What We Owe Each Other

A New Social Contract

By: Minouche Shafik

Narrated by: Minouche Shafik

Brought to you by Penguin.

One of the world's most influential economists sets out the basis for a new social contract fit for the 21st century.

The social contract shapes everything: our political institutions, legal systems and material conditions, but also the organisation of family and community, our well-being, relationships and life prospects. And yet everywhere, the social contract is failing.

Accelerating changes in technology, demography and climate will reshape our world in ways many of us have yet to grasp. In this landmark study, Minouche Shafik, director of the London School of Economics, draws on evidence from across the globe to identify the key principles every society must adopt if it is to meet the challenges of the coming century, with profound implications for gender equality, education, healthcare provision, the role of business and the future of work.

How should society pool risks, share resources and balance individual with collective responsibility? Brilliantly lucid and accessible, What We Owe Each Other offers new answers to these age-old questions and equips every listener to understand and play their part in the urgent and necessary transformation ahead.

©2021 Minouche Shafik (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Can we make this required reading for politicians?

I would give it 6 stars if I could. This is a great example of synthesising a wide variety of research and experiences in order to create a new way forward. It’s also deeply rooted in understanding where we’ve come from and where we are. In that sense, this book can function as a realistic bridge from what was, to what can or will be.