About the book

For many years, the Netherlands’ self-image was characterized by openness and tolerance. This stemmed from the post-war optimism of the middle classes, who believed in equal opportunities and in the importance of a social safety net to ensure each generation would have an easier life than the one before it.

Over the past few years people’s faith in progress has crumbled. Under the influence of the political sphere, it has given way to a strong urge toward self-preservation, resulting in the rise of extreme views and beliefs. In Putting Yourself First, Roxane van Iperen compellingly shows how this came about and expresses the hope that the middle class will once again embrace the notion of progress.