Public Problems

In many US cities, gun violence is the most urgent crime problem. High rates of deadly violence make a city less livable, dragging down quality of life, economic development, and property values. How can police departments find the right balance between over- and under-policing of high-violence areas? What are the best practices for police to preempt and deter gun violence, while engendering support and cooperation from the public?

The major social problems of the United States - deteriorating education, lawlessness and crime, homelessness, the collapse of family values, the crisis in medical care - have been produced by well-intended actions of government. That is easy to document. The difficult task is understanding why government is the problem. The power of special interests arising from the concentrated benefits of most government actions and their dispersed costs is only part of the answer.

COVID. Climate change. Refugee resettlement. Global supply chains. We're facing a new generation of complex problems, stretching across the public and private sectors. Historically we've looked to government for big solutions, but the reality is, the government we have now is a poor match for the problems we face. We need a fresh new approach. As William D. Eggers and Donald F. Kettl show in this indispensable book, we need a government of bridgebuilders—public managers and leaders who collaborate with partners, both inside and outside government, to get the job done.

Does the number of children gunned down double each year? Does anorexia kill 150,000 young women annually? Do white males account for only a sixth of new workers? Startling statistics shape our thinking about social issues. But all too often, these numbers are wrong. This book is a lively guide to spotting bad statistics and learning to think critically about these influential numbers. Damned Lies and Statistics is essential listening for everyone who reads or listens to the news....

This program is read by the author. New York Times Editors' Choice A powerful investigation of Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation, showing how he uses philanthropy to exercise enormous political power without accountability Through his vaunted philanthropy, Bill Gates transformed himself from a...

What would you do if you were President of the United States? In If I Were President, Mark Butts takes on that question from the perspective of an ordinary American who believes the country’s biggest problems still have practical solutions. From the cost of living, housing, healthcare, taxes, Social Security, crime, immigration, education, and government spending to energy, artificial intelligence, national defense, China, Russia, Israel, and the limits of presidential power, this book offers a wide-ranging blueprint for a stronger America. Rather than approaching politics as a Washington...

In Why Are Health Disparities Everyone's Problem? Dr. Lisa Cooper shows how we can work together to eliminate the injustices that plague our health care system and society. The book follows Cooper's journey from her childhood in Liberia, West Africa, to her thirty-year career working first as a clinician and then as a health equity researcher at Johns Hopkins University. Drawing on her experiences, it explores how differences in communication and the quality of relationships affect health outcomes.

Public administration places people in situations where decisions carry real consequences for citizens, institutions, and public trust. In Critical Thinking & Strategic Management, Shahid Hussain argues that the quality of governance depends less on good intentions than on the quality of thinking behind public decisions. Drawing on philosophy, administrative theory, and the social sciences, he introduces a practical framework for disciplined reasoning in government. The book presents ten distinct modes of thought that public servants can use to approach complex policy problems with greater ...

The New York Times bestseller, Win Every Argument is the ultimate audiobook guide to debate, persuasion and public speaking, written and read by award-winning British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan. 'A masterclass from one of the most formidable debaters and interviewers of our time' – Riz...

What if hunger, poverty, homelessness, unaffordable healthcare, failing education, political polarization, corruption, environmental degradation, and economic inequality are not unsolvable problems—but problems humanity has already learned how to solve? In Back to Eden, author and philosopher HRH Prince Gharios El Chemor presents a compelling, evidence-based case that the greatest barrier to human progress is no longer scientific discovery or technological innovation. The real obstacle is the failure to apply what we already know through coherent institutions, long-term thinking, and ...

In Uncertainty, Patrik Aspers provides detailed analysis of publicly available means of uncertainty reduction. Drawing on phenomenology, social constructionism, and the sociology of knowledge, Aspers considers the meaningful differences between uncertainty and risk, the different ways people cope and have coped with uncertainty through history, the importance of knowledge and science to reducing uncertainty, and the trade-offs involved in reducing forms of uncertainty while leaving open opportunities for others.

Amber's story continues with Amber’s Naked Sex Lab Problems. Some of the shabbier sides of human sexuality have raised their head in this naked paradise. Is this what Amber and her friends signed up for? Can the gals control who gets to climb between their legs? What they do when they’re there? Is this idea by Big Pharm as bad an idea as some of the people on campus say it is? And who is it that keeps messing with the Lab’s bikes and leaving all Amber’s friends stuck, naked at school?

In Curable journalist and health care advocate Travis Christofferson looks at medicine through a magnifying glass and asks an important question: What if the roots of the current US health care crisis are psychological and systemic, perpetuated not just by corporate influence and the powers that be, but by you and me? Curable outlines the future of medicine, detailing brilliant examples of new health care systems that prove we can do better. It turns out we have more control over our health (and happiness) than we think.

Discover How to Think Smarter, Solve Better, and Lead with Clarity—One Question at a Time! Have you ever found yourself stuck in a conversation, meeting, or decision-making moment—wishing you had just the right question to ask? Do you admire people who always seem to have deep insights, spark fresh ideas, or build instant trust and understanding? What if the secret to better thinking, stronger relationships, and sharper leadership wasn’t having all the answers—but knowing how to ask the right questions? If so, THE ART OF QUESTIONING is for you. Imagine being able to: Solve complex ...

Bad-Ass Solutions isn’t about solving problems like what to watch on Netflix tonight. It addresses the big-a-- threats to us and even our civilization, such as global warming, homelessness, and mass killings. This refreshingly NONPARTISAN book is for all of us who are frightened, frustrated and pissed off about these critical issues that just aren’t being addressed.

During his years as a public official, Mitchell Weiss was told that government can't do new things or solve tough challenges - it's too big and slow and bureaucratic. Sadly, this is what so many of us have come to believe. But in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, he and his city hall colleagues raced to support survivors in new, innovative ways. This kind of entrepreneurial spirit and savvy in government is growing, transforming the public sector's response to big problems at all levels. 

The New York Times bestseller, Win Every Argument is the ultimate audiobook guide to debate, persuasion and public speaking, written and read by award-winning British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan. 'A masterclass from one of the most formidable debaters and interviewers of our time' – Riz...

Jesus calls us to make disciples of all the nations. Many Christians believe this means enlisting soldiers in a culture war. But putting faith in the service of politics risks remaking God in our own image. How can the church help bring God's kingdom to earth without relying on the political structures of this world? Critiquing our idolization of the values of classical Western liberalism, Steven Félix-Jäger seeks a renewal of the church's public witness.

Le cartographe arriva à Forbach juste après l'aube, sa sacoche lourde d'instruments qui cliquaient doucement les uns contre les autres à mesure qu'il marchait. La rivière derrière les maisons était calme, sa surface assez lisse pour refléter la pâle lumière du matin. Il s'arrêta au bord de la berge, étudiant l'eau comme si c'était une ligne tracée non pas par la nature mais par une main qu'il voulait corriger. Il retira une boussole en laiton de son manteau et la tint fermement. L'aiguille trembla, puis se calma. Il nota dans son registre, l'écriture précise, presque ...

A major investor is on line one, CNN is on line two, and social media is exploding in anger. When you're a "leader under fire", the next few moments can be an incredible opportunity...or they can destroy your career. In the past, companies prepared for crisis with expensive, static crisis communications plans. The pace was slower. You had time to process and plan a response with your senior team and lawyers. But those old-school plans don't work anymore.