In this book, Hakimi Zapata breaks down programs in a variety of countries that seem to have found excellent ways of handling aspects of life that impact everyone, under the premise that there may be things we as Americans can learn from these programs. Examples of programs Hakimi Zapata gives overviews of are national health care in the UK, internet access as a public right in Estonia, and Uruguay's management of multiple energy sources to ensure less reliance on others for energy. As someone who loves learning the details of different approaches to just about anything in life, this aspect alone made the book a delight for me. However, two additional things were my favorite aspects of this book. First of all, Hakimi Zapata does not just give a rosy overview of each program. Rather, she explores how the programs and policies came to be and openly discusses unexpected negatives and/or ways they fall short of their goals. In addition, Hakimi Zapata notes her attempt to ensure she chose programs from all areas of the world and openly acknowledges the lack of a program based in an African country, giving background on the country she originally was planning to include (Uganda for their refugee program) and the reasons she had to ultimately not include it as a full chapter once researching. I appreciated this transparency and awareness that not having an African country does limit her ultimate goal to reflect each continent. I appreciated that she took the time be share this information with her readers.

A series of Case Studies from across the world. Great for audiences who are not experts but eager to learn. A great stepping stone book!

I'm not American but I learnt a lot from this book and I think a lot of Americans and their leaders will benefit from it too

This book is extraordinarily well done! I appreciated the range of topics and the thorough explanations of how each country has solved the issue at hand. Americans can learn a lot about how other countries are solving the problems we've been struggling with for decades!

A fantastic book that dives into exactly how other countries are tackling the problems Americans are dealing with every day. As the book says, Another World IS Possible, we just need to follow the examples shown from this book. If you take one thing away from this, its the 6 lessons reviewed by the author again at the end of the book.

This gave me a bit of hope, despite my high level of skepticism and I appreciate the actual evidence, not just opinion, that this book provided.

This book tackles important questions by exploring how other countries address issues like education, healthcare, and sustainability. The case studies are thorough, and the author deserves credit for digging deep into the systems instead of just skimming the surface.

That said, the writing is incredibly dense and makes it hard to stay engaged. While the interviews with everyday people were meant to add a human touch, I didn’t find them particularly compelling. It’s a book full of good ideas, but the dry presentation kept me from fully connecting with it.

Thank you NetGalley and The New Press for letting me read this book early! All my thoughts are my own.

Have you ever thought about how our society could be better? This book does a great job of pointing out some of the problems we have in America and how other countries have fixed them. Sure, no system is perfect, but they still show us what we could do to make everyone’s lives better, not just a privileged few. Definitely a must-read in these tough times. 4⭐️

Another World Is Possible takes a refreshing, cross-comparative approach to some of the most pressing issues facing the U.S. today, from healthcare and housing to climate change and drug addiction. What I really appreciated was the book's ability to balance deep analysis with emotional resonance. The author does an excellent job of blending insightful, well-researched information with compelling, real-world stories from people who are living through these issues and policies in different countries.

The interviews woven throughout the chapters add a rich layer to the book, making the social and political challenges feel immediate and human. The depth and detail of the reporting are worth applauding—it’s evident that this book was built on careful research, with a keen understanding of both the history and the real impact of the solutions explored.

This book is both timely and critical, especially as we watch the systemic fractures in the U.S. widen. It's not just a diagnosis of what's wrong—it offers thoughtful, actionable solutions from around the world, giving readers a chance to rethink what's possible. If you're looking for a thought-provoking, heartening read that challenges the status quo and looks beyond the surface, this is definitely one to pick up.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I like the idea of examining countries around the world to see what we can learn from them. There are a lot of interesting case studies in this book and there are definitely inspirational examples that could be applied to America and other countries. The author deserves credit for not giving a superficial surface level glance at the countries, instead she goes into great detail about how the various programs work.

On the other hand, reading this book often felt like reading a government report. The attention to detail is a strength but also a weakness of the book and at times it was excessive. The writing is very dry and I found my attention frequently wandering. The author tries to break up the chapters with interviews with ordinary people talking about how the programs work but I never found them very interesting or enlightening.

The result was that I found the opening of each chapter interesting, but by the end of the chapter, I couldn't focus and was skimming pages.

Zapata's book shows that the way things are aren't what they have to be. By looking abroad, Americans can see how other countries tackle problems, such as health care and polarization. It's a great introduction to other political cultures, but also a great way for Americans to break out a bit of the ethnocentric bubble. Many countries see themselves as far and away different than other societies, and this book makes that clear, although not from the standpoint of superiority.

The strength of the book is in its clear explanations of other countries' structures. There's a lot explained her in a very matter of fact, easy to understand way. Zapata does not talk down to readers and is a refreshing way to read some nonfiction, compared to academic work.

The most interesting chapter, although my bias as a teacher may be present, is the one on Finland. Zapata outlines what a high achieving school system, and respect for education, brings a society.

The book also delves into some interesting ideas on sustainable energy, focusing on Uruguay.

I encourage anyone who wants to consider alternative methods, and explore how those work in other countries, to read this book. You need not agree with other countries, but it will make you appreciate alternative perspectives.

I'm neurodiverse and I felt like this wasn't the right book for me. I don't tend to sit well with books that have plain facts. I would love to give more of a positive review for this book but I can't because I stopped reading at 26 pages. I just couldn't understand the book from the language that was used. It could be improved by simplifying the wording choices and the content. It would fit someone who is a more technical person who can understand certain language choices. I'm sorry for not completing this book. I do usually try to finish books but maybe this book was just not for me.