Derek ThompsonEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

In a conversation recorded live on Substack, Scott Galloway and Derek Thompson discuss the rise of the “antisocial century” — and what our growing isolation is doing to our happiness, relationships, and politics. They also explore the optimization of everyday life, young men’s retreat into the digital world, AI’s economic bubble, and whether moderate drinking has been unfairly caught in the wellness backlash. Plus, Derek explains the rise of democratic socialism and offers three simple rules for dating in the antisocial century. Subscribe to Prof G+ to join our next li...

(01:34) - Midjourney Medical (25:50) - AI Talent Wars 2.0 (31:58) - Derek Thompson, co-author of *Abundance* and host of the *Plain English* podcast, discusses the stagnation in chair design over millennia, noting that chairs have maintained a consistent form since ancient times. He reflects on the challenges of implementing the "abundance agenda" from his book, highlighting mixed results in political adoption and the need for a prominent champion to advance these ideas. Additionally, Thompson explores the modern obsession with self-optimization, expressing concern that the focus on quantifiable health metrics may overshadow the broader purpose of living a fulfilling life. (01:00:57) - Rene...

Republicans never defend Trump’s corruption on the merits. Their lot in life is just to serve up anti-moral excuses for his repeated acts of immorality. And the Dems are currently in a bit of a moral dilemma of their own over the latest Platner revelations, given the moral imperative of having a Senate that obstructs Trump’s worst policies. Questions of morality also surface with AI, particularly if we allow machines to do the thinking for us. Plus, the Dems need a Wemby, an American debt crisis seems inevitable, the global fertility crisis may be too hard to fix, and why is the English-language world the most unhappy? Derek Thompson joins Tim Miller. show notes “The Next Level” pod will be out later today Derek’s piece on vicemaxxing Derek on the great AI cost panic The “Plain English” pod, hosted by Derek “Mere Christianity,” by C.S. Lewis “Pluribus”

Brace for a hard look at how AI’s breakneck growth is reshaping politics, neighborhoods, and who controls the future. In this condensed Breaking Points episode (original ~56 minutes → 12-minute summary), hosts Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti sit down with Derek Thompson to untangle AI investment, regulation, and the economic fallout. Learn why astronomical spending (hundreds of billions annually), runaway data-center growth, and local backlash over water, power, and land could push AI infrastructure abroad and reshape geopolitics. Thompson explains the risk of overcapacity, the danger of concentrated billionaire power, and his “abundance” policy focus on housing, clean energy, and permitting—the practical fixes behind tech headlines. Ideal for listeners interested in artificial intelligence, AI regulation, job automation, economics, and political consequences, this summary highlights key takeaways on infrastructure, taxation, and democratic safeguards. Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.

Saagar and Emily discuss Bibi blames social media for anti-Israel sentiment in the US, Derek Thompson joins on billionaire AI takeover. Derek Thompson: https://www.derekthompson.org/ To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show AD FREE, uncut and 1 hour early visit: www.breakingpoints.com Merch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.com Derek Thompson is a long-time writer at The Atlantic. His books include Hit Makers , On Work , and Abundance , which he co-wrote with Ezra Klein. Derek also has an excellent substack and hosts a podcast called “Plain English.” This episode was recorded on March 17. For two clips — on the impact of Abundance , and the difference between being alone and anti-social — head to our YouTube page . Other topics: growing up near DC; theater his first love; the two of us trading stories of stage acting; pursuing journalism after 9/11; how writing has evolved in the 21st century; conspiracy theories online; AI creating doubt; strategizing the Abundance book; Virtually Normal ; books as totems; blue vs red city governance; housing deregulation; “procedural fetish” vs Trumpian chaos; government spurring innovation; Derek’s piece “ The Anti-Social Century ”; OnlyFans; looking at smartphones in a gay bar; Kierkegaard; Camus; tradition as a ballast; meaning through limits; fatherhood; Hegseth reveling in dominance; Nietzsche; the tribalism of early humans; wokeness and the Trump cult; liquid modernity; consumerism replacing meaning; the fertility crisis; the growing dominance of Orthodox Jews in Israel; and Oakeshott and infinite games of non-winning. Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Jeffrey Toobin on the pardon power, Tiffany Jenkins on privacy in a liberal democracy, Adrian Wooldridge on “the lost genius of liberalism,” HW Brands on the life of George Washington; Greg Lukianoff on free speech, and Tom Junod on his memoir and masculinity. As always, please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com .

