The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future

Andrew Yang

Apr 2018 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Andrew Yang

About this audiobook

***New York Times Bestseller***

From 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, a captivating account of how "a skinny Asian kid from upstate" became a successful entrepreneur, only to find a new mission: calling attention to the urgent steps America must take, including Universal Basic Income, to stabilize our economy amid rapid technological change and automation.
The shift toward automation is about to create a tsunami of unemployment. Not in the distant future--now. One recent estimate predicts 45 million American workers will lose their jobs within the next twelve years--jobs that won't be replaced. In a future marked by restlessness and chronic unemployment, what will happen to American society?

In The War on Normal People, Andrew Yang paints a dire portrait of the American economy. Rapidly advancing technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and automation software are making millions of Americans' livelihoods irrelevant. The consequences of these trends are already being felt across our communities in the form of political unrest, drug use, and other social ills. The future looks dire-but is it unavoidable?

In The War on Normal People, Yang imagines a different future--one in which having a job is distinct from the capacity to prosper and seek fulfillment. At this vision's core is Universal Basic Income, the concept of providing all citizens with a guaranteed income-and one that is rapidly gaining popularity among forward-thinking politicians and economists. Yang proposes that UBI is an essential step toward a new, more durable kind of economy, one he calls "human capitalism."

Ratings and reviews

This is an incredible book! I got this when I was becoming curious about Yang and wasn't expecting much. This book, however, completely converted me into a card carrying member of the Yang Gang. It just makes sense. Yang is clearly passionate about the well-being of our country and has done the research to back up his ideas. In particular, I'd felt that automation was a sort of buzzword. This book makes clear it is a pressing issue. Highly recommend to listeners/readers on all sides of the aisle.

Andrew Yang's approach to raising the less fortunate is refreshing and progressive or as he says forward. After years of name calling,bullying and blatant false statements, we need a candidate who can bring civility back to the conversation while helping our citizens regain dignity. Thank you Mr. Yang

There is a lot of chaos and incoherence in the information about the strife and upheaval Americans are going through. This book is a must read. It organizes the problems Americans are going through backed with data, anecdotes and stories, and proposes at least one set of ideas for addressing these problems.

About the author

Andrew Yang is the founder of Venture for America, a major non-profit that places top college graduates in start-ups for two years in emerging U.S. cities to generate job growth and train the next generation of entrepreneurs. Yang has been the CEO, co-founder or executive at a number of technology and education companies. Yang was named a Presidential Ambassador of Global Entrepreneurship and a Champion of Change by the White House and one of Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People in Business." He was also named to the National Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Department of Commerce.

A major documentary with an Oscar-winning director, Generation Startup, featuring Yang and Venture for America, was released in Fall 2016 and is available on Netflix and other streaming platforms. He is a graduate of Columbia Law, where he was an Editor of the Law Review, James Kent Scholar and winner of the Class of 1912 Prize, and Brown University where he graduated with degrees in Economics and Political Science.