The Death of Common Sense

Rating:
Summary: A poor attempt at goverment reform at best.
Review: I am extremely dissapointed in this book. Yes, some of the information was interesting. However, there were no realistic suggestions for improvement. As far as the homeless shelter in NYC(I didn't know mother theresa made NYC her stomping grounds), it may seem frivolous to put an elevator in a homeless shelter. But hey guess what?! Big surprise, some people that are handicapped are homeless too. So I suppose they can just wait outside while a friend runs in and gets them a cup of soup and a roll. It seems to me that Phillip K Howard
is not familiar with people with disabilities or he would be singing an entirely different tune. Physical and mental handicaps are a fact of life, and instead of putting them in institutions, hiding them away, or perhaps even enforcing mandatory sterilization(ok I may be exaggerating a bit there). It is a fact of life, all "men" are created equal in the eyes of the law, and all of us are given the chance for the persuit of happiness. If Phillip K Howard had his way, we would be without laws protecting the handicapped, mentally ill, and indigent members of society. And yes, they need protection under the Law. Because if they are Not protected, people take advantage of or ignore the rights, needs and wants of an important group in our society. We all deserve the right to have a chance to contribute to society. So lets not have another wheelchair bound person drag themselves up the steps of a courthouse so he could appear for a trial. I guess Mr Howard missed that particular annecdote. I give this book 0 stars, if I am required to give it any, then make them negative.

Rating:
Summary: A quick read
Review: I got this book based on the recommendation found in Jaques Barzun's, From Dawn to Decadence. Barzun referred to it in the context of the stifling and dehumanizing effect of bureacractic society on people.

While I enjoyed the book I felt the author too often relied upon annecdotes that roused the readers indignation. I was hoping for a more developed exploration of the psychology and philosophy behind the bureaucratic impulse and of the effect it has on culture. Both concepts were addressed upon but never fully developed to my satisfaction.

Still, if there is no such exploration available in print this book could start you on your own thoughtful journey...

The book is made up of four parts:

Legalism -- The idea that we can create a perfect society through perfect laws. This reminded me of the Pharisees of the bible and their desire to achieve righteousness through laws. It didn't work. In fact it annoyed the God they were trying to impress.

Process -- The idea that a correct set of procedures and unswerving adherance to them can eliminate human error (or corrupt behavior). This reminds me of the Priest of the bible who thought they were O.K. as long as they stuck with the ritual forms of worship regardless of their internal motivations.

Rights -- The idea that personal wants and needs should be elevated to the level of rights. We accept the desire not to made fun of because we are fat as a right which when violated is discrimination. In doing so we undermine the importance of essential human rights -- the right to self determination, freedom etc.

Personal Responsibility -- Offered as the antidote (along with a necessary willingness to accept error, risk etc.)

I have found the concepts in the book also apply to the corporate workplace. However, that could be simply the reacton of American business to the legal environment. The line is somewhat blurred to me.

Rating:
Summary: A book of facts and logic
Review: I think this book is excellent and does a great job in getting its point across. This book is told from a liberal point of view. The idea that the mass amounts of laws and rules are undermining our own judgment is an idea that most people, like me, take lightly. When you add up all the rules and regulations that a company has to follow, you will see that most of the rules are rules that do not effect and work for all situations.
This book definitely helps you see a perspective that you most likely have not ever seen. Seeing how this book was published to tell people about the laws over powering ability, it does only tell you one side of the story.

Rating:
Summary: Right on target in every respect.
Review: I use Howard's book as a textbook in several of my introductory Law and Political science courses.Readers from all walks of life can easily relate to his writing style and his essential ideas.Government bureaucrats at all levels of our federal system should read and be questioned about this book as a condition of maintaining their employment.

Rating:
Summary: A more intelligent look into legal lunacy; quick read
Review: I wouldn't agree with the categorization of this book as an "explosive manifesto" (back cover), nor would I call this "incendiary ... stimulating" (front cover). As an American who too often cringes when our country's regulatory red tape strangles expediency and constructive decision making, I'd say "The Death of Common Sense" offers some poignant anecdotes in describing today's bureaucratic morass. Beyond this, author Philip K. Howard documents well the mentality which has spawned our dependency and passivity, and how we can refocus on how democracy is supposed to function.

Mr. Howard's messages, evident throughout, are very obvious: we have substituted innovation with process, created enemies instead of cooperative societies, and squashed case-by-case reasoning under mountains of procedural law. There are so many "rights" covering every interest group that very little gets done for the benefit of the majority. "Trusting in the law" now means being wary of nearly everyone. Although sounding a bit rant-stricken at times, Mr. Howard offers up lots of food for thought ... some amazing stories. It's all pretty interesting and easy to read.

