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The cover of Moral Ambition

Moral Ambition

Rutger Bregman, 2024

Too much talent is wasted on pointless jobs. Bregman shows how to put yours toward the world's biggest problems, and how idealists actually win.

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9 parts, about 21 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • Argues that the great waste of our time is talented people in pointless jobs, and urges spending a career on big problems
  • Offers a practical test for choosing work: ask where you can contribute most, not what your passion is
  • Draws on abolitionists, rescuers and evidence driven charities to show that winning, not good intentions, is the moral duty

Who it is for

  • Graduates torn between a high salary and meaningful work
  • Mid career professionals who suspect their job is pointless
  • Activists who want campaigns that actually win

What the summary covers

  1. Wasted talent and moral ambition2 min
  2. Thomas Clarkson, the ambitious idealist2 min
  3. Nieuwlande and the power of being asked2 min
  4. Ralph Nader and his action group2 min
  5. Winning as a moral duty3 min
  6. Rob Mather and the Against Malaria Foundation2 min
  7. The drowning child and effective altruism3 min
  8. Expanding the moral circle3 min
  9. Be ambitious, not perfect2 min

Recommended by

  • Trevor NoahComedian and former host of The Daily Show
    Rutger Bregman's latest work isn't merely a book; it's a call to action for humanity to re-evaluate our paradigms of success and impact in the world.
  • Adam GrantOrganizational psychologist and author of Think Again
    This book is the wakeup call that our world sorely needs.
  • Steven PinkerHarvard professor and author of Enlightenment Now
    A new look at how to make the world a better place, guided by reason, balance, and engaging case studies.

About the author

  • Rutger BregmanDutch historian and author
    • Born 26 April 1988
    • BA in history at Utrecht University 2009; MA in history 2012, partly at Utrecht and partly at UCLA
    • Still writes for De Correspondent, twice nominated for the European Press Prize
    • Davos 2019 panel where he criticised the event for focusing on philanthropy rather than tax avoidance
    • Earlier books Utopia for Realists and Humankind translated into 46 languages and sold more than 2 million copies
    • Relation to the book's subject: cofounded The School for Moral Ambition in 2024

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