite finance and tech bros in two or three coastal cities".[1] Eric Levitz of Vox also provided a mixed review. He noted a disconnect between the authors' proposals and the political climate at the time of the book's publication.[2] In Levitz's view, pressing issues like the gutting of the federal government and the subversion of court orders made the authors' focus on specific regulatory concerns, like suburban housing codes, seemed comparatively minor. He further criticized the authors' avoidance of clearly addressing the trade-offs between their policy proposals and traditional progressive ideology.[citation needed]
Similarly, Noah Kazis of The Guardian pointed out that the book avoids tackling the more challenging issues directly by failing to specify which procedural barriers should be addressed. Kazis, however, praised the book for its "clarity, accessibility, and rigour".[11] In a negative review for The Wall Street Journal, Barton Swaim criticized the authors for appearing dismissive of American conservatism. He also argued that Klein and Thompson's ideas seemed disconnected from the realities of everyday life and ordinary people.[12]
In Washington Monthly, Zephyr Teachout was critical of the authors' focus on rolling back zoning restrictions specifically their support for reforming the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as a means to increase housing supply, arguing that it was unlikely to have an impact. She said the authors were unclear regarding the specifics of such reforms, as well as centering their arguments primarily on only a few large American cities, while underestimating the negative effects of monopolization in the US economy at large. She raised concerns that it could be used in the style of deregulation associated with Ronald Reagan.[13] In New Republic, Julian E. Zelizer argued the book centered on two themes: policy and politics. On the policy side, Zelizer believed that Klein and Thompson presented a convincing case that removing ineffective governmental practices should be a priority to renew liberalism. However, Zelizer was not convinced on the political side by questioning if there is a political constituency and suggested that institutional reform is only part of the solution.[14]
See also
[edit]Related movements
[edit]- Deregulation – Remove or reduce state regulations
- Georgism – Economic philosophy centred on common ownership of land
- Mixed-use development – Type of urban development strategy
- New Urbanism – Urban design movement promoting sustainable land use
- Regulatory reform – reform focused on government regulation
- Supply-side progressivism – Political ideology that emphasizes increasing the supply of essential goods and services
- Smart growth – Urban planning philosophy
- Transit-oriented development – Urban planning prioritising transit
Other
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Moyn, Samuel (March 18, 2025). "Can Democrats Learn to Dream Big Again?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 10, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c Levitz, Eric (March 20, 2025). "A new book suggests a path forward for Democrats. The left hates it". Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 23, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
Klein and Thompson argue that these disappointments have a common source: Since the 1970s, American liberals have been more concerned with obstructing harmful economic development than promoting the beneficial kind. Democrats have prioritized process over outcomes and favored stasis over growth, most notably through their support for zoning restrictions, stringent environmental laws, and attaching costly conditions to public infrastructure spending.
- ^ "What's the Matter with Abundance? | Malcolm Harris". The Baffler. March 18, 2025. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
- ^ "The Abundance Agenda". People's Policy Project. March 24, 2025. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Book Marks reviews of Abundance by Ezra Klein". Book Marks. Archived from the original on March 28, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ "21 Books Coming in March". The New York Times. February 28, 2025. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
The New York Times columnist Ezra Klein and the Atlantic writer Derek Thompson want you to hold space to dream about utopia.
- ^ Demsas, Jerusalem (March 18, 2025). "Liberals Can't Blame Trump for California: Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein on Their New Book, Abundance". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ a b Grabar, Henry (March 10, 2025). "May I Have Some More?". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on March 15, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ a b Wallace-Wells, Benjamin (March 3, 2025). "Do Democrats Need to Learn How to Build?". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on March 17, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ "Abundance". Kirkus Reviews. March 18, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ a b Kazis, Noah (March 27, 2025). "Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson review – make America build again". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ a b Swaim, Barton. "'Abundance' Review: Supply-Side Liberalism". WSJ. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ Teachout, Zephyr (March 17, 2025). "An Abundance of Ambiguity". Washington Monthly. Archived from the original on March 23, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ Zelizer, Julian E. (March 4, 2025). "An "Abundance Agenda" for Government Is the Anti-DOGE". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Archived from the original on March 28, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.