I'll Be Short: Essential Ideas for Getting America to Work

by Robert B. Reich

Book Overview

With his characteristic humor, humanity and candor, one of the nation's most distinguished advocates for working class families delivers a fresh vision of politics by returning to basic American... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807043400
• ISBN13: 9780807043400
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Beacon Press (MA)
• Length: 121 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.8" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Robert Reich is Brief, and Important.

If you've read Robert Reich's recent books and articles, particularly in The American Prospect, you will recognize recurring themes; the insecurity imposed by a globalized economy, the growing income gap, and the importance of investing in education.One of Reich's ideas that caught my attention was his proposal to extend traditional public schooling from grades K through 12 to K through 14. The 'accountability in education' movement often focuses on preparing students for four-year college degrees, despite the fact that most Americans do not attend or graduate from four-year college programs. In a discussion of the push by many universities to lavish resources on "star" students, Reich suggests that state funding should be shifted to community colleges and vocational programs.Reich ends his book by addressing the reader with a challenge to personally provide political leadership and involvement despite the political denial, escapism, and resignation that is much too common today in our society.This is a timely and brief book. You can read it in a day or two. Rather than put it on your bookshelf, give it to a friend and ask your friend to pass it on. (Even better buy a couple of copies and pass them along.) I plan to give a copy to a progressive candidate for the California legislature. Maybe some of Reich's ideas will "bubble-up" to the California legislature in the not-too-distant future.

Great book: Robert Reich Rocks!!

Robert Reich writes in a clear prose that is easily understood and allows the reader to be fully informed without being lectured or preached at.His points about the evolution of our work force are food for thought and one hopes that the current leadership in Washington is listening to Reich but I doubt it. Mr. Reich is actually a thinker and not a rabid partisan politician which makes him a refreshing breath of fresh air at a time when tv is full of bombast with everyone talking and no one listening. Chris Matthews did you hear me?Read any book by Robert Reich and you'll learn something. It's like visiting with a favorite teacher or professor that you admire and respect. The hours fly by and you're just in awe of the person and what they have to say. Robert Reich is a true gentleman and a wise man as well.

The American Social Contract

I am glad that Bob Reich wrote this book, otherwise I might never have forgiven him for what happened to working people during his watch as Secretary of Labor. The real core of this book is the unstated "social contract" that developed in this country in the 40's, 50's, and 60's (before what he terms the "Second Gilded Age." The elements of this contract were :1) If the company that you are employed by prospers, you too, shall share in prosperity (increased wages, benefits, and job security.)2) If your company undergoes bad times and you are "laid off", then you will be hired back on as soon as fortunes improve.3)If you work for a living (40 hrs. a week) you shall not have to live in poverty (i.e. a living wage.)4) Any person shall be able to obtain all the education that he has the talent, ability, and desire to master- without being limited by financial restraint.Needless to say, all of these elements are as dead as the dodo in 21st century America. As Reich so honestly points out, only the top 20% of the population has seen any benefit at all from the "golden years" of the 80's and 90's. Reich is right, of course, I grew up believing in this unstated contract. It was very nostalgic to hear it openly stated once again. Kind of like "Truth, Justice, and the American Way...."

Short, but Sweet

This book is a brief but lively distillation of many of the themes that Reich has expounded on at greater length in previous works. Written after September 11th and timed to coincide with his current campaign for Governor of Massachusetts, this volume is ample evidence of why the voters of that state should give Reich a chance to put his ideas into action. Though it is filled with profound insights regarding our current economic situation--a prosperity threatened by growing inequality and stratification--the book is not a dry tome for policy wonks. Rather, it is a call for action that every American, liberal or conservative, should read and heed.

Short and Sweet and Right-On Target!

... Hey, Robert Reich! ... I BOUGHT your book. I READ your book. I LOVE your book! ... You are the voice of decency and sanity. If you run for Governor of Massachusetts, you've got my vote! In fact, you may get even MORE than my vote; you may also get my attention, energy, money, and time. ... What you wrote on pages 101 and 102 hits the nail right on the head: "At the very moment working Americans are toiling longer hours for less money, they want to cut the Earned Income Tax Credit to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy. ... Their strategy is simple: Divide and conquer. Ignore the real problems, get anxious people scared and mad at each other. You could even call it class warfare. And we all know it's worked before." ...... I also like what you wrote on page 115: "But to become a highly productive society, we have to change our thinking about the role of government. We've become so accustomed to thinking about education, health care, child care, and public transportation as government SPENDING that we don't see the obvious: In the new global economy where financial capital is footloose, these are critical public INVESTMENTS. They mark the only path to a sustained and shared prosperity. Failure to make them - and make them wisely - condemns a society to a steadily declining standard of living. The same is true for regulations protecting worker safety, guarding the environment, and preventing discrimination. These, too, are investments in our future."... As the former owner of a natural food store, a member of a dozen environmental groups, and a sociology major who focused on conflict theory and social stratification, I KNOW that YOU know what you are talking about - and I agree with all of it. ... Good Luck in your run for Governor! - The Aeolian Kid