Book Review of Innovation, Automation and a Sustainable Economy: Tackling the Inequality, Climate and Biodiversity Crises, Jon-Arild Johannessen (Ed.), Routledge Studies in the Economics of Innovation, Routledge, London & New York (2024), p. 157, (ISBN 9781032732404 (Hardback))

Jon-Arild Johannessen’s Innovation, Automation, and a Sustainable Economy frames climate change, economic inequality, and environmental degradation as a "global polycrisis" that requires systemic solutions. Contrasting the Green New Deal’s reformist approach within capitalism with the Red New Deal’s transformative mutualist model, the book prioritises equity and sustainability through regulated markets and collective action. Johannessen’s interdisciplinary methodology—blending historical analysis, scenario thinking, and conceptual generalisation—introduces "reverse systemic thinking" to redesign systems for equitable outcomes. Illustrative case studies, such as the impact of automation on labour and sustainability, demonstrate scalable solutions, including universal basic income and doughnut economics adaptations. By addressing the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s role in amplifying inequalities, the book offers novel insights for innovation studies. Despite questions about the feasibility of mutualism, its systemic perspective provides actionable guidance for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners to explore a more sustainable future.