Taking an historical perspective, this unique book highlights the evolution of the many diverse forms of business enterprise, and discusses the contribution of these different types of firm to the economic growth of Italy. One important issue that has recently captured the attention and the research efforts of both economists and economic historians has been the debate on varieties of capitalism in the modern world. In this context, the expert contributors analyze the various stages of Italian development that have been characterized by diverse dominating forms of enterprise which, in turn, have adapted to the nature of technological and market opportunities at the institutional, national and international level. This book proposes a new interpretation of the 'Italian case' that utilizes both the structural and macroeconomic perspective of comparative history, as well as the microeconomic perspectives focusing on the strategies of different economic agents. This book is necessary reading for a real understanding of the evolution of Italian capitalism during the last century. It moves away from a simplified view of the Italian industrial structure as just composed by small enterprises and successfully sheds light on the variety of different forms of enterprises that compose the Italian system. The lively picture that emerges from this book is the one of richer types of enterprises, which have evolved over time and have contributed in different ways to Italian economic growth. ---Franco Malerba, Bocconi University, Italy.