On Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
by Tara Shaw
Hi, I’m Tara Shaw from Edina, Minnesota—although I grew up in Kansas and am a longtime HPPR listener. I’ve got a summer reading pick for you that might sound a little hefty, but I promise it’s a page-turner. It actually just hit #1 on the New York Times nonfiction list. The book is Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson.
Ezra and Derek are two of the most thoughtful journalists working today, and together they make an incredible team—really playing off each other’s strengths. Abundance is like a reset button for your worldview. It’s not naïve optimism. It’s not “just manifest harder.” It’s: here’s how things could actually get better—if we let them.
The big idea is deceptively simple: What if we stopped designing systems just to prevent harm... and started designing them to maximize good? That small shift in thinking? It has huge ripple effects. Healthcare, housing, clean energy, education—they all suffer from what the authors call a “scarcity mindset.” And that mindset is making us smaller, meaner, and embarrassingly bad at building things.
The book isn’t a step-by-step blueprint, but it offers compelling ideas: zoning reforms to make housing more accessible, faster drug approvals to save lives sooner, and yes—even a less dysfunctional Congress. It’s bold but grounded. Smart, but never smug.
Personally, I would listen to Ezra Klein read a grocery list and still take notes. A friend and fellow fan said recently, “When Ezra’s there, we show up.” That’s because he’s sharp, thoughtful, and never afraid to challenge his own assumptions—and you can feel that throughout the book. Both authors evolved their thinking as they researched and write this book, and they invite you to come along for the ride.
The buzz around Abundance has been massive. The authors are everywhere—podcasts, talk shows—and the book has sparked real conversation across the political spectrum. So if you read this book and love it, know there’s much more where that came from!
Reading this book made me feel like change is still possible. That we don’t have to settle for endless gridlock or a forever housing crisis. If you love policy but wish it came with better storytelling—or if you have that friend who keeps texting you articles titled “Everything Is Terrible and Also On Fire”—this is your book.
So read it. Or at least pretend to and quote it at dinner parties. You’ll sound incredibly informed and just a little intimidating. You can thank me at the next Ezra fan club meeting.
