Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism

Thought provoking book that provides a different view on the role Governments should play in order to act on behalf of the citizens. All politicians should read this book to remind them of the duty they have been elected for.

Marianna Mazzucato has followed up her fascinating book, ‘The Value of Everything’, published in 2018, with this arresting analysis of the flaws of capitalism as exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘Defeating the pandemic’, she says, ‘requires huge investments in physical and social goods and services – from the race to develop a vaccine or effective therapies, personal protection equipment and appropriate methods of online learning for children not in school to new thinking about social safety nets’. Hence, she concludes, this is all a litmus test of national capacity and effective governance. She asserts that the conventional thinking among capitalist countries that governments are clunky bureaucracies that cannot innovate is bad attitude, and it is the sort of narrow thinking that must be abandoned. In this book, she examines the micro properties of a capitalist system through the way organisations are governed, and she contrasts that with the macro patterns of growth a state strives for. She says that it is wrong to ask how much money there is, and what can a government do with that sum. She asserts that the right question is: ‘what needs doing and how can we structure budgets to meet those goals?’ In the course of explaining her thesis, she embarks on a detailed analysis of the Apollo project – and the importance of taking risks and adapting to new information and circumstances. Hence, the first question is not, ‘Can we afford it?’ but, ‘What do we really want to do?’ Mazzucato concludes that in order to propel capitalism into the 21st century, capitalism must change, and the old, conservative ways must give way to a new capitalism as she proposes in this book. As an example, she thinks that ‘too many green policies today are just minor adjustments to a trajectory that still favours the old waste-prone behaviours and the financial casinos that worsens inequality’. This book is about how we can aim higher.

I would love to put this in the hands of everyone in Government. This book can help everyone to be able to reimagine a better future for our society.

Marianna Mazzucato's "Mission Economy" is a rather short volume of work, but is intriguing piece in trying to upturn economic theory by using the analogue of United States goal of beating the Soviet Union to land a man on the Moon during the 1960s.She careful crafts her case for governments to lead big projects upfront like Apollo rather than shy away from tasks seeking attention. There is certainly a strong argument made page after page for believing in such a theory as you work your way through the book.The Moonshot approach is ideally suited towards the tasks that confront the world now like unprecedented climate change and public health emergencies.I would recommend this book to has an open mind on the future of capitalism post-Covid.

Pure logic, obvious for so long, but phenomenal, in depth solutions, a book badly needed! Check out the authors TED appearances.

This tops her two previous books with a direct and insightful analysis of the current crisis affecting the world, and a proposal for recovery. The impact of progressively inadequate political actions and their increasing reluctance to control a value extracting financial sector as it bleeds cash from necessary and vital areas are faced with a clear sense of the way ahead that everyone should read and understand. If we take up the challenge Mariana Mazzucato provides we can feel more comfortable about a future for our children and the planet. Deeply impressive and the work of a true master of their subject.

My rating is based on Mariana's skill at explaining a very complex technical subject in a way that can be understood by anyone who has a basic knowledge of economics and articulating a meaningful strategy to tackle the issues faced by our global community.I recommend this book to all our young entrepreneurs, web influencers and those young people who feel let down by our governments, business leaders and their parents as it gives them a reason to be hopeful and confident in their ability to make change happen by their votes at the future General elections

This book comes between the former old extremes of communism and liberal capitalism with a way forward for the future