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The crises that face us in the twenty-first century are global and interconnected: amongst many others, climate change exacerbates the water crisis, which in turn impacts health. Yet, as Mariana Mazzucato argues, we have failed to treat these as collective goals with shared agendas. This, she argues, is not by coincidence, but by design.

In this ambitious and urgent new book, Mazzucato presents a systematic and scalable vision of successful government that creates value, addresses inequalities, and serves collective ends. Emphasizing a need to shift from reactively putting bandages on market failures to proactively shaping economies that actually work, she proposes a new economic theory of the common good. The book outlines five pillars of progressive government and demonstrates how they can help us tackle the most pressing challenges of our time.

In critiquing the patchy version of the ‘public good’ and the ‘commons’ in economic theory—used by governments, civil society organizations and businesses worldwide, Mazzucato aims to radically change how ‘good’ is achieved. Building on her ‘mission-oriented’ approach and her influential rethinking of the role and nature of the ‘entrepreneurial state’, The Common Good Economy is a timely analysis and a manifesto for ensuring the welfare of both people and the planet.

© Mariana Mazzucato 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026