World hunger. Climate change. Crumbling infrastructure. It's clear that in today's era of fiscal constraints and political gridlock, we can no longer turn to government alone to tackle these and other towering social problems. What's required is a new, more collaborative and productive economic system. The Solution Revolution brings hope—revealing just such a burgeoning new economy where players from across the spectrum of business, government, philanthropy, and social enterprise converge to solve big problems and create public value.
By erasing public-private sector boundaries, the solution economy is unlocking trillions of dollars in social benefit and commercial value. Where tough societal problems persist, new problem solvers are crowdfunding, ridesharing, app-developing, or impact-investing to design innovative new solutions for seemingly intractable problems. Providing low-cost health care, fighting poverty, creating renewable energy, and preventing obesity are just a few of the tough challenges that also represent tremendous opportunities for those at the vanguard of this movement. They create markets for social good and trade solutions instead of dollars to fill the gap between what government can provide and what citizens need.
So what drives the solution economy? Who are these new players and how are their roles changing? How can we grow the movement? And how can we participate?
Deloitte's William D. Eggers and Paul Macmillan answer these questions and more, and they introduce us to the people and organizations driving the revolution—from edgy social enterprises growing at a clip of 15 percent a year, to megafoundations, to Fortune 500 companies delivering social good on the path to profit. Recyclebank, RelayRides, and LivingGoods are just a few of the innovative organizations you'll read about in this book.
Government cannot handle alone the huge challenges facing our global society—and it shouldn't. We need a different economic paradigm that can flexibly draw on resources, combine efforts, and create value, while improving the lives of citizens. The Solution Revolution shows the way.
World hunger. Climate change. Crumbling infrastructure. It's clear that in today's era of fiscal constraints and political gridlock, we can no longer turn to government alone to tackle these and other towering social problems. What's required is a new, more collaborative and productive economic system. The Solution Revolution brings hope—revealing just such a burgeoning new economy where players from across the spectrum of business, government, philanthropy, and social enterprise converge to solve big problems and create public value.
By erasing public-private sector boundaries, the solution economy is unlocking trillions of dollars in social benefit and commercial value. Where tough societal problems persist, new problem solvers are crowdfunding, ridesharing, app-developing, or impact-investing to design innovative new solutions for seemingly intractable problems. Providing low-cost health care, fighting poverty, creating renewable energy, and preventing obesity are just a few of the tough challenges that also represent tremendous opportunities for those at the vanguard of this movement. They create markets for social good and trade solutions instead of dollars to fill the gap between what government can provide and what citizens need.
So what drives the solution economy? Who are these new players and how are their roles changing? How can we grow the movement? And how can we participate?
Deloitte's William D. Eggers and Paul Macmillan answer these questions and more, and they introduce us to the people and organizations driving the revolution—from edgy social enterprises growing at a clip of 15 percent a year, to megafoundations, to Fortune 500 companies delivering social good on the path to profit. Recyclebank, RelayRides, and LivingGoods are just a few of the innovative organizations you'll read about in this book.
Government cannot handle alone the huge challenges facing our global society—and it shouldn't. We need a different economic paradigm that can flexibly draw on resources, combine efforts, and create value, while improving the lives of citizens. The Solution Revolution shows the way.
Reviews-
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July 1, 2013
“Imagine the world if we were able to double, triple, or even quadruple the number of problem solvers, the diversity of solutions, and the scale of social impacts.” This utopian assertion is at the heart of this energetic study of non-governmental solutions from Deloitte executives Eggers and Macmillan. In the past, when the government was responsible for effecting change, there were conflicting interests between departments and agencies and meager resources. But with the “solution revolution,” companies, educational institutions, and individuals are stepping in and providing better results at lower costs, the authors write. “A new economy has emerged at the borderlands where traditional sectors overlap,” the authors explain, based in a market for solutions to societal problems. In lively prose, the authors discuss such innovations as the Google employee shuttles, Recyclebank, and Zipcar. Outside of these big names, highlights of the book include the work of lesser-known game changers: Unilever’s Wheel soap, sold in small quantities at low prices, help the very poor fight diarrhea-related deaths, and a contest proposed by Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business professors to design a $300, simple-to-build house to address housing shortages. These stories along with substantive advice for individuals and governments alike present a persuasive argument that the future of global change rests squarely in the hands of ordinary citizens. -
September 1, 2013
Executives Eggers and Macmillan set out to explain the multitrillion dollar solution economy, which is arising as governments partner with the private sector (citizens, businesses, entrepreneurs, and foundations) to address society's urgent and deep-seated problems locally and worldwide. This new approach replaces the historic government-dominated model for solving entrenched problems in fields including health care, poverty, education, housing, and recycling. The public-private partnerships are possible because of technology and access to funding, collaborating tools for citizens to work together on challenging issues, and corporate awareness that enables its leaders to devote resources to addressing society's pressing problems. The authors cite many new players in the societal problem-solving arena during the last 10 years, including Acumen, Ashoka, Kiva, and Zipcar. The authors conclude that a brighter future is ours if we are savvy enough to grasp it. Loaded with important information for a wide range of library patrons.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.) -
The Wall Street Journal
“...pulsating with fresh ideas about civic and business and philanthropic engagement...the breadth of examples is impressive and global."
- Financial Times “Eggers and Macmillan's work succeeds...as a guide to new opportunities to profit from 'socially impactful' activities once thought unprofitable."
- The Washington Post “Another good read, The Solution Revolution explores how business, government, philanthropy and social enterprise are converging to solve big problems and create public value...the innovations Eggers and Macmillan outline, and the possibilities they imagine, are fascinating and tantalizing."
- Policy Perspectives (policy-perspectives.org) “The Solution Revolution is an excellent primer for anyone interested in joining the ranks of the social sector...Very few authors and researchers have provided such a comprehensive view of the social sector..."
- Sydney Morning Herald, Summer Reading List, Tech Knowledge “This book looks at how business, government, and social enterprises are teaming up to solve society's toughest problems. “It's the best book out there on mobilising communities to solve wicked problems," says Peter Williams from audit and consulting firm Deloitte."
- USA Book News “... a fascinating preview of our economic future, a system where choice, sustainability, and more adaptive ecosystems offer all of us the ability to collaborate towards better solutions."
- Midwest Book Review “... a pick for social issues and business collections alike. Business collections will find this a specific, inspirational guide!"
- BizEd magazine “For a book devoted to seemingly intractable problems, it has a very hopeful message."
- The Star “A thought-provoking book on how changes have given rise to new issues and challenges and how important it is for society to think beyond self."
- Publishers Weekly “an energetic study" and saying, “These stories along with substantive advice for individuals and governments alike present a persuasive argument that the future of global change rests squarely in the hands of ordinary citizens."
- Vancouver Sun “... worth reading because it is vital to comprehend how, to an astonishing extent, this convergence is already changing the world."
- Associations Now (ASAE: American Society of Association Executives) “If you're looking for an optimistic read, The Solution Revolution: How Business, Government, and Social Enterprises Are Teaming Up to Solve Society's Toughest Problems is a perfect choice...This is high-energy, high-level thinking being put into on-the-ground practice to see what comes of it."
- T+D magazine (American Society for Training & Development) “The Solution Revolution shows how entrepreneurs all over the world are stepping forward to innovate for the public good."
- Research-Technology Management “The Solution Revolution provides a useful and thought-provoking method map, examples, and inspiration for this journey."