This week, Lauren sits down with Derek Thompson to talk about the story behind NextGen Cattle and how the operation has grown from a feedyard purchase in 2017 into a multi-breed seedstock and cattle feeding business built around the commercial cattle producer. Derek shares how his background in financial services eventually led him back to the cattle business, why NextGen built its model around the full beef supply chain, and how their genetics, buyback program, and producer partnerships are all designed to help commercial cattlemen create a better end product. Links NextGen Website - https://www.nextgencattle.com/ April Bull Sale - https://www.nextgencattle.com/spring-classic/ Nominate or request to be a guest - forms.gle/fRkvzRenh7mqkDXV7 CattleUSA Insurance - https://info.cattleusainsurance.com/l/1102253/2025-06-04/288f5m ⁠CattleUSA Website - https://www.cattleusa.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cattleusamedia Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cattleusa.media/ Subscribe to our newsletter - https://www.cattleusadrive.com/premium CattleUSA Media - https://www.cattleusamedia.com/ Lauren’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_laurenmoylan/ Lauren’s Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Showboatmediaco The Next Generation Podcast Website - https://www.thenextgenag.com/ Key Takeaways • NextGen Cattle was formed in 2017 by Derek, his brother Damon, and cousin Brad • The business began with a southwest Kansas feedyard and has since expanded significantly • NextGen now operates in Angus, Charolais, and Beefmaster genetics with a strong focus on the commercial cattle producer • Their program is built around matching cattle to environment, not forcing one type of cow into every region • Derek believes genetics matter all the way through the feeding and carcass phase • NextGen sells mostly aged bulls because they believe mature, developed bulls hold up better in real-world commercial use • Their buyback program allows producers to get real feedback on how cattle perform in the yard and on the rail • Derek sees long-term opportunity for producers who can consistently raise high-quality cattle • NextGen’s special feeder calf sale and April bull sale are both centered around building community and supporting producers Chapters 00:00 Derek’s background and how NextGen started 03:30 Why NextGen expanded into seedstock 08:30 How genetics, development, and environment all connect 13:00 The buyback program and why data matters 18:30 Derek’s outlook on the cattle industry 22:00 Upcoming feeder calf sale and April bull sale NextGen Cattle, Derek Thompson, commercial cattle producer, seedstock cattle operation, Kansas feedyard, Angus bulls, Charolais bulls, Beefmaster bulls, aged bulls for sale, feeder calf buyback program, cattle genetics data, commercial cow herd improvement, feeder calf sale Salina Kansas, Winter Livestock sale, NextGen bull sale

Not only is Trump failing to provide any clarity on why the United States went to war against Iran, the administration is also sticking to its habit of declaring an emergency based on some arcane legal provision that supposedly gives the executive branch the power to do whatever it wants. It's almost as though the American legal system can justify authoritarianism if a lawyer can dig deep enough. And Anthropic is currently feeling the sting of this monarchical-style power grab. Meanwhile, the tech overlords wanted free rein on AI under Trump, but they got a Maoist approach instead. Plus, Mamdani's embrace of abundance, the movie industry's troubles, and how parents fall in love with their children. Derek Thompson joins Tim Miller. show notes Derek's interview with Karim Sadjadpour on the "Plain English" pod Derek's Substack Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events .

