The War on Normal People
The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future
by Andrew Yang
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More Recommenders
“@hallofwonders He's appealing to you and me. In any case, I highly recommend a great book, 'The War on Normal People' , by a brilliant young man named @AndrewYang | This book is a must read. Andrew Yang is tackling one of the biggest challenges facing our country the way only an entrepreneur can, but unlike most, he sees the big picture. Making money is good for youbut building a strong society and strong people is good for all of us. The topics Andrew addresses in this book aren't about some dystopian future way down the road. These things are happening today, and every entrepreneur should read this book to understand the challenges of the next decade”
Source →Recommended by 3 notable people, including Nat Eliason and James Altucher
Check price on AmazonProof-backed recommendation
Amazon availability
Reading Profile
Should I read this?
Readable and polemical, it argues automation threatens large swathes of work and centers Universal Basic Income as the primary policy response. Early chapters use concrete examples and anecdotes to show which sectors and roles may be vulnerable, which makes it easy to brief others or spark classroom debate. Mid sections list policy options and political strategy; those sections are useful for talking points but start to feel repetitive. Limitation: tone favors advocacy over careful economic nuance, so technical modelers or readers after step-by-step career moves will find it thin.
Read this if...
- •a municipal policy aide drafting a briefing on automation risks for a city council — gets a concise narrative and usable policy talking points to frame local debate quickly.
- •a mid-career HR manager at a manufacturing firm worried about automation-driven layoffs — helps anticipate which roles are vulnerable and prepares you for likely public-policy conversations.
- •a high-school civics or introductory-college-economics teacher preparing a class on technology and work — supplies accessible examples and a clear policy stance to spark discussion.
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the tone shifts from case studies to repeated forecasts and advocacy-heavy passages — readers who dislike repetition and polemical voice will lose patience.
- •annoying if you prefer careful, footnoted economic modeling or balanced academic nuance; the book favors persuasive argument over technical detail.
- •not ideal if you want hands-on career steps or exercises — lacks practical, individual-level tools and contains no exercises for immediate personal planning.
From entrepreneur Andrew Yang, the founder of Venture for America, an eyeopening look at how new technologies are erasing millions of jobs before our eyesand a rallying cry for the urgent steps America must take, including Universal Basic Income, to stabilize our economy. The shift toward automation is about to create a tsunami of unemployment. N...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a municipal policy aide drafting a briefing on automation risks for a city council — gets a concise narrative and usable policy talking points to frame local debate quickly.
- a mid-career HR manager at a manufacturing firm worried about automation-driven layoffs — helps anticipate which roles are vulnerable and prepares you for likely public-policy conversations.
- a high-school civics or introductory-college-economics teacher preparing a class on technology and work — supplies accessible examples and a clear policy stance to spark discussion.
- you'll likely put it down when the tone shifts from case studies to repeated forecasts and advocacy-heavy passages — readers who dislike repetition and polemical voice will lose patience.
- annoying if you prefer careful, footnoted economic modeling or balanced academic nuance; the book favors persuasive argument over technical detail.
- not ideal if you want hands-on career steps or exercises — lacks practical, individual-level tools and contains no exercises for immediate personal planning.
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in Finance, Politics, and Social Sciences.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Daymond John
“@hallofwonders He's appealing to you and me. In any case, I highly recommend a great book, 'The War on Normal People' , by a brilliant young man named @AndrewYang | This book is a must read. Andrew Yang is tackling one of the biggest challenges facing our country the way only an entrepreneur can, but unlike most, he sees the big picture. Making money is good for youbut building a strong society and strong people is good for all of us. The topics Andrew addresses in this book aren't about some dystopian future way down the road. These things are happening today, and every entrepreneur should read this book to understand the challenges of the next decade”
View sources (2) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Soft-spoken, heavily illustrated fable built from short dialogues and watercolor sketches. Each spread pairs a spare line of text with a loose drawing, so the pleasure is visual and aphoristic rather than narrative; readers collect felt-true sentences more than plot. Most useful when you want quick consolations, a prompt for conversation with a child, or a pause during a rough day. Limiting if you want sustained argument, concrete advice, or tightly plotted storytelling: the repetition of gentleness can feel sentimental or thin after a while.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.