Tim Burgess' City View

Mark A. R. Kleiman: When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment
Intelligent, progressive, fact-based criminal justice reform recommendations that honor the role of the police yet push hard on innovation. This is change that will work to reduce crime, lower prison populations, and restore our neighborhoods. A must read for those who are tired of the old ways of policing and punishment.

The Mom & Pop Store: How the Unsung Heroes of the American Economy Are Surviving and Thriving
A wonderful read by a Seattle author on the value of small businesses, true customer service, and economic growth.

Anthony Flint: Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs Took On New York's Master Builder and Transformed the American City
A must read as Seattle prepares for increased density and major transportation projects. Jane Jacobs can teach us some good lessons, including why we should never put a new, six lane surface freeway along the waterfront!

David Kessler: The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite

Richard H. Thaler: Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

David M. Kennedy: Deterrence and Crime Prevention: Reconsidering the Prospect of Sanction
An informative and well reasoned argument about new strategies for keeping our neighborhoods safe.

Thomas Cahill: A Saint on Death Row: The Story of Dominique Green
A powerful and moving account, yet another case for abolishing the death penalty.

Christopher Dickey: Securing the City: Inside America's Best Counterterror Force--The NYPD
A powerful read about how one city protects itself. Good lessons to learn.

Craig Rennebohm: Souls in the Hands of a Tender God: Stories of the Search for Home and Healing on theStreets
Gripping, poignant stories from the streets of Seattle. Recommended to me by a city official deeply involved in serving "the least of these" among us.

Barack Obama: Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
A wonderful story worth a re-read right now.

Bill Bishop: The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart
This book promotes some serious thinking about diversity (or lack of it!) in our cities.

Thomas L. Friedman: Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America
A real challenge for the US—and Seattle, especially—to seriously retool our production economy for the future. A great read, with appropriate inspiration!

Thurston Clarke: The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America
A wonderful read! Strong parallels with today's political climate.

Van Jones: The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems
A compelling case for replacing our consumption-driven, debt-ridden, and environmentally-destructive economy with one based on production, thrift, and environmental restoration.