In my opinion, the last (and shortest) of the book's four parts, entitled "Releasing Ourselves," falls short of hitting on a way to get out from under suffocating law. I agree that initiative and responsibility are admirable attributes for executives in both the public and private arenas, and further, that universally applied policies that regulate the most minute procedural detail should instead have flexibility for more real-world applications. However, what happens when the most innovative of directives winds up injuring or killing someone? Will Joe Citizen give up his right (there's that word) to sue? I doubt it. And, as long as legal recourse remains the ultimate equalizer, the happy medium between "buried in the fine print" and "total judgment call" will be awfully hard to come by. Mr. Howard doesn't address this issue.

This is a very good read; however, a better balance between problem and solution would have made this book outstanding.

Rating:
Summary: Quick read sure to anger and inform
Review: If you're the sort who enjoys fuming at absurd lawsuits and incomprehensible government action, Howard's "The Death of Common Sense" may well be right up your alley. A brisk read, the 200 or so pages here are filled with examples of government gone awry, absurd legal maneuvers, and public policies that defy common sense.

Silly lawsuits and wholly unnecessary laws are central to Howard's rants on over-aggressive government. The book is filled with specific examples, usually followed by pretty sound reasoning as to WHY we, too, should be irritated. All that is missing are solutions. The author offers some, but they are few and far between.

One thing is certainly welcome: Politics rarely intrude here. Well-written and to the point, Howard doesn't appear to be walking far to the right or the left. The political neutrality is welcome. There is probably a libertarian bent present, but it's hardly intrusive; this is not a political book. And in these times of overly political books, that is a classic Good Thing.

A quick read, paced well with plenty of examples, this is a good pick for those who enjoy peering at the foibles of misguided government.

Rating:
Summary: Quick read sure to anger and inform
Review: If you're the sort who enjoys fuming at absurd lawsuits and incomprehensible government action, Howard's "The Death of Common Sense" may well be right up your alley. A brisk read, the 200 or so pages here are filled with examples of government gone awry, absurd legal maneuvers, and public policies that defy common sense.

Silly lawsuits and wholly unnecessary laws are central to Howard's rants on over-aggressive government. The book is filled with specific examples, usually followed by pretty sound reasoning as to WHY we, too, should be irritated. All that is missing are solutions. The author offers some, but they are few and far between.

One thing is certainly welcome: Politics rarely intrude here. Well-written and to the point, Howard doesn't appear to be walking far to the right or the left. The political neutrality is welcome. There is probably a libertarian bent present, but it's hardly intrusive; this is not a political book. And in these times of overly political books, that is a classic Good Thing.

A quick read, paced well with plenty of examples, this is a good pick for those who enjoy peering at the foibles of misguided government.

Rating:
Summary: Seminal Legal Work
Review: IN short, this book is a seminal work. It is a must read for those interested in law and public policy, and those bafled by the dizzying array of new laws and regulated promulgated each year. Howard does a masterful job of pointing out the mind numbing stupidity of certain laws and regulations, and how they adversely affect public policy. Using an array of anecdotes, stories, and examples, Howard drives home one simple point: We are a law happy society, and because of it, we are unable to use common sense or discretion to solve problems which are becoming increasingly unmanageable. From Mother Teresa to Superfund, Howard exposes the inherent contradictions of certain health and safety laws, and explains why this is the case. He also gets a bit more philisophical towards the end, explaining that the use of "offensive" rights has been the main culprit for some of these mind numbing laws, and that we need to use rights only as a defensive posture. Hats off to Mr. Howard.

Rating:
Summary: process, process, process
Review: law is bogged down in process, confined by bureaucracy and unable to rely on quick, instinctival decisions made by human beings. Howard accentuates law's faults in a thoughtful analysis of the current state of law and government.

Rating:
Summary: Like fingers on a chalkboard
Review: Like fingers on a chalkboard, is probably the best way to describe the feeling this book imparts, it is frustration, revulsion at the present state of government and not the skillful writer that evokes this feeling. There are literally dozens upon dozens of mind boggling examples of lunacy derived from blindly-written laws, but unfortunately no clear answers given. This is probably the best book I have ever read that explains in detail and with excellent citation the reason one should want a smaller, less active, and less powerful central federal government. It does not fall into the ranting trap of some conservative books, with much on vague generalism with scant unproved anecdotes, but rather is cool, calm, reasoned, and very well researched. However, the writer's keen intellect and sharp eye when turned from deconstructing the government of laws, and turned to the solution falls into a morass of generalisms and bad analogies. This book however is an excellent start and an excellent read for anyone that thinks to themselves, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG, TODAY!" The Death of Common Sense, answers alot of questions.