Public Policy Books

I just finished reading this book and I must say it's one of the most influential books I've ever read. I knew there are starving people in America, but the sheer number is almost unbelievable. Let's tell our politicians to stop trying to garner more votes by the sob stories they tell about developing nations needing food, and to start saving the lives of our hungry friends and neighbors.

This book was part of a project in school. I have been back to school for over a year and this is the first time that I felt so passionate about something I was reading. Even though some of the stories are horrific, I really felt moved to do something about this awful epidemic. We see commercials on TV or magazines about helping the hungry in other countries. These are very noble causes. But what about America? There are millions of people in our own country, so many of them children, who don't know where their next meal will come from. It really shows the sad truth of what is happening in America. So much food in this country is wasted (www.secondharvest.org) and people are starving, yet there is also a problem with obesity in this country. I work for WA state and work in a welfare office. Many things the book states are true, and frustrating for me as a worker, and I know for so many of the clients we are supposed to be helping. I urge those of you who are thinking of buying this book, please do. It is a wonderful read, but be prepared with a box of tissue if you are soft at heart. Some parts are tear jerking.

You can't put this book down. It is heartbreaking and makes you take action. First thing Monday morning, I'm going to deliver a load of food to the local food bank and ask about volunteering there. It is frustrating to realize that I cannot do too much to solve the overall problem, thinking that it is better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish.The stories in the book are also frustrating because there are a lot of unanswered questions. The middle-class woman whose doctor husband left her- why couldn't she rent out part of the house and get some money? And then rent another room at a reduced rate to a student, with partial exchange for child care. Then she can work or go to school. I was also intrigued by the army man whose children are starving. Meanwhile, he is smoking cigarettes. (They are expensive!)

There are some people in our country who probably would refuse to believe that the stories Schwartz-Noble tells are real and even if they did believe they were real, they'd find a way to blame the poor completely for their plight. While it is true that our choices do have a strong influence on our fates, sometimes, as this book shows, some people are working from nothing, with nothing, but we expect them to somehow pull it off. If we all thought about how some people live, and particularly, how some children grow up, which this book forces you to do (but not in a preachy way), we'd finally probably do something to help the poor in a meaningful, permanent way. This book will break your heart, but it is the dose of awareness about the struggles of the poor that every American should be required to confront. Read it, be enlightened and take some action.

book came in a quick time and in good condition
thanks and i would deal with them again

After graduating from college I tried a lot of different things, seeking my niche. I knew I wanted to do work that would influence my community and make it a better place, but I didn't know on what scale I wanted to operate or how my day-to-day might look. This remarkable book helped me broaden and clarify my thinking about what directions I might go in. I highly recommend it to any other do-gooder who feels herself in a bit of a career crisis.

Excellent guide for anyone considering or already starting out working or volunteering in the field of community development (CD) human services, economic development, planning, banking, politics. Comprehensive, well written, reader friendly, up to date, with specific tips and examples. Features: Concise overview of broadly interpreted CD industry and movement in U.S. of community renewal, organizing, planning, construction, financing, managing in lower income or disinvested communities. Great profiles of those working in the field from many walks of life, levels of formal education. Numerous profiles of nonprofits, for-profits, congregations, and public agencies leaders in CD. Good section on figuring out if this field for you and listing of pros and cons. Best ever appendices featuring texts, web sites, job hunting resources, schools, and portals, and organizations. Read in one one hour what has taken many several years to figure out. Great for guidance counselors, career services departments at universities. Useful too to educate board members and interns or philanthropists.

Ever heard the joke about the city planner who married his wife just so he wouldn't have to explain what city planning is on another first date again? Community development is often even harder for the general masses to comprehend, and yet we are a part of it all the time. CD is basically what happens when neighbors get together and decide they want a better neighborhood, where people can afford to live and still feel safe, still find economic opportunity and a sense of community. Over the last generation, a whole industry and profession has grown around this simple idea. CD is something you can now get a masters degree in. Most people in the CD field entered it through a back door. Today's CD professional is more than a person with good intentions. He/she has skills in real estate development, group facilitation and strategic planning, public policy analysis, and finance. This book is the first of its kind--an actual front door into the field--and it's a godsend for anyone considering a challenging and meaningful career in making neighborhoods better. The book gives great background on the industry, has real case studies with leaders--as well as everyday joes--in the field, lists common job titles and responsibilities, and even estimates pay scales. It's an ambitious, yet slim, readable book that delivers what it promises.

