{"id":1398,"date":"2026-02-27T11:39:57","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/?p=1398"},"modified":"2025-12-22T11:43:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T16:43:00","slug":"book-review-abundance-by-ezra-klein-thompson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/21st-century-skills\/book-review-abundance-by-ezra-klein-thompson\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Abundance by Ezra Klein &#038; Thompson"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"200\" data-end=\"273\"><span style=\"font-size: 1.6rem;\">&#8220;Abundance, as we define it, is a state in which there is enough of what we need to create lives better than what we have had.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"200\" data-end=\"273\"><span style=\"font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6rem;\">\u2014 Ezra Klein &amp; Derek Thompson<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"441\" data-end=\"914\">Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson\u2019s <em data-start=\"473\" data-end=\"484\">Abundance<\/em> is a forward-looking, hopeful and optimistic exploration of the future for those who believe the future is something we invent, not just inherit. It\u2019s a book about how we can reshape our collective mindset toward an era where we don\u2019t just distribute resources, but also generate new ideas and opportunities. The authors urge us to look beyond scarcity and see the potential for abundance in the building blocks of the future: housing, transportation, energy, and more.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"916\" data-end=\"919\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"921\" data-end=\"964\">You Would Be Interested in This Book If\u2026<\/h2>\n<ul data-start=\"966\" data-end=\"1392\">\n<li data-start=\"966\" data-end=\"1069\">\n<p data-start=\"968\" data-end=\"1069\">You\u2019re an educator or leader interested in how future-focused thinking can shape today\u2019s classrooms<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"966\" data-end=\"1069\">\n<p data-start=\"968\" data-end=\"1069\">You want to explore how technology and policy influence each other and the world students will inherit<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1177\" data-end=\"1277\">\n<p data-start=\"1179\" data-end=\"1277\">You\u2019re curious about how to foster a mindset of innovation and abundance in education and beyond<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1278\" data-end=\"1392\">\n<p data-start=\"1280\" data-end=\"1392\">You\u2019re looking for a thoughtful critique of the \u201ceureka myth\u201d and the real process of turning ideas into reality<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ezra Klein narrates ABUNDANCE\" width=\"491\" height=\"872\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zGfjYuPg660?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"1394\" data-end=\"1397\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"1399\" data-end=\"1437\">1. Technology as a Force for Change<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1439\" data-end=\"1869\">Klein and Thompson emphasize that technology isn\u2019t just a neutral tool\u2014it\u2019s infused with values and politics. As they put it, \u201cthe technology we develop will shape the politics we come to have.\u201d This insight is crucial for educators: the tools we choose in classrooms can shape the mindsets and values of the next generation. It\u2019s a reminder that integrating technology is about more than engagement\u2014it\u2019s about shaping the future.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1439\" data-end=\"1869\">There is a poignent example that they track throughout the book: Solar Power. From its invention in 1954, to the increased adoption through the last 5 years as prices lowered, and it became more accessible, to the future of solar power in the near, short and long term, the authors thoughtfully explore how current challenges can be overcome through policy change. This is an example of technology changing the way, the speed at which we need to make changes.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"1871\" data-end=\"1874\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"1876\" data-end=\"1915\">2. The Power of Ideas and Innovation<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1917\" data-end=\"2306\">One of the book\u2019s central themes is that progress is fueled by the constant search for new ideas. They argue that we must resist the notion that \u201ceverything has been invented\u201d and instead cultivate a culture of moonshot thinking. They explore how hard it is for new ideas to emerge, due to an increased preferrence for funding mostly ideas that are familiar and that will guarantee a pay-off for investors. For educators, this is a call to foster environments where students see themselves as innovators and problem-solvers, not just consumers of existing knowledge.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1917\" data-end=\"2306\">An example that they provide is affordable housing. How might we ensure that government policies, invented to ensure compliance, equity, and resist corruption, doesn&#8217;t hold back new ideas from being brought to market. They explore the housing crisis across different cities in the United States, and through the lens of homelessness, use data-rich exploration to bring new light to age-old challenges.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2308\" data-end=\"2311\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"2313\" data-end=\"2349\">3. A New Lens for Decision-Making<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2351\" data-end=\"2723\">The authors encourage us to adopt a \u201cnew lens\u201d to tackle the complex challenges of our time. They argue that the same mindset that solved past crises won\u2019t necessarily solve the new ones. This is particularly relevant in education: we need to be willing to reimagine old structures and embrace interdisciplinary approaches to create truly innovative learning environments.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;Abundance:&quot; Ezra Klein&#039;s Bold Vision for Democrats\" width=\"491\" height=\"872\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ndOb6FzCvUo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2725\" data-end=\"2728\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"2730\" data-end=\"2783\">4. Beyond the Eureka Myth: Building What We Invent<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2785\" data-end=\"3156\">Klein and Thompson also debunk the \u201ceureka myth,\u201d reminding us that the true work of innovation is not just in the flash of discovery but in the long process of building and scaling those ideas. For educators, this means teaching students not just to come up with great ideas, but to understand the persistence and collaboration required to turn those ideas into reality. This is why the importance of journey-based assessment, and the levelling of process and product are so important to continue to explore in education.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3158\" data-end=\"3161\" \/>\n<h2 data-start=\"3163\" data-end=\"3186\">Final Recommendation<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"3188\" data-end=\"3273\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">In a world often dominated by narratives of scarcity, <em data-start=\"3242\" data-end=\"3253\">Abundance<\/em> is a refreshing and optimistic. This book has certainly expanded my views on topics such as Generative Artificial Intelligence, and more. I can strongly recommend this book to educators, even though it is not about education directly &#8211; rather it is a signal to us on how to prepare students for the future.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Abundance, as we define it, is a state in which there is enough of what we need to create lives better than what we have had.&#8221; \u2014 Ezra Klein &amp; Derek Thompson Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson\u2019s Abundance is a forward-looking, hopeful and optimistic exploration of the future for those who believe the future is&#8230;<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/21st-century-skills\/book-review-abundance-by-ezra-klein-thompson\/\">Read more <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,23],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-1398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-21st-century-skills","category-leadership","tag-book-review"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1398"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1401,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1398\/revisions\/1401"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/garthnichols\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}