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Against Ambition

The Radical Potential of Giving Up
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( 12 ratings, 4 reviews)
Brief Description
Against Ambition explores the effect that capitalist ambition has on our psyches and societies, and imagines what a world without ambition might look like. This book examines the psychological and societal impact of capitalist ambition and envisages a world liberated from its pressures. Critical Exploration of... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Explores the effect that capitalist ambition has on our psyches and societies, and what a world without ambition might look like.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Against Ambition explores the effect that capitalist ambition has on our psyches and societies, and imagines what a world without ambition might look like.

This book examines the psychological and societal impact of capitalist ambition and envisages a world liberated from its pressures.

Critical Exploration of Ambition - It analyses how ambition became the dominant force shaping our lives since the 1980s, pushing us to view success as solely our responsibility—and failure as our fault.

The Cult of Capitalist Success - Bill Peel critiques how capitalism turned ambition into an endless cycle of "rise and grind," passive income pursuits, and corporate competition, driving us into self-sacrificing, goal-oriented lives.

A Call to Reimagine Life Beyond Ambition - The book argues that relentless ambition undermines collective action and turns individuals into isolated social climbers, hindering efforts to create a more equitable world.

Radical Freedom in Letting Go - It advocates for a life freed from constant self-improvement, valuing the right to "waste time" as a radical act against neoliberal values.

For readers interested in social criticism, capitalism's influence on personal identity, or alternative views on productivity and success, Against Ambition offers a powerful challenge to the "cult of ambition."

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781915672032

Publisher: Watkins Media Limited

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 May 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Repeater Books

Edition: New edition

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 208

About the Author

Bill Peel is writer from regional New South Wales, Australia. His debut book Tonight It's a World We Bury- Black Metal, Red Politics was published in 2023. His other writing has appeared in Astral Noize, Jacobin, and Overland, but he spends more time doing nothing of note.

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