Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Kate Raworth’s central argument is that visual frameworks shape people’s economic thinking. Her Doughnut model is meant to replace the outdated goal of endless GDP growth. To what extent did you find this visual metaphor of a “safe and just space for humanity” (38) to be a compelling or useful tool for reimagining progress?

2. How did you find Raworth’s vision of a 21st-century economy in conversation with earlier critiques of endless growth, such as Donella Meadows’s classic The Limits to Growth? Does Raworth’s Doughnut framework feel like a natural evolution of those ideas, or does it offer a fundamentally new approach?

3. To what extent did the book change your perception of economics as a discipline? Did Raworth succeed in making it feel more accessible and relevant to everyday life than the abstract field portrayed in many university courses?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The book opens with the story of Yuan Yang, an economics student frustrated by a curriculum that felt disconnected from real-world crises. Have you ever experienced a similar gap between formal education and lived reality? Where in your own life have you felt the need to “rethink” the dominant narrative you were taught?

2. What was your reaction to the critique of Homo economicus, or “rational economic man?” This simplified model of human nature is often used to justify policies based on self-interest. How does Raworth’s more complex portrait, which includes reciprocity and fluid values, suggest a different approach to motivating social and environmental action?

3. Raworth explains the concept of “crowding out,” where a financial incentive like a fine or a payment can undermine a person’s intrinsic motivation to do the right thing. Can you think of a situation from your own experience where a market-based logic was applied to a social issue and had unintended consequences?

4. What is the relationship between our identities as consumers and as citizens? How does shifting the language we use to describe ourselves change our sense of power and responsibility in the economy?

5. How did reading about the unpaid “core economy” of the household change your perspective on its value? Mainstream economics often renders this work invisible because it has no price tag. What might change in our society if this foundational labor were formally recognized and supported?

6. The theme of becoming “growth agnostic” confronts the social addiction to consumerism and the idea that more is always better. In what ways do you feel the pressure to participate in this “art of getting on” (213), and what helps you focus more on the “art of living” (240) that John Stuart Mill described?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The guide mentions that cities like Amsterdam have begun using the Doughnut as a policy-making tool. What do you see as the greatest political or cultural challenges a community would face when trying to move from a growth-focused model to one based on thriving in balance?

2. How do you see the role of government in shaping the economy? Does Raworth’s vision of a “Partner State” that nurtures the commons and co-invests in regenerative systems feel like a viable alternative to the market-versus-state debate that often dominates political conversations?

3. Since this book’s publication in 2017, the world has faced numerous crises, from a global pandemic to accelerating climate impacts. How have these real-world events reinforced or challenged the book’s central arguments about the need for a new economic model? Does the Doughnut framework feel even more urgent now?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. A central argument of the book is that the diagrams of economics are not neutral illustrations but powerful frames that shape our thinking. Which of the new visuals, like the Embedded Economy or the “butterfly” diagram for a circular economy, did you find most effective in challenging an old idea? What made that particular image so persuasive?

2. What is the effect of Raworth’s technique of re-examining the words of foundational economists like Adam Smith and Simon Kuznets? How does she use their own caveats and nuanced arguments to dismantle the simplified, rigid ideologies that were later built on their work?

3. Raworth structures her argument around seven ways to “think like a 21st-century economist.” How well did this framework guide you through her complex arguments, and did you find the shifts interconnected?

4. How does Raworth’s focus on “distributive by design” compare with other prominent critiques of inequality, like those from Thomas Piketty? Does her emphasis on redesigning the sources of wealth offer a different kind of hope or a different set of challenges?

5. What is the significance of the proposed shift in identity for economists, from engineers controlling a machine to gardeners stewarding an ecosystem? How does this change in metaphor alter your expectations for what economics can and should do?

6. In what ways does Raworth’s narrative framing, beginning with student rebellion and ending with a call for collective action, transform the book from a theoretical critique into something more? Does this approach successfully empower readers to feel like active participants in economic change?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were to add an eighth “way to think” to Raworth’s list, what new shift in economic mindset would you propose for the 21st century?

2. Imagine you are applying the Doughnut framework to your own local community. What would you identify as its most significant “social shortfall” and “ecological overshoot,” and what is one small, practical experiment you could start to help move things into the “safe space” within the doughnut?

3. Consider Raworth’s “Corporate To Do List,” which moves from inaction toward being “generous” and regenerative. If you were advising a well-known company, what practical first step could it take to begin moving up that ladder?