The recent economic events driven by the big financial crisis of 2007-08 has cogently put to the fore the limits and drawbacks of the ruling research paradigm in macroeconomics. This volume goes to the root of the problem by offering a workable alternative to the renowned issue of the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic theory. Bringing together techniques from agent-based computational economics and statistical validation, the authors set the stage for a paradigmatic shift, elaborate on it with practical examples and provide an agenda for future research.