AbundanceReview posted January 2, 2026.
Simon & Schuster Audio, 2025. 7 hours, 15 minutes.
Review written December 27, 2025, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review
2025 Sonderbooks Standout:
#4 More Nonfiction
I read this book from the recommendation on President Obama's list, and I love remembering that once we had a president who read such thoughtful works. Maybe some day we will again! (Confession: I've read two of the novels from the list, and they were too literary for me. So in a way, I was glad to appreciate this one - haven't completely lost my ability to grasp difficult reading.)
I like the approach this book takes, starting in the introduction by giving us a vision of what abundance might look like thirty years from now. What would we hope the lives of our children and grandchildren would look like if they have abundance?
Then the bulk of the book talks about how we might get there - some things we've done well in the past, and some course corrections we should make.
And very much of the book is about government and public policy. Because it's about building and innovation - and government already has its hands in those things. They show that in some areas, government regulations have proliferated in a way that makes us unable to respond to immediate needs. But they also give examples where governments helped things come together to achieve greatness - two examples are the Moonshot and Operation Warp Speed - the Covid vaccine.
This book isn't about one party or the other - it shows blind spots on both sides - but has many suggestions for how our country can foster innovation and do great things - and work toward a future of abundance for our entire population.
This is one that I could probably give a better review if I hadn't listened to the audiobook and had the book in front of me - I could quote the excellent points made. (However, if I'd tried to get the print book read, it wouldn't have happened any time soon, so it's just as well.) So let me tell you that the book gives an in-depth look on the attitudes and values (rather than necessarily the policies) that we need to foster to build an abundant future.
I very much hope there are still politicians who read books - from local to state to federal - and that many of those will consider the ideas found in this book, and whether the laws and regulations they are responsible for help or hinder that abundant future.