The volume is edited by two prominent figures in the field of social economy research. Marie J. Bouchard (Professor at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal and a long-standing chair of the Scientific Commission on Social and Cooperative Economy of CIRIEC International) and Damien Rousseliere (Professor of Economics at L’Institut Agro, Angers, France). Most of the 26 researchers who contributed (individually or collectively) to the 13 chapters of the book are members of CIRIEC (International Centre of Research and Information on the Public, Social and Cooperative Economy) and of the EMES International Research Network.

The primary purpose of this Modern Guide is to provide a systematic, up-to-date analysis of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) based on a robust theoretical and empirical framework at a time when the global economy faces existential crises. The motivations of the editors for such a comprehensive work are the relative marginalization of SSE as a field of study—proved by the low or absent impact factors of the journals (IJFs) that publish scientific articles about SSE—and the opportunity of SSE as a source of social innovation to mitigate the crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, officially recognized in International Labour Organisation (2022) and United Nations (2023) resolutions.

The book is structured into thematic sections that transition from conceptual foundations to methodological challenges and, finally, to contemporary issues. It addresses a critical shift in the topic area: the transition of SSE from a “third sector” filler of market failures to a central pillar of the “plural economy.” By situating SSE within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the ecological transition, the book informs readers about the maturation of the field, where the state of knowledge has moved from mere definition to complex institutional analysis and impact measurement.

The 13 chapters of the book are grouped in three parts: (I) the definitional issue of the SSE field, (II) developmental and organizational issues, and (III) perspectives of the SSE in the near future.

The central claim of the book is that the SSE represents a distinct mode of production, distribution, and consumption governed by principles of democracy, social utility, and the prohibition of individual profit appropriation. The authors argue that SSE is not a monolithic entity but a hybrid space where social missions and economic viability coexist.

The book posits that the resilience of SSE—demonstrated during financial crises—stems from its democratic governance structures, which prioritize long-term community stability over short-term shareholder returns. The modernity of this guide lies in its claim that SSE is the most equipped model to navigate the post-growth era. The book proposes three paths the Social and Solidarity Economy may take:

• • Promotion of the SSE at a larger scale and instilling its values across the economy—to compensate for the neoliberal order

• • Engaging in broad coalitions that aim to achieve a just socioecological transition toward a new civilizational order

• • Involving different sets of SSE players—belonging to either institutionalized or emerging SSE sectors—to follow both previous tracks.

In this respect, the authors pursue three research directions:

• - Systematizing the knowledge about SSE

• - Demonstrating how SSE practices compensate for the economic crises, social divide, and ecological disruptions

• - Examining SSE capacity for innovation

The methodology of the book is predominantly a mix of comparative institutional analysis and meta-reviews of empirical case studies. One of the book’s greatest successes is its methodological rigor; Chapter 4, for instance, provides a masterclass in the statistical challenges of measuring the social economy, a field often criticized for being data poor. Bouchard and Rousseliere successfully sustain their claims by inviting contributors who utilize diverse empirical sources, from French cooperative registries to Canadian social enterprise surveys.

The work breaks new ground by deconstructing the social enterprise hype, reminding readers that SSE is rooted in collective action and democratic membership, not just socially minded CEOs. It successfully engages in a dialogue between Northern and Southern hemisphere models, acknowledging that SSE in the Global South often emerges from necessity and informal mutual aid rather than formal legal structures.

If there is a weakness, it lies in the high density of the economic nomenclature, which may be daunting for practitioners without a background in institutional economics.

This book is essential both for researchers and academics (serving as a foundational text that synthesizes decades of fragmented studies into a coherent theory of the social economy) and for policymakers—providing the evidence-based arguments needed to design legal frameworks and funding programs for a statistically and economically viable economy based on solidarity.