Book · 2026 · Business & Economics
The Permanent Problem
The Uncertain Transition from Mass Plenty to Mass Flourishing
Why people recommend it
The Permanent Problem by Brink Lindsey is a nonfiction book that examines modern economic and social challenges related to abundance, labor, and leisure time. On The Ezra Klein Show in an episode titled What We Got Right — and Wrong — in Abundance broadcast in April 2026, Ezra Klein mentioned this work by Brink Lindsey. During the conversation about societal progress and abundance, Klein noted that Lindsey was circling important ideas within the text of his new abundance-adjacent book. Klein brought up the title while discussing the evolution of leisure time and how contemporary thinkers are addressing the ongoing structural issues of modern wealth and productivity. Although the mention was brief, Klein highlighted the relevance of Lindsey's arguments to broader discussions concerning economic growth, human well-being, and the distribution of free time in a technologically advanced society. Listeners interested in modern political economy and the intersection of material abundance with human flourishing were directed to consider Lindsey's perspectives as part of a larger ongoing dialogue about what went right and what went wrong in modern economic development.
Who recommended it
- Ezra Klein Recommended
Ezra Klein — 1 mention
“I mean, Brink Lindsay in his sort of abundance adjacent new book, The Permanent Problem, is is circling some of these ideas.”