"Full-blown fanatics will probably read the book straight through, but casual fans will find plenty of reward simply browsing through selected chapters, such as 'The Decline and Fall of the Starting Pitcher,' and 'Highly Paid Irrelevance,' and 'Rating the General Managers.'"—BookPage

"When the Soviet Union chucked Sputnik into space in 1957, it galvanized America to come from behind and win the space race. The federal government opened its checkbook to finance an array of projects. Students shifted to new subjects like astronautical engineering and Russian studies to help the United States understand and eclipse the Soviet Union. The moon shot inspired a patriotic nation and produced useful commercial technologies along the way. The space race was expensive, but it worked. Thomas L. Friedman’s latest book is a plea for a new Sputnik moment. His breezy tour of America’s energy policy documents a nation that has become dangerously dependent on fossil fuels . . . Mr. Friedman’s voice is compelling and will be widely heard . . . Mr. Friedman’s strength is his diagnosis of our energy and environmental nightmares . . . The most intriguing chapter in Mr. Friedman’s book is his last, which poses the toughest challenge. Can America be like China, where a visionary government can impose a new direction on the country in the face of national emergency? Or will America devolve into a country that is so mired in red tape and local opposition that it builds absolutely nothing anywhere, near anything? Societies like that get stuck because they can’t embrace new technologies, like the cherished wind turbines and the power lines needed to carry their current . . . Heads will be nodding across airport lounges, as readers absorb Mr. Friedman’s common sense about how America and the world are dangerously addicted to cheap fossil fuels while we recklessly use the atmosphere as a dumping ground for carbon dioxide. The Sputnik is heading into orbit, thanks to high energy prices, growing fear of the changing climate and pleas like Mr. Friedman’s. But whether we as a nation—and with us, the world—are really prepared to do anything to solve the problem is still in doubt."—David Victor, The New York Times

“Few medical writers working today can transmit the gore-drenched terror of an operation that suddenly goes wrong—a terror that has a special resonance when it is Dr. Gawande himself who makes the initial horrifying mistake. And few can make it as clear as he can what exactly is at stake in the effort to minimize calamities.”—The New York Times

"Gerth author of China Made: Consumer Culture and the Creation of the Nation, does much to redress the imbalance and to point out the potential influence of Chinese consumerism, not only on China but on the rest of the world. The book is both informative and entertaining. Although supported by input from published sources, the text is largely the result of insightful observations of the author, who lived, studied, and traveled extensively in China. The book draws parallels between expanding consumerism in China and corresponding developments in other countries such as the US. However, Gerth is careful in identifying unique aspects of China's embrace of domestic consumption. The book contains extensive source notes, readings, and Web sites for further investigation. The writing style is reader friendly and can be appreciated by a broad spectrum of readers who have even a passing interest in understanding the growing importance of China as a world power. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels."—W. C. Struning, emeritus, Seton Hall University, Choice

“Peter S. Goodman has written a gripping tale of the current financial crisis and severe recession. He weaves together stories of individuals swept by the financial tsunami—who have lost jobs, homes, incomes, and wealth—with a broader analysis of the economic and financial excesses that led to the crisis.”—Nouriel Roubini, Professor of Economics, Stern School of Business, New York University and Chairman of RGE Monitor

“Common Sense Economics makes economic principles as obvious and simple as they can be. By weaving careful reasoning with memorable examples and clear writing, the authors explain how economies grow (or don’t grow); how prices coordinate economic activity; and how governments promote or deter economic progress. This is an extraordinary contribution to economic education.”—Kenneth G. Elzinga, Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics, University of Virginia

“It takes equal parts audacity, creativity, and vision to build an organization as successful as KaBOOM!—and Darell Hammond has that special blend. I’m proud to have partnered with the organization as First Lady of California to bring 31 new playgrounds to the state’s neediest communities, including the first volunteer-built intergenerational playground in California. It’s a partnership that continues to change lives and transform these communities.”—Maria Shriver, award-winning journalist, bestselling author and activist

Even in a tough economy business professionals are always in search of ways to redefine and reassess the components of having a satisfying career and good work/life balance. This book gives ten practical steps for establishing a “portfolio career” option where you have two or more jobs for different employers and reframe your brand by playing to your greatest strengths. Each job would utilize different skills and allow you to follow your passions with enough built-in flexibility and diversity to help you thrive during economic slumps. Whether part-time worker or a combination of working for yourself and an organization, this book will show you the way to explore innovative career opportunities and find the maximum fulfillment in your work.

"Students will find this volume demanding and challenging, but their perceptions of both the Industrial Revolution controversy and eighteenth- and nineteenth-century social, economic and industrial history will emerge enlightened and their interest in the period stimulated."—Business History

“A fascinating window into the complex emergent urban future. This book is an extremely sophisticated, often devastatingly witty and ironic interpretation of what is possible over the next two decades. It is not science fiction. It is science and technology in action. The authors have one foot firmly planted in the possible and foreseeable.”—Saskia Sassen, Professor, Columbia University, and author of Territory, Authority, Rights

"Learning economics should be fun. Klein and Bauman make sure that it is.”—N. Gregory Mankiw, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, and author of Principles of Economics