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Abundance

Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson

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  • Bill GatesRecommended
    Selected for his 2025 holiday list. Gates recognises the barriers the authors describe from his work in global health and climate, while noting that the book does not offer every answer.
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Summary

Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson examine why the United States struggles to build housing, infrastructure and other things it needs. They trace political, economic and cultural barriers that can turn public goals into scarce supply. Their argument asks how liberal government can protect people and places while also completing projects, supporting new ideas and creating more widely available goods and services.

  • SourceAbundance — Simon & Schuster / Avid Reader Press · Book description and author/title metadata
  • SourceChecked content: Abundance · Related article Why good ideas aren't always enough (November 25, 2025), Deploy/Advance Market Commitment and Breakthrough Energy startup/permitting discussion (web lines 137-148)

Why read it Our view

Study the gap between a promising invention and its deployment. The vaccine-purchase commitments and clean-energy cases show how demand, permits and infrastructure can affect a company’s route to market.