This book proposes an institutional framework to understand economic change and transformation by examining social complexity and interactive governance. The authors develop theoretical foundations for social complexity, economic governance, and change in the first part of the book. The second part critically assesses various governance forms across different cultural and institutional settings, highlighting successes and failures. A central argument emphasizes the crucial role of social context and path-dependence in managing economic evolution, appealing to economists and political scientists focused on political economy and transition processes.

The book is positioned as an ambitious work for economists and political scientists interested in the political economy of economic change. Its conceptual framework for an institutional approach to economic transformation, focusing on social complexity and interactive governance, suggests a dense, analytical text. The structure, moving from theoretical foundations to practical examples, indicates a comprehensive exploration of the subject matter.