Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work

By Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams

This major new manifesto offers a “clear and compelling vision of a postcapitalist society” and shows how left-wing politics can be rebuilt for the 21st century (Mark Fisher, author of Capitalist Realism)

Neoliberalism isn’t working. Austerity is forcing millions into poverty and many more into precarious work, while the left remains trapped in stagnant political practices that offer no respite.

Inventing the Future is a bold new manifesto for life after capitalism. Against the confused understanding of our high-tech world by both the right and the left, this book claims that the emancipatory and future-oriented possibilities of our society can be reclaimed. Instead of running from a complex future, Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams demand a postcapitalist economy capable of advancing standards, liberating humanity from work and developing technologies that expand our freedoms.

This new edition includes a new chapter where they respond to their various critics.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781784780982

Reviews for Inventing the Future

[michaelodullard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

 Inventing the Future is a bold new manifesto for life after capitalism. Against the confused understanding of our high-tech world by both the right and the left, this book claims that the emancipatory and future-oriented possibilities of our society can be reclaimed. Instead of running from a complex future, Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams demand a postcapitaiist economy capable of advancing standards, liberating humanity from work and developing technologies that expand our freedoms.

[caimanjosh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I ended up skipping some chapters related to the current dire straits of the political left, but the book's presentation of ideas for a better (progressive) future was interesting and well-written. A bit drier than the usual fare I read but, I think, worth the time I spent reading it. Now if only we could make it happen!

[spameldoon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Inventing the Future is a political manifesto that diagnoses the shortcomings of neoliberalism and describes how things got to be this way; why, despite its demonstrable flaws, we’re still stuck with it; and how we can go about actually changing the future for the better. The book argues that neoliberalism is bad, and that it isn’t a political inevitability – it is the prevailing system because of concerted organisational and intellectual efforts spanning decades, and that the only way to counter it is a corresponding organised, intellectual effort from the left. The main pillars of this ‘counter-hegemony’ should be a socially funded post-work society, featuring automation of labour, a reduction in the working week, and the implementation of a universal basic income.The book does a clearer job of diagnosing the problem than providing a cure. The authors explain very well where neoliberalism came from, what’s wrong with it, and why it isn’t a political inevitability. What’s wrong with it? High inequality, an obsession with work, and destruction of the planet. Their alternative is increased automation, reduced work, and a guaranteed state income. The ideas are painted with broad strokes and not enough is provided in the way of costing or practicalities of the idea. However, the book is more providing the start of a new narrative and changing the discourse, than providing a fully fledged solution. In fact, they do state that we can only get where we need to go through experimentation – there is no panacea strategy that can be applied in one fell swoop. They discuss in one of the chapters the need for stories and narratives that get these ideas into the public consciousness.If, like me, you wonder why the world is still the way it is, Inventing the future is very motivating and a good explanation as to why despite the obvious flaws and failings of neoliberalism it continues seemingly unabated. Coming from a position of attending protests, signing petitions, and trying to change my own lifestyle, but feeling like this hasn’t made much of a dent in the way the world works, it’s nice to see some explication of why this is. The book explains why some of the focus on individual actions and responsibility falls short of making a dent. The left’s avoidance of structure and the focus on the local and the individual can’t ultimately bring about change. A full-blown, all-out attempt at ‘counter-hegemony’ is required. And it’s good to have some starting points as to how to go about changing things – it provides a compass for how we should start thinking about the future as we want it to be. It doesn’t give all of the details, but it suggests where we should be headed.

[derekcaelin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. The premise is that the neoliberal status quo fails on a number of levels and that the work of the left is to regain mantle of "common sense" - that we can can eliminate poverty, improve healthcare and education, and remove suffering in work. The book lays out why this is needed, the benefits of a postcapitalist society powered by automation, and some suggestions for how ideas can change over time. The book is dense but very interesting - would highly recommend.