Seldom can one find an economist whose sensitivity to political and social issues coexist in perfect harmony with a technically impecable background. Rodrik is one such rare creature. His book addresses the issue of globalization, defying economic theories and pointing straight to the problem: globalization engenders social instability, that in turn unables financial/economic stability to be sustained. Accoridng to Rodrik, unless attention is given to the "lossers" of this process, protectionism may strike back. Rodrik is successful in showing that globalization is NOT "the end of history", and should not be taken for granted.

In his spellbinding account of the economic realities of globalization, Dani Rodrik gets it right. Whether it is his accounting of the increased elasticity in the job market or his discussion of labor as a factor bearing a higher incidence of non-wage costs, today's economy makes Rodrik seem prophetic. It is a book whose time has come, any thinking person should buy this book.

It seems that over the past few years, the topic of globilization aond free trade have become hot topics because of events like the WTO protests in Seattle, the World Bank protests in DC and Ralph Nader's run for the presidency in 1996 and 2000.

Has globilization gone too far? is a good source for those people trying to find out more about the issue because it shows what happens under globilization both theoritically and in real life. It presents the arguements against free trade and the problems associated it with it like loss of jobs and capital outflows so it is good to understand the oposing view.

This is an excellent book that dwells in to the effects of globalization, related issues and potential solutions. It discusses social issues and policies within the context of globalization. It also dwells in to the issues related to labor standards and income distribution. Rodrik presents good solutions but they are debatable and not easy to implement.

I feel that Rodrik discusses solely from the perspectives of industrialized nations' interests. I would have liked him to explore more from the perspectives of under developed/developing nations'.

Ms. Hirschfeld provides an intriguing perspective in a thoroughly enjoyable format which is as accessable to laypersons as it is to academics with a pre-existing interest in Cuba. Her first person accounts of experiences in Cuba--particularly during a dengue epidemic--make for enlightening, educational and utterly compelling reading. A comprehensive survey of Cuban history follows, clearly the result of extensive work on the part of Ms. Hirschfeld. This book is a must-own, for sure!

This is a magnificent book. It is incredible than a foreigner has been able to capture the reality of Cuba. Very worthwhile book, do not miss it if you are interested in Cuba

Hirschfeld, Katherine 2006 Health, Politics, and Revolution in Cuba Since 1898 Transaction Publishers. ISBN-10 0765803445 ISBN-13 978-0765803443


This book an essential and valuable resource for those who wish to study the Cuban health system. Those critics who point out that the data has gaps, might well consider the difficulties found when trying to retrieve such information from Cuba; plus, one should keep in mind that presenting such flaws in health services is anathema to supporters of the Cuban government. This is true not only in Cuba, where jail terms reward for dissemination of such, but also outside of Cuba where attempts to suppress unfavorable information on this matter also exist. For instance mention of this book has been banned from discussion in Wikipedia. What ever the barriers, this book clearly demonstrates the many flaws in the Cuban Health system, and the large gap between the commonly perceived and reality of health services in Cuba.

A lucid analysis of Public Health in Cuba since 1898, including a first-hand experience of the system during the author's close-to-one-year stay in the island. A powerful document that helps to dispel the myth that Public Health is one of the major accomplishments of Castro's regimen, and uncovers how a police, terror-driven state works.

Hope Meadows- a beautifully written account of a unique foster care community in rural Illinois envisioned and founded by Brenda Eheart; a woman who refused to take no for an answer. The accounts of the lives of these children and their "foster grandparents" who reside in this unusual setting will touch you, as it did me, in a profound way. It is deeply moving but without pretense. The families lives remain seriously complicated, and nobody pretends to have all of the answers. Yet the community thrives on simple "small town" values and an abundance of physical affection that serves to pierce through the horrendous experiences of these innocent children to their most basic of needs...to be loved and acknowledged by another human being. I too found "hope" in the perseverance of Brenda and her staff.

I have always thought that good foster parents deserved to be viewed as heroines and heroes by our society. Those who do even more and help the children with the greatest needs perhaps qualify as saints. And if they do more than that, I'm afraid that my language skills fall short of being able to capture my full respect and admiration. Naturally, there are never enough of such wonderful people. Unfortunately, many children cannot get foster care and live in orphanages. Others are abused in foster care in various ways. Others live in homes where parents do not take good care of them.

