Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer From Abundance to Enshittification: 2025’s Must-Read Economics Books
Dec 9, 2025
This discussion dives into the most impactful economics books of the year. Highlights include Ezra Klein’s 'Abundance' and Cory Doctorow’s critical take on platform decay in 'Enshittification.' They explore Thomas Piketty’s new works on inequality, emphasizing their relevance in today’s debates. Diane Coyle challenges traditional GDP measures, advocating for a broader view of progress. The conversation also touches on the fascinating history of the Garland Fund and offers intriguing gift recommendations for economics enthusiasts.
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Abundance Shaped 2025 Growth Debate
- Abundance by Ezra Klein and David Thompson shifted mainstream debate toward growth and building more.
- Paul says it dominates conversation but argues it’s more political narrative than economic analysis.
Politics, Not Economics, In Abundance
- David Goldstein criticizes Abundance as political advocacy repackaged as economics.
- He argues it lacks an economic theory connecting policy to growth outcomes.
Inequality Drives Housing Crisis
- Goldstein says distributional inequality is central to problems like housing unaffordability.
- He argues higher absolute housing prices correlate with incomes, so fixing abundance requires fairness.
