I'll Be Short: Essentials for a Decent Working Society - Hardcover

Reich, Robert B.

3.63

108 ratings by Goodreads

9780807043400: I'll Be Short: Essentials for a Decent Working Society

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0807043400 ISBN 13: 9780807043400

Publisher: Beacon Pr, 2002

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"I don't like the basic philosophy that everyone is on their own, out for themselves, a kind of social Darwinism. It's bad for society, especially now. . . . Call me crotchety, but I can't help asking, whatever happened to the social contract?"

With his characteristic humor, humanity, and candor, one of the nation's most distinguished advocates for working—and middle—class families delivers a fresh vision of politics by returning to basic American values: anyone who wants a job should have one; those who work should be able to lift themselves and their families out of poverty; and everyone should have access to an education that will better their chances in life.
An insider who knows how the economy and government really work, Reich combines realistic solutions with democratic ideals: businesses do have civic responsibilities; government must stem a widening income gap that threatens to turn our nation into a two-tiered society. Arguing that Democrats and Republicans have strayed dangerously off track, Reich breaks the impasse of current politics and shows us the way to fulfill our nation's promise.

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Review:

"I'll Be Short is long on liberalism, an unabashedly passionate call for America to quit making the poor poorer as the rich get richer.... And while Reich packs his arguments with economic logic, he ultimately concludes that the best reason to help society's less fortunate is that it's the right thing to do."

Reich is a big thinker and a great writer. --Nancy Folbre, "The Washington Post"

"Reich has a talent for mastering economic and social complexities and making them easy for the layperson to grasp." --Daniel Akst, "The Wall Street Journal"

"Reich writes in ways unusual for an economist; he is self-effacing, witty and more interested in exploring the world's complexities than in uncovering unvarying laws." --Alan Wolfe, "The New York Times Book Review"

About the Author:

Robert B. Reich is university professor at Brandeis University and Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy at Brandeis's Heller Graduate School. He has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton. He has authored eight books, including "The Work of Nations, Locked in the Cabinet, " and "The Future of Success, " and his writings have appeared in "The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, " and "The Wall Street Journal." Mr. Reich is co-founder and national editor of "The American Prospect." He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife, Clare Dalton. They have two sons.

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