Americans are losing the freedom to make sense of daily choices-teachers can't maintain order in the classroom, managers are trained to avoid candor, schools ban tag, and companies plaster inane warnings on everything: "Remove Baby Before Folding Stroller."

Philip K. Howard's urgent argument is full of examples, often darkly humorous. He describes the historical and cultural forces that led to this mess and lays out the basic shift in approach needed to fix it. Today we are flooded with legal threats that prevent us from taking responsibility. We must rebuild boundaries of law that protect an open field of freedom. The voices here will ring true to every reader. The analysis is powerful, and the solution unavoidable. What's at stake, Howard explains in this seminal book, is the vitality of American culture.

About the Author
Philip K. Howard is the founder of Common Good, a nonprofit that advocates for simplifying government. His book, The Rule of Nobody, was a finalist for the Manhattan Institute's Hayek Book Prize. He lives in New York.

Reviews
"Surely will be 2009's most needed book on public affairs."



Book Information
ISBN 9780393338034
Author Philip K. Howard
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 191g
Dimensions(mm) 211mm * 140mm * 15mm