Another world is possible book
What a polarized U.S. might learn from other countries in 'Another World is Possible'
Journalist Natasha Hakimi Zapata's book “Another World is Possible” explores what the U.S. could learn about ways to tackle issues such as inequality, health care and homelessness from innovative solutions deployed abroad.
Guests
Natasha Hakimi Zapata, journalist. Author of "Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America from Around the Globe."
Book Excerpt
Copyright © 2025 by Natasha Hakimi Zapata. This excerpt originally appeared in Another World is Possible: Lessons for America from Around the Globe, published by The New Press. Reprinted here with permission.
Transcript
Part I
MEGHNA CHAKRABARTI: Today, I'm joined by Natasha Hakimi Zapata. She's the author of Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America from Around the Globe. And as its title suggests, it is a worldwide journey exploring how some of the most advanced social policies emerged only after those respective countries darkest times.
Natasha, welcome to On Point.
NATASHA HAKIMI ZAPATA: Hi, Meghna. Thanks so much for having me.
CHAKRABARTI: I'm wondering if you could tell us where the inspiration for wr
Another World is Possible
William Fisher
William F Fisher is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Department of International Development, Community, and Environment at Clark University. From 1992 to 2000, Professor Fisher taught in the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University, where he was Director of Graduate Studies in Anthropology and a Dillon Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. He also taught at Princeton University and Columbia, where he served as assistant director of Columbia’s Center for South Asian Studies and directed the Economic and Political Development specialization at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.
His research centers on the social and environmental impact of large dams, forced displacement, transnational advocacy, competition over natural resources and non-governmental organizations. His research and work for such agencies as CARE, USAID, and the UNDP have taken him to several continents. Other research activities, mostly in South Asia, include ethnic associations, competition for natural resources, non-governmental associations, and the role of participation and community-based i
Another World Is Possible
Description
As the nature confronts the fast catastrophe of Covid and the slow calamity of climate change, we also face a third, less observable emergency: a crisis of imagination. We can easily picture ecological disaster or futures dominated by technology. But we struggle to imagine a world in which people thrive and where we improve our democracy, welfare, neighbourhoods or education. Many are resigned to fatalism—yet they desperately need transformational social change.
This book argues that, although the threats are real, we can use innovative imagination to achieve a finer future: visualising where we yearn to go and how to get there. Political and social thinker Geoff Mulgan offers lessons we can learn from the past, and methods we can use now to open up thinking about the future and spark action.
Drawing on social sciences, the arts, philosophy and history, Mulgan shows how we can recharge our collective imagination. From Socrates to Star Wars, he provides a roadmap for the future.
Reviews
‘Mulgan has a sophisticated appreciation of the forces that construct modern economic and social conditions…There is wisdom and insight in this boo
Another World Is Possible
Praise
Praise for Another World Is Possible:
“This distinctive book looks to other countries for solutions to social and environmental problems in the United States.”
—Library Journal
“Hakimi Zapata examines how other nations have successfully addressed social conditions that continue to vex America.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“Even if you don’t believe the ‘America is the best country in the world’ propaganda, I think it can be hard for Americans to remember that the ‘American Way’ isn’t the only way. That’s why I’m so excited for Another World Is Possible, a book that offers international solutions to American problems.”
—Literary Hub, “Most Anticipated Books of 2025
"Zapata debuts with an illuminating survey of how America’s most pressing social issues have been handled by other countries. . . . The result is a fascinating and inspiring glimpse of how rational governance operates."
—Publishers Weekly
"Full of lessons for American activists on how to br
Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America from Around the Globe (Hardcover)
Description
A Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book
Real-world solutions to America's thorniest social problems-from housing to retirement to drug addiction--based on original reporting from around the world
A new generation of Americans has declared that another world is possible. And yet, the stubborn problems of inequality, climate change, and declining health seem as intractable as ever. Where might different answers lie?
Intrepid journalist Natasha Hakimi Zapata has traveled around the world, from Costa Rica to Uganda, and Estonia to Singapore, uncovering how different countries solve the problems that plague the United States. Through in-depth reporting, including interviews with senior government officials, activists, industry professionals, and the ordinary people affected by their policies, Another World Is Possible examines innovative programs that address public health, social services, climate change, housing, education, addiction, and more.
In each instance Hakimi Zapata provides a clear-eyed assessment of the history, challenges, cost-effectiveness, and real-world impact of