Books that rewired my worldview: Utopia for Realists

Growing up in a conservative household, I was taught to view the world through a specific lens of individual responsibility. But the transition to the progressive advocate I am today — the one writing about SNAP and systemic inequality here in my free time — wasn’t a singular event. It was a slow, steady dismantling of those old frameworks, often happening one chapter at a time.

There are lots of ways to be exposed to new ideas. Some came to me by virtue of growing up and going out into the world on my own. If I hadn’t already adopted progressive values by the time I was 26 years old, my first experiences with health insurance and our broader healthcare system surely would’ve pushed me to the left.

I also had mentors in college and early in my professional life who would push me to question what I believed (some of whom subscribe to this newsletter). And, of course, the decorum of the Republican Party under Trump these past 11 years cannot be discounted as a force that pushed me to the left.

So while there was no watershed moment in making me what I am today, there were a few lightbulb moments that happened — many of which were found in the black-and-white print of books.

I’m fairly sure this is the only nonfiction book I’ve read cover-to-cover multiple times. I got it and first read it in 2020 when universal basic income was a hot conversation point thanks to Andrew Yang and the direct cash payments made to citizens as part of COVID stimulus.