by Rachel R.

Everything For Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052-2072 by M.E. O’Brien and Eman Abdelhadi is the story of a successful (almost) worldwide revolution, and, more challenging, a successful utopia. After capitalism has trashed the planet, a series of global uprisings restructure the economy, the city, the family, the relationship between humans and the environment, and even space. The clever structure of the book—a series of interviews with people who experienced different parts of the revolution or who now play interesting roles in the Commune—allows for a massive scope that nevertheless feels grounded in real people and real communities.

This is a tremendously hopeful book, positing thoughtful solutions to the worst problems of our age. But it never shies away from the trauma and grief of the old world’s destruction, and what really sold the story for me is the points at which the interview subjects break down, stumble, and otherwise remind us that these are humans living through an age of change.

I adored this sharp, poignant vision of a better world rising from the ashes of the old.