Is A.I. gonna boom, bust or just become Excel? And how screwed are we either way? Plus: Peyton Manning, Lamar Jackson, Geraldo Rivera's vault, a young Tim Pawlenty, vibe-coding NFL scouts... and Filipino Jell-O. Further content: • "A.I. as Normal Technology" (Columbia University) https://knightcolumbia.org/content/ai-as-normal-technology • "The 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis" (Citrini Research) https://www.citriniresearch.com/p/2028gic • "Nobody Knows Anything" (Derek Thompson) https://www.derekthompson.org/p/nobody-knows-anything • "This Is How the A.I. Bubble Will Pop" (Derek Thompson) https://www.derekthompson.org/p/this-is-how-the-ai-bubble-will-pop • "Fear of A.I. Eliminating Jobs Makes Its Way to Football (Mike Florio) https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/fear-of-ai-eliminating-jobs-makes-its-way-to-football • Previously on PTFO: How Artificial Intelligence Is Already Changing Sports, with Daryl Morey and Sendhil Mullainathan • Subscribe to "The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny" • Subscribe to "Plain English with Derek Thompson" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Derek Thompson joins Scott Galloway to examine why Americans feel increasingly unhappy — even as many measures of health, safety, and quality of life improve. They discuss how media incentives and negativity bias distort our perception of reality, why outrage dominates online discourse, and how social comparison and screen-based life erode well-being. Derek also explores the impact of AI on inequality, the promise and limits of GLP-1 drugs, and why progress in technology and health hasn’t translated into greater happiness or connection. Join us in the ‘Resist and Unsubscribe’ movement: https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the end of the year, I wanted to revisit our very first podcast conversation with some of my favorite liberal journalists. In our very first live show in Washington, D.C., Derek Thompson, Ezra Klein, and Matt Yglesias joined me for a disagreement-ridden conversation to tape the first episode of our new video podcast, The Argument. We talk about why Matt spends so much of his time arguing with the left, whether Ezra thinks it matters “who shot first” as the right ramps up its attacks, why Derek picked a fight with the New Antitrust Movement, and much, much more. The Argument is a podcast dedicated to honest, unflinching debate about the biggest questions facing democracy, culture, and our future. As the host, I will bring together voices across the political spectrum to argue, challenge, and persuade. Each episode is a space where disagreements are confronted directly with clarity and conviction, rather than hidden or shouted down. Editor’s note : This episode was taped on Sept. 5, before the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the escalating threats from the Trump administration. For a full-length, ad-free version of our video podcast, you can become a paid subscriber . You can watch the full version with ads for free by subscribing to our YouTube channel here . The audio version is also available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Overcast | Pocket Casts Articles discussed: “ Messing With Texas: How Big Homebuilders and Private Equity Made American Cities Unaffordable ” by Basel Musharbash “ The Anti-Abundance Critique on Housing Is Dead Wrong ” by Derek Thompson “ How do we live with each other? ” by Jerusalem Demsas “ How to Blow Up a Planet ” by Trevor Jackson “ What I Got Wrong About DEI ” by Eugenia Cheng Support the Show: Get a full transcript, show notes, and an ad-free version: TheArgumentMag.com New episodes every Thursday—subscribe so you never miss a debate! The Argument is produced by Justin Zuckerman, fact-checked by Eli Richman, with music by Breakmaster Cylinder and art by Ben Tousley.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Anne Bradley, vice president of academic affairs at The Fund for American Studies and professor of economics at The Institute of World Politics, about Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s book Abundance , which she reviewed for Religion & Liberty Online . What is the concept of “abundance,” and who comprises the book’s audience? How do Klein and Thompson think through regulatory obstacles to material abundance? For Thompson and Klein, what drives innovation and growth? How much of the book’s rhetorical criticism of markets might be misdirection to potential critics from the left? Do Klein and Thompson really understand the economic way of thinking? Are there better programs for material abundance? How do you respond to conservatives who believe we had greater “abundance” in the past? Why are utopian visions of the future or the past dangerous? Do Klein and Thompson have a conception of civil society beyond the state? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here The Curious Task of ‘Abundance’ | Anne Bradley Abundance | Ezra Klein, Derek Thompson Eat Today, Feed Tomorrow (Yogurt Commercial) History | Thompson-Markward Hall Building the Future the Past Promised | The Daily Economy The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised | James Pethokoukis Bootleggers and Baptists in Retrospect | Bruce Yandle Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet | Marian L. Tupy, Gale L. Pooley The Devil Went Down to Wall Street | Dan Hugger Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community | Robert D. Putnam If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org .

