From the very first page, with the details of pharmaceutical CEO Shkreli's story and the banking CEO Stumpf's appearance, this book grabbed me by my emotional center as almost no book ever has. Honestly, I feel angry. Actually angry.
The reason this book is so compelling, I think, is that it rings of a truth that I've known for a while but haven't actually heard anyone say. Consider how it starts. It begins with Shkreli, the American hedge fund guy who bought out a pharmaceutical company, then raised the price of a cheap life-saving drug just to make money. In a completely selfish way, he stated that he didn't care if people couldn't afford it, because he "was only interested in making money and we live in a capitalist society." He said it wasn't illegal and he would do everything he could to make more money. He said he regretted not raising the price higher. He antagonized everyone around him. The good news is that he also did illegal things, so they were able to jail him, but what if he hadn't? What if he only raised the price? It made me think of Epipens, for example, and other drugs, whose price has only recently been raised here in American, whose pharmaceutical owners are making huge profits. It's not hard to do the math.
So, Shkreli's story was both fascinating and repulsive, but then Stumpf appears, a criminal parading as good man. It's hard to know why he bothered, but there Stumpf was, saying politely that he was a man interest in being helpful. It broke soon after that he was making hundreds of millions of dollars destroying millions of American's lives. Could he really have wanted to be helpful? As I read, I thought about it. But no. Stumpf's behavior was clearly predatory. He was making money. And he didn't go to jail. He was too rich.
Robert Reich is talking about these two men first because that's what is bleeding our society dry now. Our businesses, our politicians, our Congress, and even our president, they are straightforward about making money to the detriment of the good of most of the people. And I think we are brainwashed into thinking this is how it has to be. This book discusses how it was in 1975 and earlier, before Reagonomics took hold, before we allowed the people who are so desperate to make and stockpile an infinite amount of money to the detriment of others in this country.
One last thing. Is there even such a thing as, "A Common Good"? You know, that's something that Reich talks about a lot throughout this book. As I was reading, a certain realization formed in my own mind. It's my own opinion. Reich paints a good picture of what the common good is. Here's what I personally came up with myself but if you read this book, and I think you'll really enjoy it if you do - "A Common Good" refers to several things, but most importantly, it refers to these things: 1. Recognizing other people as human beings and not hurting each other for any reason, not even to make money (so, not breaking laws and not worrying about laws because you have no desire to break them because you don't want to hurt anyone); 2. Doing everything you can to help others as long as it doesn't hurt yourself (so, paying taxes and supporting schools and things like that).
In conclusion, I haven't ruined the book for you because it's a lot more than what I've just said. It's really worth reading.
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Top reviews from other countries
- Guy DaunceyReviewed in Canada on April 25, 2018
Let the passion bleed and sing off the pages!
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- Torben MogensenReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2018
Why public service is important
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Australia on December 4, 2020
Find the common good or US society is doomed