Recently, I read Build Your Own Life Brand! and was drawn to the profile in there of Ms. Brenda Eheart's work in establishing Hope Meadows, a community for children who would never ordinarily be adopted. Nationally, over 20,000 children "age out" of state care each year without such adoptions. Having worked with such children had broken her heart, and she determined to do something about it. This book details her efforts and what has evolved from them.

Hope Meadows emerged from Ms. Eheart's dream of a new kind of community that would match willing foster parents with foster children who had special needs, but also supported by some part-time foster grandparents and some professionals. A closed air force base and her lobbying efforts led to a grant from the state legislature in Illinois to buy housing for the community. Operations began in 1994.

The idea is to put together a whole community of caring adults with the time and resources to give troubled children the extra time, care, love, and attention that they need to have more normal lives. Hope Meadows is supported by the legislature and private gifts. The foster family gets $19,000 in salary, plus free housing. The seniors get low-cost housing. Professionals are in the community to provide training and support. The annual cost for a child here is around $20,000. This is more than the $13,000 usually spent in Illinois on foster care, but less than the $28,000 that juvenile correctional facilities cost per inmate. Most would agree that the extra expense for these children with the most difficult problems is well worth it.

The book mostly details the volunteers who live here, the children they have adopted or assist, and the challenges they have all faced together. Despite very difficult problems, so far around 90 percent of the children placed here have remained.

The volunteers were sometimes foster children or lived in orphanages themselves. Some of the children tell how they want to become foster parents when they grow up. Most of the seniors and adoptive parents have something missing in their lives that the community offers. In some cases it is the chance to have children, and in other cases it is the need to be needed. Many are idealistic people who want to help children, and are working at the limits of their capacity to do so. Single moms with education in this area are raising five and six children with special needs.

The stories are heartwarming, because they show the potential for love and caring to make a difference. You will be astonished, if you are like me, by all the wonderful things that people do. The challenges are enormous. There are crack babies to be weaned, children who are violent and need to be calmed, and young people whose nights are filled with horrible nightmares based on real events.

The book has wonderful photographs of the families that help make the stories come alive.

Do not read this book assuming this approach will sweep the world. As the author makes clear, the continuation of this award-winning program is far from assured. It gets its money annually from the state, and could be cut off at any time. Although there is interest in expanding the program, not much has been done. A second one has been launched in Cleveland with the initial help of McDonald's.

My favorite story in the book is about the six year-old boy who learns that his foster grandmother lives alone, and decides to move in with her so he can be the man of the house and take care of her. I'm sure you will find many stories here that you will love, too.

There's heartbreak too. Some children aren't able to improve. Some are taken away by the courts after family members contest for the children. In one sad section, a foster father who had been a foster child himself dies suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving his family with more to cope with.

Whether this subject interests you or not, these stories will uplift your spirit. They will also tell you something important about our human impulses and needs.

Even if you cannot be a foster parent for some reason, how else could you help these unadopted children to have more normal lives?

May all be loved . . . and feel loved!

A beautifully written book by a talented author about an inspirational community started by a remarkable woman! Wes Smith's writing brings to life the story of Brenda Eheart's noble efforts to build a successful innovative alternative to foster care and adoption. As Smith so eloquently describes "It is a deceptively simple approach crafted by an improbable advocate in a most unlikely place." I couldn't put the book down! The brown-toned portraits collaged on the inside covers initially caught my eye because of their beauty, but by the end I could look at those same pictures and feel like I knew those faces, those smiles. I find myself wishing that I did know them or that I might meet them someday. Smith writes each chapter focusing on a single family/resident of Hope Meadows. Each chapter is an intriguing story in its own right, yet the stories interweave the lives of other residents as well, just as all the lives interweave at Hope Meadows to create the success of this inter-generational, inter-racial community. Smith writes in his introduction "In a world that often seems self-absorbed and hard-hearted beyond belief, it restores your faith in humanity to find that there are still people who believe they can make things better by reaching out and giving of their talents and their time." You will come away inspired by the human spirit and grateful that you had the opportunity to read this book.

I just finished reading Hope Meadows, and I am excited about this book, and the community it represents. The book tells the stories of children, adoptive parents, and older adults who live in a community that focuses on family. Seniors in the community volunteer to work with the kids, who, in turn, help out the seniors. Most of the children at Hope Meadows come from abusive backgrounds and have a multitude of behavioral and physical problems. Wes Smith has done an excellent job bringing these stories to life for the reader- you feel as though these are your neighbors. I HIGHLY recommend this book!....I actually cried reading some of these stories- if this book doesn't move you, nothing will!

