12 Simple Solutions to Save America


Book Description

A nearly $19 trillion debt. A 74,608-page tax code. An increase in global temperatures. A broken Social Security system. These are just some of the problems plaguing our nation. While politicians are quick to offer lip service, they are slow -- or non-existent -- with solutions. Americans are frustrated with the lack of leadership as evidenced by Congress' 10 percent approval rating. Now is the time for simple, bold changes that will alter the direction of this nation. Drawing on more than three decades of business experience, John Burke applies his tested problems-and-solutions approach and independent thinking to tackle the complex problems that America faces. In 12 Simple Solutions to Save America, Burke proposes concrete solutions to fix these issues and challenges Americans to resist the status quo and change what elected officials are unwilling or unable to change. Americans have a civic duty to make the tough decisions that improve the lives of citizens over the long-term. It can be done, but it will not happen by accident.




One Nation


Book Description

Dear Reader, In February 2013 I gave a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. Standing a few feet from President Obama, I warned my fellow citizens of the dangers facing our country and called for a return to the principles that made America great. Many Americans heard and responded, but our nation’s decline has continued. Today the danger is greater than ever before, and I have never shared a more urgent message than I do now. Our growing debt and deteriorating morals have driven us far from the founders’ intent. We’ve made very little progress in basic education. Obamacare threatens our health, liberty, and financial future. Media elitism and political correctness are out of control. Worst of all, we seem to have lost our ability to discuss important issues calmly and respectfully regardless of party affiliation or other differences. As a doctor rather than a politician, I care about what works, not whether someone has an (R) or a (D) after his or her name. We have to come together to solve our problems. Knowing that the future of my grandchildren is in jeopardy because of reckless spending, godless government, and mean-spirited attempts to silence critics left me no choice but to write this book. I have endeavored to propose a road out of our decline, appealing to every American’s decency and common sense. If each of us sits back and expects someone else to take action, it will soon be too late. But with your help, I firmly believe that America may once again be “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Sincerely, Ben Carson




One Last Great Thing


Book Description

A powerful, honest, and inspiring tribute to the incredible life of Richard Burke, the founder of Trek Bicycle Corporation, written by his son John. Richard Burke, known to many as “The Big Guy,” was a legend. With his friend Bevil Hogg, he founded the Trek Bicycle Corporation in 1976 and then went on to establish the company as one of the leading bicycle companies in the world. He was a man who called his son, John, his best friend. Indeed, they did many great things together: ran the Boston Marathon, followed the Tour de France throughout France, and later ran Trek together. In March 2008, he passed away after complications of heart surgery. The Big Guy touched people’s lives in countless ways, and his passing was deeply emotional for many. Now John (current president of Trek Bicycle) has written a powerful tribute to the incredible life his father led and the ways in which he was an inspiring businessman, leader, and person. Taking readers deep into the history of Trek, John shares how his father taught, trained, and instilled in him the confidence and desire to be a leader. A portrait of a great man, the book culminates with John telling his father on his deathbed of their twenty greatest moments together. This is an intimate portrayal of a father-son relationship filled with poignant experiences and lessons on how to get the most out of life.




A Bold Plan for America


Book Description

I am deeply concerned about the future of the United States. I believe our leaders have failed to adequately address many of the large problems we have as a country. I believe that as citizens, we are going to have the same leadership options in 2024 that we have had in past elections. We have a low-performance Government; our health-care system is almost twice as expensive as other Western countries and delivers the worst results when compared to those countries; our tax code is overly complicated, favoring the rich over everyone else; and we are $33 trillion in debt with no plan to pay for it. The list of significant issues that our leaders fail to address goes on and on. The United States used to lead the world as an example of good government. Those days are over, but they don't need to be. I am running for President because I think our country needs massive change.




The Federal Budget and Government Spending


Book Description

The federal budget affects all of us, whether we know it or not. Monies spent by the government go into our education, our security, our military, and our bridges and roads. But who is accountable for the budget, and what happens if we don't agree where the money is going? The expert viewpoints in this informative anthology examine where our tax dollars go, whether citizens have a say in spending, and what it means when the deficit just keeps growing.




Walkable City


Book Description

Presents a plan for American cities that focuses on making downtowns walkable and less attractive to drivers through smart growth and sustainable design




Love Your Enemies


Book Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER To get ahead today, you have to be a jerk, right? Divisive politicians. Screaming heads on television. Angry campus activists. Twitter trolls. Today in America, there is an “outrage industrial complex” that prospers by setting American against American, creating a “culture of contempt”—the habit of seeing people who disagree with us not as merely incorrect, but as worthless and defective. Maybe, like more than nine out of ten Americans, you dislike it. But hey, either you play along, or you’ll be left behind, right? Wrong. In Love Your Enemies, social scientist and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller From Strength to Strength Arthur C. Brooks shows that abuse and outrage are not the right formula for lasting success. Brooks blends cutting-edge behavioral research, ancient wisdom, and a decade of experience leading one of America’s top policy think tanks in a work that offers a better way to lead based on bridging divides and mending relationships. Brooks’ prescriptions are unconventional. To bring America together, we shouldn’t try to agree more. There is no need for mushy moderation, because disagreement is the secret to excellence. Civility and tolerance shouldn’t be our goals, because they are hopelessly low standards. And our feelings toward our foes are irrelevant; what matters is how we choose to act. Love Your Enemies offers a clear strategy for victory for a new generation of leaders. It is a rallying cry for people hoping for a new era of American progress. Most of all, it is a roadmap to arrive at the happiness that comes when we choose to love one another, despite our differences.




Saving America


Book Description

National polling indicates that for the first time in American history, people believe their children will not be as well off as they are. The primary reason for this? The lack of performance by government. The public sector receives trillions of American taxpayer dollars every year and yet because of its seeming inability to run effectively, government is not delivering the level of service the people are paying for. In Saving America, Mark Aesch tells us where government -- at the local, state, and federal level -- is falling short and offers a coherent, non-partisan, Seven-Step plan for rebuilding our nation's public agencies. The book is not a political broadside or a theoretical academic tract; it's an accessible guidebook that helps local citizens, elected officials, and administrators make American government great again. The Seven Steps process will lead to measurable gains for organizations large and small, including school systems, municipal governments, entire states, and even the federal government itself.




How to Avoid a Climate Disaster


Book Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide to certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions, where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively, where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete, practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions—suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers, and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise. As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.




God's Plan To Save America


Book Description

In a dream I had back in 1977 thousands of people were shouting out, in unison, an unusual name that I had never heard before. What I saw in that dream compelled me to try and find out if this name had any special meaning. That same day a language professor at the University of Maryland told me the only word he knew of that sounded like the one I heard in the dream was a Greek word. He said the word had three possible definitions; which changed when the accent over the -e- changed. Those definitions are very significant and I write about them in the chapter on Dreams and Visions. The definitions and an interpretation of the dream by a Rabbi three days after the dream led me to eventually believe that this unusual name could be the fulfillment of Revelations 2:17 and/or 3:12. In subsequent dreams I was writing a book titled -God's Plan to Save America-, and in one of those dreams a man was passing out white stones that had the name written on it that I heard in the dream. It is important to note that I learned of these Biblical Scriptures after I had these unusual dreams. Revelations 2:17. -Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations: To him that conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white pebble, and UPON THE PEBBLE A NEW NAME written which no one knows except the one receiving it.-