Author: Sudhir Venkatesh

Publication Date: January 2008

Publisher: The Penguin Press

Bottom Line: Current government programs designed to benefit people living in the projects are essentially useless, because residents have learned to rely on corrupt community members, specifically gang leaders, to survive, and, as a result, are stuck in a cycle of poverty.

What it Covers: Gang Leader for a Day is an in depth analysis of Sudhir Venkatesh's time spent in the Robert Taylor housing project in Chicago, and more specifically, his involvement with the Black Kings gang. Venkatesh details the corrupt society that governs life in the projects. Whereas in most locations there are police and city officials to govern and help the area, locals in the Robert Taylor projects depended upon gang...

"Imagine working in an organization that makes it so hard to fire non-performers that managers have quit trying...Imagine routinely losing your best employees because you can't pay them what they are worth."

Author: Stewart Liff

Publication Date: 2007

Publisher: AMACOM, American Management Association

Bottom Line : A desktop reference to assist federal managers/supervisors who are frustrated with the government system when interacting with federal employees.

What It Covers : Unlike many other management reference books, the author shares his government experience and expertise with human resources and management and sheds light on its many nuances. He also provides a roadmap and reference tool to the potential pitfalls that experienced and inexperienced federal managers...

Author: Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Publication Date: 200 6

Publisher: William Morrow (Harper Collins Publishers)

Bottom Line: Why is conventional wisdom so often wrong? This book uses economics to explain hot-button issues including legal abortion's impact on crime rates, the parallels of the Ku Klux Klan to real estate agents, and cheating among sumo wrestlers and schoolteachers alike.

What It Covers: Freakonomics begins with the certainly controversial assertion that it was the legalization of abortion which indirectly lead to the 1990's crime drop in America and not gun control, a strong economy, or innovative policing techniques. According to the book's author, the simple explanation is that crime was reduced because the pool of potential criminals was dramatically...

Author: Phillip Longman

Publication Date: 2007

Publisher: PoliPointPress, LLC

Bottom Line: Want to know what has made the VA health care system a successful health care model? Phillip Longman lays out VA's transformation from the worst to the best in the nation.

What It Covers: A journalist by profession, the author describes the transformation of the VA's health care system from the America's worst to one of the best health care systems in the nation, becoming the "Toyota of Health care". Sharing his own experience with the health care system in the United States and several anecdotes throughout the book, the author does a great job in not boring the readers unlike many other health care books.

The book emphasizes the unique characteristics of the VA health care...

Author: Ian Ayres Publication Date: 2007

Bottom Line : An easy to follow insight into the behind the scenes data and data crunchers driving today's biggest companies and decisions.

What It Covers : Have you ever wondered how Netflix or Amazon always seems to suggest a relevant book or movie, how eHarmony can find your future spouse, or how Google seems to always find you what you're looking for so quickly? If so, you've been wondering about the world of super crunchers - individuals who compile and process huge quantities of data. These super crunchers are able to make highly accurate predictions today by examining variables influencing outcomes, reviewing data trends, and then creating an algorithm or formula that may be applied to situations in the future in order to make predictions...