I applaud the author for this effort and will gladly donate the cost of the book to any non-profit organization that is "helping to make the world a better place" in return for an electronic copy of the book. Ideas such as this should be available to everyone.

I have not read the book, so this is really not a review, but how could anyone give a negative review of such a work? I look forward to reading this material and as a result, taking action where possible to help reach the goals.

Presentation:
The interior text is formatted nicely. I don't recall encountering any typos. No interior illustrations, graphics, or photos. The text is divided up into headings, subheadings, etc to lend sufficient visual interest, and this makes it significantly easier to skim the book if necessary. The writing style is neither humorous nor bland.

Subjects covered:
The book is divided into eight parts, is further divided into 33 chapters by subject, and is further divided into 116 "actions."

The parts are these: Building community. Raising the next generation. Computer activism. Protecting the environment. Food, hunger, and agriculture. Socially responsible banking and investing. The responsible consumer. Peace, Justice, and social change.

Each "action" is fairly brief, only a couple pages, and tells you some background information about the subject, argues why something should be done, and tells you what you can do, and who to contact to learn more and actually do some things. There are plenty of things you can do other than donating money to organizations, such as volunteering or making changes in your lifestyle. Interestingly, the last action listed in the book, number 116, is about supporting gay rights.

Since this book was published in 1995, much of the information may no longer be of use:
~ References to the Internet are obsolete, since this was before the World Wide Web.
~ Changes may have happened to mailing addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers of organizations to contact. You'll have to Google them and find out where they are now.
~ Statistics aren't fully up to date, although ten-year-old statistics are probably satisfactory information.

Suggestions:
~ Since a lot of this book is disappointingly out of date, get it from the library rather than buying it. Don't feel bad, since the book itself says that getting library books is better than buying a book you're doubtful about, since it conserves resources.
~ Read this book with a notepad at hand, to jot down things you found interesting: points, actions, and names of organizations to look up later.
~ You can read this book in short breaks when you're fairly busy with other things, since its layout makes it very easy to find your spot again to resume reading, or to skim.

This book is different from most books of the 50 Ways to Save the Earth genre because it covers a diverse array of social, political, ethical, and environmental problems in an in-depth fashion. The authors explain tough issues like the environmental effects of eating styles in clear, calm terms. The suggestions to make the world a better place range from extremely easy acts to reduce personal consumption to ambitious, challenging proposals for personal engagement with the homeless, the homebound, and others in need of assistance. Not only has it changed my own daily behaivor, I've found it to make a great, thought-provoking gift

This is a great book, reminding us that no matter what we do, it affects the whole world. So we might as well direct our attention and affect our world in a positive way by following the suggestions the authors have put together. Extremely well researched and organized book. Everyone can make a difference. I wish everyone would read the book to find out how!!!

This book give me a new insight how to evaluate the invidual versus the population risk. The same data with the theater representation can be very usfull for individual decision

Empowering people to make well informed decisions about their health is the goal of Dr. Erik Rifkin & Dr. Edward Bouwer in their new book "The Illusion of Certainty: Health Benefits and Risks." Risk Characterization Theater is a unique graphic which informs the reader with an objective view of the pros and cons of each treatment in simple terms that anyone can understand. "The Illusion of Certainty: Health Benefits and Risks" is highly recommended to medical and health community library collections alike and to anyone who may have to be making some risky decisions on their own health in the future.

"Can a book make you smarter? Perhaps not, but "Illusion of Certainty" can certainly help you make smarter decisions--especially when it comes to health choices." (from our review of this book at LifeTwo.com).

This book should be required reading for policy makers, doctors, and especially journalists covering health and environmental matters. Perhaps the biggest beneficiaries however are people trying to make informed decisions involving their personal health. By exposing the bias that exists in the system against communicating risk as well as the reliance on "relative" risks/benefits over "absolute" risks/benefits, it is easy to see why it seems the answer to every problem is a drug prescription.

The book does an outstanding job of establishing a theoretical basis for their premise and then walking the readers through example after example of its application.

Can't say enough good things about this book.

This thought-provoking book is both a "should and must-read" book for anyone who makes decisions or considers the advice and recommendations of others. The compelling logic regarding the subjects supported by scientific facts is substantial. It will provide an impetus to the reader to consider life-changing decisions.

Informative and well written, Dr. Dorin's research is relevant to government authorities and consumers. His well organized and concise writing style make this an interesting read.