Welcome to the third installment of our interview series here at The Honest Broker— also available on our new YouTube channel and Apple Podcasts . Today, I’m happy to share my conversation with Derek Thompson . Please support The Honest Broker by taking out a premium subscription (just $6 per month). When Derek came to Substack, he said he wanted to focus on three issues: * The Abundance agenda, building on the bestselling book he’s published with Ezra Klein. * Science in a way that’s both curious and skeptical. * The anti-social century. (Derek published a great piece on the subject at The Atlantic in January.) I wanted to focus on that last issue in our conversation. This intersects with issues about which I care deeply: the loneliness epidemic, alienation driven by adoption of new technologies, and the impact of AI on our lives. You can find more of Derek’s work on his newsletter. Highlights from the Derek Thompson Interview For the full interview, check out the video at the top of the page. Jared: Derek Thompson, thanks for joining us. Derek: It’s wonderful to be here. Jared: When you launched your newsletter, you had this nice sort of thesis statement. You said ‘I’m going to cover three topics.’ One was them was the Abundance agenda, the other was covering science in a way that’s both curious and skeptical. And then there was a third: the anti-social century. That one stuck out to me. How bad is it out there? Derek: I think many writers live with a kind of hypocrisy at the heart of their work. And I would say that my personal hypocrisy is that I’m mostly optimistic about science and technology, but I’m also pessimistic about the social changes that come with science and technology. And so in a weird way, I find myself often writing about how thrilled we should be about all sorts of advances in medical technology and biotech. I’m fascinated, by the way, with just GLP-1s and everything they seem to do. And at the same time, I find myself consistently drawn to the way that modernity changes habits and behaviors in ways I find often quite bad. I wrote this cover story for The Atlantic on the phenomenon that I called the anti-social century. And the antisocial century emerged really from one key statistic that I found in the American Time Use Survey. One of the things that they ask is, how much time do you spend socializing with other people in face-to-face communication? And the key statistic that I found is that the average amount of face-to-face socializing in this century has declined for all Americans by about 20% and for young Americans by about 40 to 50%. What I’m identifying here is the fact that in the 25 years since Robert Putnam wrote Bowling Alone there has been an antisocial quarter of a century. It touches the anxiety crisis that we see among young people. I think it changes our politics by alienating us from our neighbors. I think there are so many different tendrils that emerge from the phenomenon of the anti-social century. Jared: There’s a bit of an irony when you read Bowling Alone. He has a very optimistic chapter about the internet. When he’s writing

For this week's podcast we talk about the bestselling book Abundance by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson, described by the publisher as a "paradigm-shifting call to renew a politics of plenty, face up to the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life." We're joined by Eric and Max to discuss the context of the book's release, in the aftermath of both Project 2025 and Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, as well as the mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani. We talk about the book's ambivalent relationship to both power and conflict, and its idealism in resolving the contradictions between the market and the state. We think through the horizons of a potential left utopianism, and the political programs presently on offer to us, from Bernie Sanders' democratic socialism, Xi Jinping's CCP, and Andreas Malm's climate Leninism. READINGS: --"A Simple Plan to Solve All of America’s Problems" - Derek Thompson, 2022: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/scarcity-crisis-college-housing-health-care/621221/ --"Addressing NYC’s Housing Crisis" - Brad Lander, 2025: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b2052b12487fd3fa17f00a6/t/67c9104eaeb4d1348ee66894/1741230159290/State+of+Emergency+-+Addressing+NYC%E2%80%99s+Housing+Crisis.pdf --"What’s the Matter with Abundance?" - Malcolm Harris, 2025: https://thebaffler.com/latest/whats-the-matter-with-abundance-harris --"How to Blow Up a Planet" - Trevor Jackson, 2025: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2025/09/25/how-to-blow-up-a-planet-abundance-klein-thompson/ Eric is an infrastructure consultant specializing in regulatory compliance and financial management for transportation and broadband projects, and is currently supporting one of the nation’s largest passenger rail projects. He advocates for taxation reform to enable greater autonomy in the financing of public capital projects. Max is a libcom tankie who studies neoliberalism and monetary regimes.

In our very first live show in Washington, D.C., Derek Thompson, Ezra Klein, and Matt Yglesias joined host Jerusalem Demsas for a disagreement-ridden conversation to tape the first episode of our new video podcast The Argument. We talk about why Matt spends so much of his time arguing with the left, whether Ezra thinks it matters “who shot first” as the right ramps up its attacks, why Derek picked a fight with the New Antitrust Movement, and much, much more. The Argument is a podcast dedicated to honest, unflinching debate about the biggest questions facing democracy, culture, and our future. As the host, I will bring together voices across the political spectrum to argue, challenge, and persuade. Each episode is a space where disagreements are confronted directly with clarity and conviction, rather than hidden or shouted down. Editor’s note : This episode was taped on Sept. 5, before the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the escalating threats from the Trump administration. For a full-length, ad-free version of our video podcast, you can become a paid subscriber . You can watch the full version with ads for free by subscribing to our YouTube channel here . The audio version is also available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Overcast | Pocket Casts Articles discussed: “ Messing With Texas: How Big Homebuilders and Private Equity Made American Cities Unaffordable ” by Basel Musharbash “ The Anti-Abundance Critique on Housing Is Dead Wrong ” by Derek Thompson “ How do we live with each other? ” by Jerusalem Demsas “ How to Blow Up a Planet ” by Trevor Jackson “ What I Got Wrong About DEI ” by Eugenia Cheng Support the Show: Get a full transcript, show notes, and an ad-free version: TheArgumentMag.com New episodes every Thursday—subscribe so you never miss a debate! The Argument is produced by Justin Zuckerman, fact-checked by Eli Richman, with music by Breakmaster Cylinder and art by Ben Tousley.

