The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman

What if the biggest problem in the world is a lack of moral ambition from those in a position to change the world either through their financial or intellectual resources? This is the simple but powerful idea at the heart of this book that was our pick for the Most Important Book of 2025 in the Non-Obvious Book Awards. The author, Rutger Bregman, has been on a tour at world events often speaking the uncomfortably candid truth to the faces of billionaires that bring the legendary Dutch reputation for candor to life.

Beyond writing a book on the topic, he has partnered with leading organizations (starting with Harvard) to build his School for Moral Ambition to teach this way of thinking to those who need to hear it most. Imagine if the smart minds powering innovations for tomorrow cared deeply about the morality of their solutions. It is movements like this which might actually make this a reality. For that reason, this is a book that is worth your time to read and share. We could all use a bit more moral ambition in our daily lives.

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About the Non-Obvious Book Selection of the Week:

Every week I share a new “non-obvious” book selection. Titles featured here may be new or classic books, but the date of publication doesn’t really matter. My goal is to elevate great reads that perhaps deserve a second look which you might have otherwise missed.