The Price of Civilization_ Reawakening American Virtue and Prosperity - Jeffrey D. Sachs [114]
As usual, I leaned heavily, and I hope not too heavily, on friends and colleagues to read various parts of the manuscript and to give me their insights and commentary. I am delighted to thank Meir Stampfer, John McArthur, and Foad Mardukhi for their very careful reading and detailed comments. I am indebted to my father-in-law, Walter Ehrlich, for his relentlessly penetrating observations and interpretations of public events, and for his thorough comments on parts of the manuscript. I give thanks, too, for the inspiration of Ted Sorensen, who generously shared with me his life-affirming vision of government as an instrument of peace and problem solving. With his passing this year, we have lost a voice of reason, compassion, and optimism. And as always I am deeply grateful to my colleagues Erin Trowbridge and Kyu-Young Lee for helping me to extend the public policy dialogue through social networks, blogs, and media debates.
For many years I have felt that America’s harsh politics and divisive public discourse are shortchanging the public’s deep longing for well-being. A wonderful trip to Bhutan last year, and my ongoing efforts with Bhutan’s enlightened leadership to promote Bhutan’s concept of “Gross National Happiness,” have helped me to understand more clearly how societies in our era can champion the pursuit of happiness. I extend my special thanks, therefore, to Prime Minister Jigme Thinley; His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk; Bhutan’s permanent representative to the UN, Lhatu Wangchuk; and Karma Tshiteem, secretary of the Commission on Gross National Happiness.
America’s political discourse is so toxic in part because of the irresponsibility of much of the media, notably the countless TV and radio shows that draw viewers through extremism utterly untethered from truth and basic civility. It’s been a great privilege, therefore, to be able to discuss the topics of this book on television shows that are marked by good conversation, good humor, and a consistent sense of decency. I thank Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Fareed Zakaria, Tom Keene, and Charlie Rose for their professionalism and sense of responsibility, and for welcoming me as a regular participant in their programs.
This book was written in the course of an overfilled schedule at the Earth Institute, the United Nations, and on-site work throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. I could find the time for thought and reflection only because of the excellence and unstinting generosity of my colleagues in all facets of my work. I would like to give special thanks to my chief of staff, Joanna Rubinstein; my executive assistant, Heidi Kleedtke; Director’s Office support Donald Wheat and Suzette Espeut; MDG Centre directors Amadou Niang and Belay Begashaw; Earth Institute COO Steve Cohen; and Earth Institute associate director Peter Schlosser. For a decade now, Columbia University has been the ideal home in every way for this range of work, and for that I am profoundly grateful for the leadership of President Lee Bollinger.
My editors and literary agents turned a book concept into a reality through their unstinting professionalism at every turn. Random House editor Jonathan Jao has been scintillating and cogent at every turn. His suggestions and editorial talents are reflected in every high point of the book. The low points, I fear, are the places where I didn’t listen carefully enough to his sage editorial advice. As in my past books, Scott Moyers and Andrew Wylie guided me at every twist and turn, from the very first musings about the usefulness of a new book on America’s political and economic predicament to the delivery of