Lane Kenworthy examines cross-national evidence to identify which institutions and policies best promote human flourishing. His answer: social democratic capitalism, combining extensive government social programs with market-based economies, affordable housing policies, and effective public schools. Kenworthy, a sociologist and political scientist who has spent his career studying comparative welfare states, presents data from the world's rich democracies showing that social democratic nations outperform both pure market economies and alternatives on most measures of wellbeing. He examines specific policy areas—early childhood education, health care, employment, housing—comparing different national approaches and identifying what works. The book addresses common objections: that social democracy requires cultural homogeneity, that it undermines economic dynamism, that Americans would never accept high taxes. Kenworthy provides evidence that these objections are weaker than often assumed, while acknowledging genuine tradeoffs and limitations. He writes for American readers, showing how the United States might move toward social democratic policies incrementally rather than requiring wholesale transformation. His tone is empirical rather than ideological; he follows evidence about what produces good outcomes rather than reasoning from first principles about what policies should work. Readers seeking a data-driven guide to what makes societies work well will find comprehensive analysis; those interested in policy reform will find both diagnosis of American shortcomings and models from other countries worth considering.