Jean's Reviews > The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future

I have just read the biography of Andrew Yang by Matthew Wilson and now have finished reading Yang’s “The War on Normal People”. This book tells of the problems of automation and AI (artificial intelligence) in the workforce.

The book is well written and researched. Yang points out the problems are here now and are only going to get worse and at a much faster pace than most people realize. I found it frightening the list of jobs and professions that will be reduced or eliminated by automation and/or AI. A few that are soon to be effected are those people who drive for a living. On the higher education end are radiologist, pathologist and attorneys that review documents and research precedents.

It is apparent that Yang has thought about this problem and has come up with some suggestions for change. One of the solutions that will need to be enacted that Yang did not discuss is population control and reduction. Reading this book brought to mind one of H.W. Wells stories in which “automation and the lack of opportunity yield a legacy of social ruin.” Yang states “in places where jobs disappear, society falls apart.” Like climate change this problem is here now and we need to act now. For the benefit of society when and where should automation and AI in the workplace be used or not, needs to be discussed and regulated. I found this a very interesting book. It sure stimulated my thinking process.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is six hours and fifty-five minutes. Yang does a good job narrating his own book.