I highly recommend this book.

Dr. Dorin has written a thought-provoking and timely treatise on the vulnerabilities of our health care system. This book is extremely relevant to both healthcare providers and consumers.

This book by Doctor Dorin is the first breakthrough text to provide a detailed prescription for health care workers, academicians, and politicians to overhaul the way medicine is delivered--toward to goal of reducing medical errors and the potential for purposeful 'mischief'!

I highly (and emphatically) recommend this book!!

This book is very well written and I hope the law makers in Washington take note and make some changes so as to protect our health care facilities.

I highly recommend this book.

History teacher and attorney Susan G. Neisuler draws on her many years of experience in the Boston Juvenile Court (as well as the problems that riddle social service agencies), to write Justice At The City Gate: Social Policy, Social Services, And The Law. Offering keen insights into the poverty that plagues American families and children; the failures of social service agencies in their mission to bring succor to those who most need it; how the system has degenerated into its current state; as well as case analysis, relevant law and research, and proposed solutions to social ills, dramatically distinguish this profound and meaningful wake-up call showcasing and illustrating the need for significant and pervasive social service and community services reforms.

We constantly hear horror stories of how the state mistreats neglected children. But the only people who offer solutions tend to be robed academics with no experience in the real world. This book is that rare combination of practical experience with sound scholarship. Truly admirable - I hope that the word gets out about her ideas, and that the politicians take note.

JUSTICE AT THE CITY GATE is filled with horror stories & legal history that is both fascinating & sure to raise your blood pressure, as it takes you on a tour into the dungeons of "do-gooder-ism" gone wrong.

If you have ever felt that the life & times of the Puritans was "romantic", be warned, the milk of all human kindness is going to sour, rapidly. & it was the Puritans who started the first "social services" in America -- for the orphaned, the abandoned, the fragile & the needy.

All the fault cannot be placed upon the bureaucrats who run our Social Services or our Juvenile Court systems, however, when you read Neisuler's case studies & follow the trail of tears as unwitting families are torn apart even as the systems "try" to "help" them, you will have to wonder!

Combine the ingredients of real horror stories of families entangled in a maze of morality, bureaucracy, antiquated laws & an outraged attorney with a gift for writing, & you have a Mach 4 read!

Rebeccasreads highly recommends JUSTICE AT THE CITY GATE as profoundly troubling & very well done!

A top-notch piece of writing. This is an engrossing look at a serious problem which our society too often ignores. The book's depth of research is impressive, and it holds the reader's attention well. It's a tragedy how much our bureaucratic system has neglected children and let them fall through the cracks, but at least we can hope that intelligent voices like Ms. Neisuler's will be heard by our policymakers.

In his compelling new history of "Juvenile Justice in the Making", David S. Tanenhaus has accomplished what many scholars considered all but impossible: a fresh historical interpretation of the development, operation, and enduring importance of the juvenile court. Scholars, lawyers, child welfare workers (or children's advocates), and policy pundits will wrestle with the significance and perhaps even more with the lessons of Tanenhaus' bold new opening. (author Harvey J. Graff)

"Juvenile Justice in the Making" captures the timeless lessons of the early juvenile court and applies them intelligently and passionately to the complex challenges it faces today. Tanenhaus carefully reconstructs the early history of this resilient institution to remind us how a separate court for children evolved through swirling social contexts and political cultures to give a recurring institutional voice to our enduring notions about children and the law."--

From the Publisher: "In this time of despair over the very possibility of achieving juvenile justice, David Tanenhaus makes a compelling case for understanding the present by looking backward. "Juvenile Justice in the Making" reminds us of the persistent power of the belief that the young deserve a separate system designed expressly for them. And he insightfully explains why we must understand that the American juvenile justice system did not emerge full born, but evolved over time out of determined attempts to realize its critical mission. By giving juvenile justice back its past, Tanenhaus pens a persuasive argument for rethinking its present and reimagining its future." --Michael Grossberg, Professor of History & Law, Indiana University

From the Publisher: "Juvenile Justice in the Making" is a must read for anyone concerned with children. David Tanenhaus suggests that our view of childhood has changed quite radically in recent years. With the storytelling skills of an historian and the clearheadedness of a law scholar, Tanenhaus takes us back to the founding of the juvenile court to illustrate how far we've strayed from our faith in childhood as a separate province from adulthood."--Alex Kotlowitz, author, "There Are No Children Here"