How can the deliberate application of market design principles create more equitable outcomes in social and economic systems? Scott Duke Kominers, an economist and professor at Harvard Business School, investigates the intersection of market mechanisms and social equity. By analyzing how rules and incentives shape human behavior, the author argues that inequality is often a byproduct of poorly designed systems rather than an inevitable outcome of market forces. The book provides a framework for identifying and correcting these structural flaws to foster broader participation and fairness.

Experts in the field of market design recognize this work as a practical application of economic theory to real-world policy challenges. Readers frequently note the clarity of the author's prose, which makes complex institutional design concepts accessible to a general audience.