Reading this book captured so many of the thoughts I have had on the problems of society but offered something that wasn't remedial, like distribution of wealth or equality of opportunity, but instead tackles the fundamental issues of why those problems exist in the first place. The book starts with exploring meritocracy and how it has contributed to an undervalued and forgotten underclass who have been given the response of "you only have yourself to blame" for their struggles and giving rise to the far right populism we see today. It then goes on to discuss how we value work and how the market determines the value of a person's worth and wage, based on maximising the welfare of consumers. Sandel challenges this in his argument for a system of recognition and what humans contribute to the "common good". This means focusing on equality of condition instead of equality of opportunity. There were so many other brilliant discussions and ideas that no review here would successfully capture. A brilliant, well-written, easy to follow book, I would recommend this to anyone willing to challenge their notion that society should reward those who work hard and do well.