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Moral Ambition

Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference – from the presenter of the 2025 BBC ‘Moral Revolution’ Reith lectures

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Moral Ambition

By: Rutger Bregman
Narrated by: Boris Hiestand, Rutger Bregman
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Summary

Bloomsbury presents Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman, read by Boris Hiestand and Rutger Bregman.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE SUMMER 2025
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'A fierce and brilliant call to arms for anyone who has been wondering whether there's more to life. (There is.) Bregman wants to change you, and he just might succeed. This is a wonderfully dangerous book' TIM HARFORD

'The rare read that might actually help you become a better person' ADAM GRANT
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THE ANTIDOTE TO APATHY FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND 2025 BBC REITH LECTURER RUTGER BREGMAN

Every day we're bombarded with methods, mantras and life hacks that promise us wellness and prosperity - while time and talent remain some of our most squandered resources. The average full-time worker will spend 80,000 hours at their job: are you making the most of them? Do you truly believe in what you do, day in, day out?

What if you want to do something more with your limited time on the planet?

Internationally bestselling author Rutger Bregman shows us that with moral ambition - the will to make the world a wildly better place - we can be both idealistic and successful, and change the world along the way. Uncovering the qualities that made the great change-makers of history so effective, he shows how we too can lend our talents to the biggest challenges of our time, from climate change to inequality to the next pandemic. With moral ambition, we can do more than be on the right side of history: we can make history itself.

This book won't make your life easier, but it should make it more meaningful. The question is: what will you do with it?

©2025 Rutger Bregman (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Best of 2025 Business Ethics Career Success Civics & Citizenship Editors Select Ethics & Morality Philosophy Politics & Government Workplace & Organisational Behavior Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Morality
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Editorial Review

A deprogramming guide for chronic inconsequence
Rutger Bregman warns you at the start of his book that you might actually regret listening because "once you put it down you might just have to change your life." Not unlike Alan Carr or Annie Grace, who have helped millions tackle addictions with the repeated written insistence that they can, Bregman—the renowned Dutch historian who went viral for outraging the world's rich and powerful at Davos—is here to convince you through repetitive assertion that the world needs your talents. He argues that the point of life isn't to be happy but to maximize your impact, and the unfortunate fact is that most of the world's best brains are being used to maximize ad clicks, not solutions to human suffering. Both a wellness industry antidote and a rich history of effective change, Moral Ambition begs you to think not about "What's my passion?" but rather "How can I contribute the most to the world?" If enough people answer his call, it could be that the most large-scale, measurable impact Bregman will have is with this book.—Emily C., Audible Editor

All stars
Most relevant
Yet again an excellent book full of hope, inspiration and wisdom. Recommended to my young students as well as anyone looking for something to help question the value of life. I wish I’d paced myself in listening but it was so compelling that I couldn’t stop! Thank you for all of the research, the knowledge, the insight and for creating another enlightening book.

Another excellent book and recommended many times over

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This book is an important step towards a wonderful future. I hope many listens to this and acts.

So many can act

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This made me think and rethink my position as a person who would like to have a positive influence on life, in some small but significant way. Well worth at least two reads…

Thoughtful and probing

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Fascinating histories of people and strong “kick up the butt” admonishment to get you to do something amazing with your life. But (especially but not exclusively as a religious person) i found his book didn’t reach into me, encourage me, inspire me to have will to do more. It just told me off for not doing more. What does Rutger think the meaning of life is? I wish i could add this to the book

Also practically if I’m not going to start a charity for kids with ALS let’s say, what can i do? There’s no discussion of this. He needs to be practical and give people more options. If you don’t they’ll let it slip and forget about it. What were we talking about?

Great stories and arguments, little inspiration or guidance

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fresh new ideas to think about for years to come! there's plenty to look more into and research about

great

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