In this episode of Econ 102, we're republishing a conversation between Noah Smith and Derek Thompson recorded live on Substack in June. They explore Derek’s shift from The Atlantic to Substack and unpack the “abundance agenda” — a vision for revitalizing American politics through better housing, energy, and innovation policy. Their wide-ranging conversation touches on economic reform, trendspotting, and the evolving media landscape. – SPONSORS: NetSuite More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://netsuite.com/102⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shopify Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at ⁠ ⁠⁠https://shopify.com/momentofzen⁠⁠ ⁠. AdQuick The easiest way to book out-of-home ads (like billboards, vehicle wraps, and airport displays) the same way you would order an Uber. Ready to get your brand the attention it deserves? Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://adquick.com/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today to start reaching your customers in the real world. – SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: Econ102@Turpentine.co – FOLLOW ON X: @noahpinion @DKThomp @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia – RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE: Derek Thompson Substack: https://www.derekthompson.org/ Abundance: https://www.amazon.com/Abundance-Progress-Takes-Ezra-Klein/dp/1668023482 Paul Krugman: https://paulkrugman.substack.com/ Matt Yglesias: https://www.slowboring.com/ Kyla Scanlan: https://kyla.substack.com/ Noahpinion: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.noahpinion.blog/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ – TAKEAWAYS: Derek's Move to Substack: Derek left The Atlantic after 17 years to join Substack, driven by "party wanderlust" - seeing the vibrant community of writers like Noah, Matt Yglesias, and others. Art of Trend Spotting: Noah praises Derek's unique ability to identify major trends before others, noting he's "earlier to spot new and important trends than any other blogger or writer." Derek reveals his method involves paying attention to that inner voice asking "what the fuck is that?" about everyday observations - essentially being like "observational humor but not necessarily humorous." Abundance Agenda's Impact: The conversation reveals how the abundance movement has gained significant traction, with Derek noting that partnering with Ezra Klein was strategic since Klein has unique influence within Democratic circles. They discuss "Ezra Klein Derangement Syndrome" - how Klein's prominence makes him both influential and a target. Need to attack MAGA degrowth ideology : Abundance advocates should more aggressively counter Trump's "scarcity mindset" that responds to every shortage with deprivation rather than increased production. Federal housing incentives : Race-to-the-top style funding to reward localities for pro-housing policies. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection

As they look upon the United States of America in 02025, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson see a country wrought by a half-century of failed governance. They see states and cities theoretically committed to progressive futures instead bogged down in labyrinthine mires of process — a society stuck in low gear. Yet they also see opportunity to turn those failures on their heads, and to build a better society based around more responsive, efficient governance. This is the vision that animates _Abundance_, Klein and Thompson’s new book and the focus of their Long Now Talk, hosted by Michael Pollan and co-sponsored with Manny’s and City Arts & Lectures. Despite Long Now’s focus on long-term thinking — of counterbalancing civilization’s pathologically short attention span — there was much to appreciate in Klein and Thompson’s call for American governance to “rediscover speed as a progressive value.” In their wide-ranging discussion, the two authors made the case for a vision of liberalism that builds, both for its own sake and as a bulwark against reactionary right-wing movements that have capitalized on its current shortcomings. Klein and Thompson spent much of their conversation diagnosing the precise ways in which American governance has become bogged down. They identified a set of breakdowns in the social contract ranging from the overly-restrictive barriers to building housing and green infrastructure to the utterly inadequate governmental support given to technological development and scientific discovery. On the topic of scientific research, they spoke of the value of long-term science, noting that vital discoveries like penicillin, mRNA vaccines, and GLP-1s all benefited from the long-term investment that the private sector rarely provides. At the close of the conversation, Pollan thanked Klein and Thompson for providing “not empty hope” but a vision “with a real path in front of it.” In their talk, Klein and Thompson didn’t just outline that path — they made clear the stakes of moving down it. We do not, as they argued, have the “luxury of time.” In order to build the abundant, progressive society that they envision, we must abandon “learned helplessness” and commit to building it with all necessary urgency and focus.

