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sammybecause's review against another edition
4.0
when aaron benanav said "mass technological unemployment is coming and can be managed only by the provision of universal basic income" on the first page of the preface i knew i was in for a treat. i can't say i understood everything that i read in this book because im a simple lad and don't really speak economics fluently however i did find this all very interesting. i've been saying the rise in automation makes socialism more attainable than ever before but that only really stands if either 1. those in power decide to make the change (which why would they when our current system gives them a leg up) or 2. everyone gets on the same damn page and pushes towards it. i don't think either of these are very likely in our lifetimes but a girl can dream ❤️
azoralt's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
- honestly i'm too stupid for the first half of the book
- i enjoyed the latter half, thought it was simple to understand, writing style was not bad
- felt like the book could've benefitted from a conclusion, and also more thorough explanations throughout
- would like to reread it once i read up some more
- i enjoyed the latter half, thought it was simple to understand, writing style was not bad
- felt like the book could've benefitted from a conclusion, and also more thorough explanations throughout
- would like to reread it once i read up some more
erika_teal_1414's review
3.0
A tough read for me personally maybe because I haven't read a data-driven reference type book in a while. May need to revisit again at a later date because the subject is interesting and I think the points made are important.
heidi_'s review
5.0
Thought-provoking read! Benanav weaves declining labor demand, employment precarity and the oppressive relationships inherent to capitalism into a vision of a post-scarcity future achieved through mass mobilization. Until this is realized, people will continue to suffer from the need to work in order to live: a condition that has only worsened in the age of nonstandard jobs and wage stagnation.
After exploring several solutions, he concludes that no isolated endeavor — be it full automation, a UBI, or greater public infrastructure — will "free us from the need to grow more". This can only happen through full-scale mobilization which begins "from a world of generalized human dignity", wherein necessary labor is diffuse rather than concentrated. The allocation of this labor would align with the Marxist principle, "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his need". In such an instance, abundance would prevail over psychological scarcity.
"The steadfast security that such a principle implies is what allows all people to ask 'What am I going to do with the time I am alive?' rather than 'How am I going to keep living?'"
This is both a highly idealistic vision and a seemingly plausible alternative to humanity's current descent. If anything, I would have appreciated greater elaboration on his ideas, especially in the final chapters. That said, it packs a punch in one hundred pages and makes a well-constructed argument in favor of a better future.
After exploring several solutions, he concludes that no isolated endeavor — be it full automation, a UBI, or greater public infrastructure — will "free us from the need to grow more". This can only happen through full-scale mobilization which begins "from a world of generalized human dignity", wherein necessary labor is diffuse rather than concentrated. The allocation of this labor would align with the Marxist principle, "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his need". In such an instance, abundance would prevail over psychological scarcity.
"The steadfast security that such a principle implies is what allows all people to ask 'What am I going to do with the time I am alive?' rather than 'How am I going to keep living?'"
This is both a highly idealistic vision and a seemingly plausible alternative to humanity's current descent. If anything, I would have appreciated greater elaboration on his ideas, especially in the final chapters. That said, it packs a punch in one hundred pages and makes a well-constructed argument in favor of a better future.
ostrava's review
5.0
So, I guess that if you know a lot about the topic already, as many reviewers around seem to do, this book will come across as an oversimplifying-pamphlet, responding to too many different things despite its short length. But I am easy to please, and these two essays were insightful enough.
Basic idea, hope I didn't get it wrong: automatization is important, but according to Benanav, it turns out that it might not matter that much. The real offender here is overcapacity and other problems of profit-oriented economic systems. The solution is less clear, but the author draws a sketch at the end to propose his own idea: the post-scarcity society shall be achieved through methods of community oriented efforts into building more solid foundations for our world. It's a less deterministic take on the role of robots in our hopefully better future, emphasis on hopeful.
The goal is clear. The data is all over the place, it can be studied. More research can be done. What we need are answers! We need to get our shit together people, don't expect robots in 200 years to fix the world for us!
Basic idea, hope I didn't get it wrong: automatization is important, but according to Benanav, it turns out that it might not matter that much. The real offender here is overcapacity and other problems of profit-oriented economic systems. The solution is less clear, but the author draws a sketch at the end to propose his own idea: the post-scarcity society shall be achieved through methods of community oriented efforts into building more solid foundations for our world. It's a less deterministic take on the role of robots in our hopefully better future, emphasis on hopeful.
The goal is clear. The data is all over the place, it can be studied. More research can be done. What we need are answers! We need to get our shit together people, don't expect robots in 200 years to fix the world for us!