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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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About this listen

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
__________

'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
__________

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 Business Ethics Career Success Civics & Citizenship Editors Select Ethics & Morality Philosophy Politics & Government Workplace & Organisational Behaviour Morality

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
The case for change – for positive change – for constructive change, begins with the individual making the decision to dedicate themselves to pursuing a goal that requires them to change their life. That individual then has to find a small number of other like-minded individuals who are committed to the project. It’s that easy and yet requires total focus, total energy. It is the virtue of Hope that sustains these people, who are not eternal optimists, rather they are clear eyed, ambitious and purpose driven heroes.

Hope turns out to be a plan

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Beautiful writing about confronting ideas in a manner that encourages your everyday individual to make a difference. Will be reading again and again.

Life changing book

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There is a lot to inspire in this book. It seems to be pitched to the pioneers and entrepreneurs rather than the troops. As someone who has time to donate I was trying to work out the best ways to support a pioneer without needing to be one..

Inspiring listening

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what I enjoyed: The general message of the book is great. I even set up a monthly donation to a local charity group. I have more than enough for my family and I to survive, so why not help others in my community. What I disliked: I tried to get past all of the pro vegan and anti carbon propaganda but in the end I couldn't stand it anymore and stopped listening with an hour to go.

Too much rubbish about climate change and veganism

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