Bestselling authors and popular podcasters Ezra Klein ( The New York Times ) and Derek Thompson ( The Atlantic ) are interested in societal abundance – how do we get closer to equality when it seems like we're getting farther from having enough resources for everyone? Joined by historian and science fiction writer Ada Palmer, these three brilliant minds joyfully dig into everything from futurism to Shakespeare, encouraging listeners to combat daily despair with progressive action. Subscribe to the podcast. SHOW NOTES Watch the full program here . Read the podcast transcript . PHOTO: Ezra Klein, Derek Thompson, and Ada Palmer on stage at the UIC Dorin Forum at the Chicago Humanities Spring Festival in 2025. Read: Abundance , Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson Why We're Polarized , Ezra Klein Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age , Ada Palmer Listen: The Ezra Klein Show Plain English with Derek Thompson Explore: adapalmer.com Kathleen Belew , "the early adopter effect" Jay Van Bavel on how internet warps communication and language Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman on technology J. Storrs Hall on futurism Fix the News newsletter Live event programmed by Mark Bazer Live event produced by Jesse Swanson Live event stage managed by Sophia Fishkin Live event produced and mixed by Joe Darnaby Production assistance by River Williams Podcast edited and mixed by Alisa Rosenthal Podcast story editing by Alexandra Quinn Help shape the future of the podcast! Let us know what you think by taking the short survey . Donate now to support programs like this. Explore upcoming events . </p

From bestselling authors and journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance is a call to renew a politics of plenty, face the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. To trace the history of the twenty-first century so far is to trace a history of unaffordability and shortage. After years of refusing to build sufficient housing, America has a national housing crisis. After years of limiting immigration, we don't have enough workers. Despite decades of being warned about the consequences of climate change, we haven't built anything close to the clean-energy infrastructure we need. Ambitious public projects are finished late and over budget — if they are ever finished at all. The crisis that's clicking into focus now has been building for decades — because we haven't been building enough. Abundance explains that our problems today are not the results of yesteryear's villains. Rather, one generation's solutions have become the next gener­ation's problems. Authors Klein and Thompson contend that progress requires facing up to the institutions in life that are not working as they need to. It means, for liberals, recognizing when the government is failing. It means, for conservatives, recognizing when the government is needed. In a book exploring how we can move from a liberalism that not only protects and pre­serves but also builds , Klein and Thompson trace the political, economic, and cultural barriers to progress and propose a path toward a politics of abundance. At a time when movements of scarcity are gaining power in country after country, this is an answer that meets the challenges of the moment while grappling honestly with the fury so many rightfully feel. Co-author Derek Thompson joins us at Town Hall for a talk about his book, our current challenges, and the path forward. Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the host of the podcast Plain English . He is the author of the national bestseller Hit Makers and On Work , an anthology of his writing on labor and technology. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Clayton Page Aldern is a senior data reporter at Grist. A neuroscientist turned environmental journalist, he holds a master's in neuroscience and a master's in public policy from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He is also a research affiliate at the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology at the University of Washington. With Gregg Colburn, he is the author of Homelessness Is a Housing Problem . His book The Weight of Nature , on the effects of climate change on brain health, is out now from Dutton. <img class="cross-promo" src= "https://townhallseattle.org/wp-content/up

Why can the United States government help make a vaccine in a year but not build a high-speed train in a reasonable timeframe? What if our biggest problems—affordable housing shortages, energy limits, and scientific slowdowns—aren’t inevitable, but chosen? This week, Reid and Aria sit down with Derek Thompson—staff writer at The Atlantic and host of the podcast Plain English —to explore how a scarcity mindset is holding American society back. They cover how AI can revolutionize scientific discovery; what Operation Warp Speed got right; and why real progress depends on bold policy, not just better technology. Plus, Reid joins Derek in the hotseat for some “Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right?”—a game co-created with ChatGPT to discuss ideas in Derek’s new best-selling book, Abundance . For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ Select mentions : Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson “The Anti-Social Century” Every Cure co-founder Dr. David Fajgenbaum Topics: 1:06 – Episode introduction 2:34 – What year would Derek choose to be born and why? 7:14 – What can AI do as a co-author that Ezra Klein can't, and what are Ezra's irreplaceable strengths? 9:08 – AI's impact on the future of work — what AI can and can't do — and what the enduring role of humans will be. 12:00 – The situation with current tariffs, and the potential fixes or silver linings. 14:28 – Operation Warp Speed and other examples of abundance in the U.S. and beyond. 19:39 – What specific government policies could effectively leverage AI to speed up the creation of abundance? 22:40 – Midroll 22:49 – Derek and Reid play a fun game based on Abundance: “Too much, too little, or just right?” 30:46 – What's needed to better incentivize scientific progress and foster innovation? 39:22 – How could society and our relationship with technology be reframed to combat the loneliness epidemic? 45:08 – Derek identifies specific policies that currently hinder abundance and suggests new ones that could promote it. 49:45 – Rapid-fire Questions Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.

