Adrift by Scott Galloway Summary
Overview of Adrift
In "Adrift," NYU professor Scott Galloway dissects America's alarming trajectory through 100 revealing charts. From CEO pay skyrocketing 351:1 over workers to collapsing community organizations, this data-driven manifesto explains why we're disconnected - and how to rebuild our fractured society.
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Key takeaways
When the American Dream Became a Mirage
Something broke in America around 1980, and we're still living in the wreckage. Picture the postwar era: a factory worker could buy a home, send kids to college, and retire comfortably. That worker's grandchildren today? They're drowning in student debt, priced out of housing markets, and wondering if retirement is just a cruel joke their parents got to enjoy. This isn't about nostalgia-it's about a fundamental rewiring of our economic operating system. In the 1980s, we embraced a new religion called shareholder capitalism, where maximizing stock price became the only commandment that mattered. Milton Friedman was its prophet, declaring that executives who considered anything beyond share price were thieves and socialists. Reagan slashed top tax rates from 70% to 28%, tripled the national debt, and promised wealth would "trickle down." It didn't. Instead, we got crumbling infrastructure, gutted mental healthcare, and a productivity-compensation split that would define generations. From 1973 to 2014, productivity grew 72% while worker pay rose just 9%. America kept getting richer, but workers stopped sharing in the prosperity they created.
The Billionaire Space Race While Rome Burns
The Hunger Games Economy Takes Hold
The Algorithms of Enragement
The Collapse of Connection
The Reckoning Ahead
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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