The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths (Anthem Other Canon Economics) Paperback – 10 Jun 2013

Review

“[H]ands down the most refreshing treatment of the innovation issue to have emerged in a long time.” ―“Science and Public Policy”

‘[A] skillful combination of the history of technology, empirical evidence, and policy analysis […] the book contains a critical reading of data and arguments that run counter to established views while never falling short of offering constructive solutions.’ ―Davide Consoli, ‘Science’

‘[P]rovides persuasive evidence that governments deserve more credit than private companies for the development of most important modern technologies.’ ―Edward Hadas, ‘Reuters’

‘Mazzucato argues that long-term, patient government funding is an absolute prerequisite for breakthrough innovation. […] Even if you disagree with Mazzucato’s argument, you should read her book. It will challenge your thinking.’ ―Bruce Upbin, ‘Forbes’

‘Conventional economics offers abstract models; conventional wisdom insists that the answer lies with private entrepreneurship. In this brilliant book, Mariana Mazzucato […] argues that the former is useless and the latter incomplete.’ ―Martin Wolf, ‘Financial Times’

‘[A] meticulously argued treatise that shows how unwise our conventional wisdom has become.’ ―Christopher Dickey, ‘Newsweek’

‘In this trailblazing book on the role of government as both a risk-taking funder of innovation and a market creator, Mariana Mazzucato persuasively argues that the government is a key enabler of technological innovations that drive economic growth. […] This important book should be read by policymakers, opinion leaders, and others with a stake in funding economic growth.’ ―' Arnold T. Davis, CFA Institute book review

‘“The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths” […] is a meticulously argued treatise that shows how unwise our conventional wisdom has become.’ ―Christopher Dickey, ‘Newsweek’

‘Makes and engaging, persuasive case in favor of the state, and suggests one recommend it not just as an instrument of market repair but also as a prerequisite for future prosperity.’ ―J. Bhattacharya, ‘Choice’

‘It is one of the most incisive economic books in years.’ ―Jeffery Madrick, ‘New York Review of Books’

Review

‘This is a book whose time has come. Mariana Mazzucato documents how the state played a crucial role behind some of the landmark innovations of our time. For many, the “entrepreneurial state” is a contradiction in terms. For Mazzucato, it is both a reality and a requirement for future prosperity.’ ―Dani Rodrik, Rafiq Hariri Professor of International Political Economy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

‘The principal entrepreneurial drive that has given us many of today’s most important technologies has come from the state. Most thinking and arguing regarding how to energize our sluggish economies is blind to this fact. Mariana Mazzucato’s book aims to get us to understand better the sources of entrepreneurship, and to reflect more positively on the role aggressive technology policies can play in getting our economies moving again.’ ―Richard Nelson, George Blumenthal Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

‘“The Entrepreneurial State” delivers a well-researched and elegantly (even entertainingly) written knock-out to the belief across most of the political spectrum and the economics profession that (with some qualifications) “the market knows best”. As many governments wonder how to boost the productivity and innovativeness of their industrial sectors, this book provides guidelines – based on successful and unsuccessful cases – on how to do industrial policy well. Above all, it shows why the common presumption that the state  “crowds out” the private sector – as though the private sector is a lion caged by a smothering state – is contradicted by what governments of economies from the United States to Brazil and China  actually do to “crowd in” innovations in the private sector.’ ―Robert Wade, Professor of Political Economy and Development, London School of Economics