“The story of America in the 21st century is the story of chosen scarcities.” So begins “ Abundance ,” the new book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson that has politicos abuzz . In it, they argue that progressives have created a culture of scarcity the last few decades, especially when it comes to solving America’s thorniest problem, like homelessness, housing affordability and green energy. The solution, they say, is to face up to the failures of liberal policies, no matter how well intended, and renew a politics of plenty. “If you look back in American history, America used to built things — proudly,” Thompson tells Kerri Miller on this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas. “And then at some point over the last 50 years, liberalism — which was once defined as the politics of building — became defined as the politics of blocking. [In the book], we’re trying to execute a bit of a paradigm shift here: We want to marry the politics of building with modern progressivism.” Guest: Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the co-author of the new book, “ Abundance ,” along with the New York Times’ Ezra Klein . Subscribe to Big Books and Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts , <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5wdWJsaWNyYWRpby5vcmcvcHVibGljX2ZlZWRzL21wci1uZXdzLXdpdGgta2VycmktbWlsbGVyL3Jzcy9yc3M%3D" class="apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link apm-link

What if the biggest threat to liberal democracy isn’t authoritarianism - but our failure to build? On today’s episode we’re joined by journalist Derek Thompson to unpack Abundance , a new vision of progressive politics co-authored by Thompson and Ezra Klein. In it, Klein and Thompson trace the political, economic, and cultural barriers to progress and propose a path toward a politics of abundance. Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic, host of the Plain English podcast, and the author of the international bestseller Hit Makers. Carl Miller, writer and fellow at Demos, joins Thompson to discuss the book, and everything from housing policy to the failures of de-growth. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Derek Thompson, a senior writer at The Atlantic and co-author (with Ezra Klein) of Abundance: The New Politics of Growth , joins this episode of Just Asking Questions to make the case that if Democrats want to win in the future, they must first learn to build. In this conversation, Thompson challenges Democrats to reimagine themselves as the party of pragmatic progress, rather than redistribution. We wanted to bring Thompson on the show now because the tension inside the Democratic Party is reaching a breaking point. In the wake of disappointing results and growing disillusionment with blue-state governance, a growing chorus—including Thompson—is calling for a course correction. But can Democrats overcome their own internal roadblocks—union entrenchment, environmental regulation gridlock, and NIMBYism—to actually deliver on that promise? This interview was recorded on April 8, 2025. Sources Referenced: Abundance by Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein Then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2012 pitching California's Rail Project Cities aren't back - by Jed Kolko - Slow Boring Chart: Which US states generate the most solar and wind energy? Solar panel prices have fallen by around 20% every time global capacity doubled - Our World in Data Energy Mix - Our World in Data Milton Friedman's warning to DOGE Chapters 00:00 Coming up… 00:17 Introduction and framing the abundance agenda 05:00 Free trade, Trump, and economic polarization 10:00 Elevator pitch for the book Abundance 15:00 California's failure to deliver liberal abundance 20:00 The housing crisis and how liberals should fix it 25:00 Suburbanization, urban decline, and market logic 30:00 California High-Speed Rail: what went wrong? 35:00 Is high-speed rail a true public good? 40:00 Clean energy progress in Texas vs California 45:00 Solar, wind, and battery breakthroughs 50:00 Carbon externalities and the path to clean energy 55:00 Can abundance work within the Democratic Party? 01:00:00 Elon Musk, Doge, and ideological contr

Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson is probably the most talked-about book in the country right now. And the most hotly debated. It’s a book about how we got here — here being a country without enough housing, a country that has lost its ambitious optimism, a country that has forgotten how to build. The prescription Ezra and Derek offer to cure what ails us is conspicuously pro-growth: more housing, more clean energy, more scientific development and technological innovation. But to pull that off, they argue, will require Democrats to question their endemic zeal for regulation. This view has fired up some liberals while simultaneously drawing ire from others. Today, Rufus sits down with Derek Thompson to talk about the book, the reaction to it, and how to convince political leaders from both sides of the aisle to embrace a liberalism that builds.

