James Kimmey

Truly transformational! I can’t think of a more relevant book for our time. As a country we are divided, there is overwhelming distrust in the systems in place, and as a society, it seems we are crumbling. Yet this book offers a better path. There are two main points within the book that stood out and resonated with me. First, the idea of being ‘contribution motivated’ and second, the ‘four core institutions.” The authors pitch the idea of being contribution motivated. Each person, with their unique abilities can bring something to the table, bettering themselves and society. They write that “true progress requires all of us being able to contribute more, not less, as the world shifts. We can’t allow a future that leaves some behind.” I find this to be true. I believe, and the authors write that rather than a top-down approach to solve our country’s problems, we need to look at those closest to the problem and empower them to solve it. A true bottom-up approach, which they detail with examples and demonstrate the realistic approach and probability of success. Secondly, the authors address, what they refer to as the “four core institutions of society” – education, business, government and communities. They write that “If the failures of our core institutions are the primary reason people are failing behind, then its stands to reason that we need to address those failing to help them succeed. That is, we need these to break, rather than build, the barriers holding people back.” In layman’s terms, if something is broke, fix it. Don’t just throw money at the problem and hope for a different result. Our society seems to be crumbling by the day. Schools are failing, homelessness, poverty, and substance abuse is increasing, and government seems to hurt the problem instead of helping. I think this book lays out a realistic approach to solving these issues. Bottom-up. I couldn’t agree more. Overall, I think this book is worthy of 5-stars. It was thought provoking, challenging to my existing mental models, inspiring, and enjoyable. I’d encourage you to read it.