Considering I gave Robert B. Reich’s Saving Capitalism a rave review, it’s no secret I’m a huge fan of the former secretary of Labor under President Clinton. So I am thrilled to give Reich’s latest book, The Common Good, another rave review.
The Common Good is a call to arms to anyone who cares about the state of our country and all of its citizens.
And when I mention a call to arms I don’t mean guns and ammunition. This book is a call for us to bring a sense of empathy, sensibility and basic human decency when it comes to politics, business, religion, education, media, activism, and our communities as a whole. And The Common Good is written in an enthusiastic and perceptive manner that will connect with a wide audience.
The Common Good is divided into three distinct parts:
1. What Is the Common Good?
2. What Happened to the Common Good?
3. Can the Common Good By Restored?
Part one is a primer on the common good. It starts out using the sheer awfulness of Martin Shrekeli and how he fully encompasses what is not the common good.
As part one moves on Reich explains both the common good most of us share and origins of the common good.
In part two Reich examines what exactly happened to our nation’s common good through a 3-prong dismantling of the common good’s structure. Believe me, it’s not pretty.
But before readers gnash their teeth in despair, Reich wraps things up with a manifesto on how we can restore the common good, which includes leadership we can trust, the use of honor and shame, resurrecting truth and finally but most importantly reviving civic education for all citizens starting in grade school and high school.
Some of ideas may be a bit difficult to implement and others will be quite simple. But all are vital.
The Common Good is written in an audience-friendly style that instructs and inspires and will hold your interest long after you are done reading it. I can’t recommend it enough. The Common Good is both timely and timeless.
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