Ezra Klein is a columnist and podcast host at The New York Times and the author of Why We’re Polarized . Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic, host of the podcast Plain English and a news analyst with NPR. Klein and Thompson’s new book Abundance is a call to rethink big, entrenched problems that seem mired in systemic scarcity: from climate change to housing, education to healthcare. The history of the twenty-first century in America is one of growing unaffordability and shortage. After years of refusing to build sufficient housing, the entire country has a national housing crisis. After years of slashing immigration, we don’t have enough workers. After decades of off-shoring manufacturing, we have a shortage of chips for cars and computers. Despite decades of being warned about the consequences of climate change, we haven’t built anything close to the clean energy infrastructure we need. Progress requires the ability to see promise rather than just peril in the creation of new ideas and projects, and an instinct to design systems and institutions that make building possible. Klein and Thompson trace the political, economic, and cultural barriers to progress and how we can adopt a mindset directed toward abundance, and not scarcity, to overcome them. On March 26, 2025, Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an onstage conversation with Manny Yekutiel, a Bay Area restaurant owner and political organizer.

Reporter and podcaster Derek Thompson says we’re better at recognizing problems, but our ability to solve them has not improved. How can we make sure meaningful progress occurs? In this conversation with Open to Debate guest moderator Nayeema Raza, Thompson will discuss his new book “Abundance,” rethinking yesterday’s issues to address today’s problems, and what both sides of the political aisle should learn to ensure we have a more abundant society. Our Guest: Derek Thompson, Staff Writer at The Atlantic ; Author of the "Work in Progress" Newsletter Nayeema Raza, Journalist and Host of "Smart Girl Dumb Questions" , is the guest moderator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ezra Klein is one of the most influential voices representing the left-wing of American politics. He is a columnist for the NY Times and host of The Ezra Klein Show. Derek Thompson is a writer at The Atlantic and host of the Plain English podcast. Together they have written a new book titled Abundance that lays out a set of ideas for the future of the Democratic party. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep462-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/ezra-klein-and-derek-thompson-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Abundance (new book): https://amzn.to/4iZ1S8J Ezra’s X: https://x.com/ezraklein/ Ezra’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/ezraklein Ezra’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/EzraKleinShow The New York Times: https://nytimes.com/by/ezra-klein Derek’s X: https://x.com/dkthomp Plain English (podcast): https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/plain-english-with-derek-thompson The Atlantic: https://theatlantic.com/author/derek-thompson/ SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Call of Duty: First-person shooter video game. Go to https://callofduty.com/warzone LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (03:17) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections (10

The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Derek Thompson for another edition of The Future of Everything, during which they discuss Derek and Ezra Klein’s new book ‘Abundance,’ before sharing their predictions for the future of politics, tech, sports, and culture. Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Derek Thompson Producers: Kyle Crichton and Chia Hao Tat This episode is sponsored by State Farm®. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

California in 2023 experienced a net loss of nearly 270,000 residents. The main reason given by those surveyed? The state’s cost of living is too high for working families. According to journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, much of the blame for that lies with Democrats, who they say have “failed at the work of governing” by pushing policies that make it too hard to build homes, mass transit and clean energy infrastructure. We talk to Klein and Thompson about how they think the left can govern better and smarter. Their new book is “Abundance.” Guests: Ezra Klein, columnist, The New York Times; co-author of "Abundance" and "Why We're Polarized;" his podcast is "The Ezra Klein Show" Derek Thompson, staff writer and author of the Work in Progress newsletter; The Atlantic; co-author of "Abundance" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump won back the White House last year by stoking fears of scarcity. The zero-sum thinking of the right that says there aren’t enough houses or jobs to go around laid the groundwork for the forces of illiberalism currently at play in the federal government. In their new book, Abundance , Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson argue that to combat the politics of scarcity, liberals at every level of government must embrace abundance. Further reading: Abundance , by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson Why We’re Polarized , by Ezra Klein “ Do Democrats Need to Learn How to Build? ,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells “ A Simple Plan to Solve All of America’s Problems ,” by Derek Thompson “ Blue States Gave Trump and Vance an Opening, ” by Jerusalem Demsas Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices