This book discussed how technology—particularly renewable energy—is getting so good and so un-scarce that we can almost make everything we need (and want) for basically free and environmentally sustainably.

This book was all about the “could”: we could get enough solar energy to power the whole world for a year in less than 90min, recharging EVs and public transportation could be free, we could have global universal health care, we could sustainably feed a world population even higher than our own, we could eat meat (from cell cultures) or meat alternatives and end animal suffering at the same time etc etc. 

But this book lacked an analysis of power. Because, yes sustainable things have gotten cheaper to produce and will continue to do so. But they haven’t gotten cheaper to buy at the same rate. And the world’s richest people have pocketed that difference, which they use to undermine everything this book dreams about.

And yet, I appreciate how angry this book made me. Because a better world is possible, the only thing stopping us is capitalism.