Celebrate the 80th anniversary of Beveridge’s influential report with ‘Welfare States in the 21st Century: The New Five Giants Confronting Societal Progress’ by Ian Greener. This insightful book re-examines the challenges to societal progress, identifying today’s ‘New Giants’: inequality, preventable mortality, democratic crisis, job quality, and environmental degradation. Through innovative qualitative comparative analysis and cluster analysis of 24 countries, Greener reveals high-performing nations and their common strategies. Discover how participative governance, wealth redistribution, and enhanced education are key to tackling these modern challenges. The book also explores how globalization, when paired with these elements, can be compatible with progress and examines factors influencing outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Essential reading for social policy scholars, policymakers, and students seeking comparative analysis of contemporary welfare states.