Cass R. Sunstein is the nation’s most-cited legal scholar who, for the past fifteen years, also has been at the forefront of behavioral economics. From 2009 to 2012, he served as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. He is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School. His book, Nudge, coauthored with Richard Thaler, was a national bestseller.
"This inspiring book has a tale and a lesson. In the tale, a
thinker with a passion for reason moves from the ivory tower to the
White House and becomes a doer. The lesson is that regulation is
not a dirty word and that thoughtful government works."
*Daniel Kahneman, bestselling author of Thinking, Fast and
Slow*
"This may be the most important book to come out of President
Obama's first term. Contrary to conservative perception, the
administration, guided by Cass Sunstein, launched a brilliant
effort to simplify and reduce regulations. Sunstein found ingenious
ways to protect citizens and nudge corporate behavior while
maximizing freedom and business opportunity. Simpler is a
fascinating guide to how behavioral economics is improving
government, and none too soon."
*Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs*
"Everyone complains that government regulations are often dumb, but
how could you make them smarter? Here's a guidebook by someone who
did it. It should be read by everyone who sets policies for
government, nonprofits, education, or business."
*Chip Heath, co-author of Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in
Life and Work*
"Tucked away from the sound and fury of politics, there is the
quiet world of policy making. This fantastic book, from a
magnificent scholar turned a master of this world, restored my
faith in what governments really do, and more importantly in what a
smart government could do to help citizens live better, more
fulfilled lives."
*Dr. Esther Duflo, Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development
Analysis at Massachusetts Institute of Economics and Co-Founder and
Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab*
"Cass Sunstein: scholar, public servant, choice architect. This
lays out a new vision for how research from academics and attention
from the public can be used to make regulations and government work
better and simpler—to protect the public at the lowest possible
cost and hassle. No wonder Glenn Beck said Sunstein was the most
dangerous man in America."
*Dr. Austan Goolsbee, University of Chicago Booth School of
Business and former Chairman of the Council of Economic
Advisers*
"We typically don't associate the idea of simple systems with
government and large corporations. But in this fine book, Sunstein
provides a glimpse into how we can tame the complexity beast and
why it is important, even necessary if we want to improve our
collective welfare."
*Dan Ariely, bestselling author of Predictably Irrational: The
Hidden Forces that Shape our Decisions*
"Federal regulations determine the quality of the air we breathe
and water we drink, the safety of our workplaces, the kinds of cars
we can buy, and much more. In this book, Cass Sunstein shows how he
helped President Obama use the smartest academic ideas to undertake
the most important reform of our regulatory system in more than
three decades. This revolution in regulation relies on using
evidence, rather than ideology, to guide regulatory decisions and
by making regulations simpler and easier to understand. Simple is a
must (and fun) read for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of
how government—and the people in it—are using the insights from the
seminal research by Sunstein and others to make our lives
healthier, safer, and more prosperous."
*Michael Greenstone, 3M Professor of Environmental Economics at
MIT, Department of Economics*
"Sunstein’s firsthand knowledge and distinct humor give his account
a real dynamism."
*Kirkus Reviews*
"[Simpler is] ...a lucid, engaging treatment of behavioral
economics that sees a role for the state in nudging humans towards
rationality and responsibility. The result is a forthright,
compelling vision of technocratic government that's both efficient
and humane."
*Publishers Weekly, starred review*
“A remarkably fun, engaging read.”
*Fortune.com*
“This book should be on every federal leader’s reading
list…common-sense tips leaders at any level can use to be more
effective.”
*WashingtonPost.com*
“Optimistic in its vision of a government that can do good, a
positive message in a year that seems to be filled with signs
pointing to the opposite…a great read for any aspiring economist or
individual on the fence on what to think about the state of
regulatory affairs in America today.”
*InTheCapital.Streetwise.com*
"Mr. Sunstein is a long-standing champion of the cost-benefit
analysis of regulation, and his criticisms are often spot-on. The
idea is simple and sensible. . . . deeply informed by the insights
of behavioral economics—a field of research that reveals several
psychological quirks that affect human decision-making."
*Wall Street Journal*
A more detailed, more nuanced look at how rules and regulations can
be made simpler, and how the social environment in which we make
decisions can be "nudged" in ways that help us to make more
rational, sensible choices.
*The New York Times*
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