To Reenchant the Economy. Small Businesses and the Future of Development - GIOVANNI BEVILAQUA

Re-Enchanting the Economy: Small Businesses and the Future of Development

In cities and towns around the world, small businesses are the quiet backbone of everyday life. They are the bakeries, salons, repair shops, street stalls, family-run restaurants and micro‑enterprises that keep communities alive - even if they are often overlooked by policymakers, economists and the media.

This book is a global conversation, born in Brazil but written for anyone who believes that development should be more than a race for growth. It argues that the future of a fairer, more sustainable and more human economy depends on our ability to "reenchant" the way we think about work, finance and community - and to place small businesses at the centre of that transformation.

Drawing on insights from sociology, philosophy, economics and real‑world practice, Giovanni Beviláqua shows how small enterprises are not just engines of income, but also guardians of symbolic capital, trust and local knowledge. He explores the structural barriers that make it so difficult for the small to thrive, and proposes practical ways to design policies, finance and institutions that listen, recognize and include.

From the "disenchantment" of a world ruled by abstract numbers, to the "reenchantment" of an economy rooted in people, territories and meaning, this book offers a fresh lens for understanding the challenges and possibilities of development - in Brazil and beyond.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, policymaker, researcher, student or simply someone who cares about the future of work and community, To Reenchant the Economy will inspire you to look again at the small - and to imagine how, together, we can build a more just and hopeful world.