This rigorously researched and highly analytically edited collection of papers brings together the work of leading international scholars in the field of social care to explore the nature and extent of the ‘care deficit’ problem in seven European countries – namely Austria, Denmark, England, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain.

Using interdisciplinary approaches and methodologies, the degree to which the different care systems are effective in dealing with this problem through policy innovation are examined. Based on care policies at two extremes of the life cycle – early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Long term care (LTC) – the book is divided into two main parts. The chapters in Part 1 usefully contextualise the transformation of care by addressing issues which are of cross-national relevance in shaping the policy domain and explaining variation. These issues include:

• • the role of ideas and ideals of care

• • trends in the coverage and spending in elder care and child care, as well as the quality of provision

• • the connections between migration and care regimes

• • wider cultural issues and the organisation of care

• • the relationship between citizen's views on child care provision and the different welfare traditions

• • the balance between informal and formal support for the elderly and their fit with the care regimes typologies

Part 2 comprises case studies from each of the seven countries which are used to illustrate ways in which government policies and regulatory framework in different countries affect the quality of care and the conditions of the care workforce across child care, elder care or both. These case studies address:

• • the transnationalisation of older care in Austria

• • Danish LTC and child care provision

• • changes in early childhood education and care for children under the age of three since the late 1990s in Germany

• • changes in both LTC and ECEC in Italy over the last two decades

• • the Polish LTC system

• • quality of service and working conditions of ECEC professional

• • provision of care for older people in England and the divisions of care in this context

Part 1 and Part 2 are well-integrated. The final chapter valiantly attempts to synthesise the overarching themes and debates that emerged from the preceding chapters. It is here that there is real scope for further development of the excellent material presented in the book. Whilst the analysis is comprehensive, the main insights provided by the contributors are very much embedded in the detailed discussions of the chapters and the opportunity to draw out the broader implications of the material in chapters is missed. Therefore, I feel the book would be even more valuable if this ‘Final reflections’ section of this chapter was extended to include for example:

• • a summary of the key messages for future policy agendas regarding early Childhood Education and Care and Long term care

• • a summary of the key messages for future policy agendas regarding Care and Long term care

• • an analysis of the theoretical and conceptual development afforded through the chapters in relation to the transformation of care; the academic basis and quality of the chapters provide the platform to explore concepts such as selective universalism, re-familisation and marketisation

• • a reflection on the development of methodological approaches used in the chapters e.g. which ones show the most effective researching towards the transformation of care

Indeed, an academic audience would benefit from less of a focus on detailed and specific case studies and a greater focus on drawing out the contributions it makes to current debates and dilemmas in care policies to European societies. Although now dated, Chamberlayne's and King's (Reference Chamberlayne and King2000) work on carers in Britain and the two Germanies is an example of where this has been done particularly well; only three of the seven chapters are case studies. The value of this would also be greatly enhanced by a more in-depth discussion of the ‘care deficit’. This would not only strengthen the contextualisation of the book but would also widen its appeal to its intended audience. A more prominent global dimension would be welcome too – how can we talk about European social care policy without locating it in our increasing interdependent world and global governance (Kickbusch et al., Reference Kickbusch and Cassar Szabo2014)?

In sum, the individual chapters in this book are commendable in their content and depth of analysis, both empirically and theoretically. As such they will serve those with an interest in the transformation of the care regimes in the seven European countries very well. However, a greater concentration on the overarching issues and lessons would help this book develop into something that is greater than its individual chapters – to move beyond its more immediate remit as a selection of conference papers towards realising its potential to be a coherent text about a zeitgeist issue of our time.