Season 4, Ep 1: Abundance with Matt Berry, Dan Hill, Sisonke Msimang & Millie Rooney
This episode is a recording of ‘Book Club Live’ hosted by the wonderful folk from Good Together.
Matt Berry (Good Together) hosts Millie Rooney (Executive Director at Australia reMADE), Dan Hill (Director at Melbourne School of Design), and Sisonke Msimang (Author and Program Lead at the Centre for Stories) for a conversation about the book Abundance.
Published in 2025, Abundance by Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein has made a huge splash among the political class. It sets out an agenda for ‘a liberalism that builds’ and argues for a reduction in regulation and an increase in production.
While focused on the US, the book has been picked up by the Labor party in Australia with Treasurer Jim Chalmers calling it ‘a ripper’ in a press interview. As a silver bullet it’s an appealing idea and you can see the language of abundance working its way through press releases and strategy papers.
But Matt, Millie, Dan and Sisonke are less convinced. Have a listen as they try to take the good bits while critiquing what Millie argues is ‘actually a dangerous book’.
Have a listen!
This episode of the reMAKERS was recorded from the lands of the Gubbi Gubbi people, in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and the lands of the dharawal people in greater Wollongong, NSW. We honour the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters, and pay our respect to Elders past and present.
Show notes
Useful links
Abundance by Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein
Solidarity by Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor
The Real Housing Crisis by Dan Hill