The Effort Myth

The Effort Myth

Author: Sherri Fisher

Publisher: Positive Edge Press/Sherri W Fisher LLC

Published: 2021-11-16

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 9781732136816

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Are you a well-meaning parent who tries to motivate your child by reassuring them that they just need to try harder?Do you believe that gritty effort is the key to their success? If so, you may believe in the false promises of the effort myth. Students often do try harder, and some make short-term improvements. However, focusing on effort may even make a student's problems worse. No one should have to suffer to be able to learn. Of course, effort is necessary for work to be done successfully. However, trying harder is not sufficient by itself. That's because it's not how hard you try that leads to success; it's how you try hard.Written by a learning specialist with decades of experience teaching and coaching thousands of students and parents like you, The Effort Myth: How to Give Your Child the Three Gifts of Motivation will guide you to: - Participate more effectively in the education of your children- Know when you need to step in and when you need to let your children figure it out themselves- Help in ways that will enable your children to grow in ability and independence"With clarity, empathy, and humor, The Effort Myth takes complex, murky spaces in parenting a struggling adolescent and makes them clear, actionable, and relatable. As an experienced clinician in this field, I find this book is spot-on from a developmental and family systems perspective. As a parent, it really speaks to my heart."Lauren A. Killeen, Ph.D., Pediatric NeuropsychologistFounder/Director, Social Emotional Educational & Developmental Services (SEEDS)SHERRI FISHER has taught thousands of clients how to successfully challenge the effort myth. She is the director of Learn & Flourish, an education coaching and consulting firm, where she develops personalized, research-based tools for struggling learners and families. Sherri earned her Master's degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Learn more at TheEffortMyth.com.


Book Synopsis The Effort Myth by : Sherri Fisher

Download or read book The Effort Myth written by Sherri Fisher and published by Positive Edge Press/Sherri W Fisher LLC. This book was released on 2021-11-16 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you a well-meaning parent who tries to motivate your child by reassuring them that they just need to try harder?Do you believe that gritty effort is the key to their success? If so, you may believe in the false promises of the effort myth. Students often do try harder, and some make short-term improvements. However, focusing on effort may even make a student's problems worse. No one should have to suffer to be able to learn. Of course, effort is necessary for work to be done successfully. However, trying harder is not sufficient by itself. That's because it's not how hard you try that leads to success; it's how you try hard.Written by a learning specialist with decades of experience teaching and coaching thousands of students and parents like you, The Effort Myth: How to Give Your Child the Three Gifts of Motivation will guide you to: - Participate more effectively in the education of your children- Know when you need to step in and when you need to let your children figure it out themselves- Help in ways that will enable your children to grow in ability and independence"With clarity, empathy, and humor, The Effort Myth takes complex, murky spaces in parenting a struggling adolescent and makes them clear, actionable, and relatable. As an experienced clinician in this field, I find this book is spot-on from a developmental and family systems perspective. As a parent, it really speaks to my heart."Lauren A. Killeen, Ph.D., Pediatric NeuropsychologistFounder/Director, Social Emotional Educational & Developmental Services (SEEDS)SHERRI FISHER has taught thousands of clients how to successfully challenge the effort myth. She is the director of Learn & Flourish, an education coaching and consulting firm, where she develops personalized, research-based tools for struggling learners and families. Sherri earned her Master's degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Learn more at TheEffortMyth.com.

Something M. Y. T. H. Inc.

Something M. Y. T. H. Inc.

Author: Robert L. Asprin

Publisher: Meisha Merlin Publishing

Published: 2004-10

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781892065889

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Things are not well in the kingdom...While Skeeve and Aahz are preoccupied with the aftermath of Gleep's shooting, the MYTH Inc crew faces its biggest challenge yet-not one, but multiple challenges to the king and his court sorcerer! Word on the street is that the kingdom is under the control of a mighty sorcerer. It's obvious that this magician dabbles in the black arts: He consorts with demons. He has a dragon for a pet. He's connected to the criminal underground, trading political influence for their assistance in keeping the populace under control. And for most citizens, all this could be overlooked, except that this villain has committed the greatest crime possible: he's raised taxes! Clearly something has to be done! The citizens are beginning to ponder and mutter, both individually and in groups, about how this tyrant can be brought down. And while they vary greatly in skill and intelligence, certainly the sheer volume of them virtually ensures the eventual downfall of the scoundrel that's currently growing fat off the kingdom...the man called Skeeve the Great. Can the MYTH Inc gang protect Skeeve from these attacks and still convince him that everything is business as usual


Book Synopsis Something M. Y. T. H. Inc. by : Robert L. Asprin

Download or read book Something M. Y. T. H. Inc. written by Robert L. Asprin and published by Meisha Merlin Publishing. This book was released on 2004-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Things are not well in the kingdom...While Skeeve and Aahz are preoccupied with the aftermath of Gleep's shooting, the MYTH Inc crew faces its biggest challenge yet-not one, but multiple challenges to the king and his court sorcerer! Word on the street is that the kingdom is under the control of a mighty sorcerer. It's obvious that this magician dabbles in the black arts: He consorts with demons. He has a dragon for a pet. He's connected to the criminal underground, trading political influence for their assistance in keeping the populace under control. And for most citizens, all this could be overlooked, except that this villain has committed the greatest crime possible: he's raised taxes! Clearly something has to be done! The citizens are beginning to ponder and mutter, both individually and in groups, about how this tyrant can be brought down. And while they vary greatly in skill and intelligence, certainly the sheer volume of them virtually ensures the eventual downfall of the scoundrel that's currently growing fat off the kingdom...the man called Skeeve the Great. Can the MYTH Inc gang protect Skeeve from these attacks and still convince him that everything is business as usual

Unleash Your Epic Self

Unleash Your Epic Self

Author: Sherri W. Fisher

Publisher: Positive Edge Press

Published: 2022-09

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781732136830

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Do you or someone you care about spend more effort resisting work than just getting it done? It is so tempting to think that just trying harder can fix things. I label this answer the effort myth. It is a story that people tell about someone (maybe you!) who seems smart enough to be successful, but who is struggling to achieve. The real way to improve is not just to put in more effort. It is knowing how to try differently that can help change things for the better! In Unleash Your Epic Self, you can learn how to spend your efforts more effectively, and in ways that build your POS-EDGE® for well-being. Each of the 35 Unleash Your Epic Self practices includes four steps:Learn-Understand-Gain knowledge or skill Grow-Connect and expand new learning-Make choices and personalize Flourish-Practice abilities-Experience and apply them in new ways Reflect-Look inward-Consider new action


Book Synopsis Unleash Your Epic Self by : Sherri W. Fisher

Download or read book Unleash Your Epic Self written by Sherri W. Fisher and published by Positive Edge Press. This book was released on 2022-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you or someone you care about spend more effort resisting work than just getting it done? It is so tempting to think that just trying harder can fix things. I label this answer the effort myth. It is a story that people tell about someone (maybe you!) who seems smart enough to be successful, but who is struggling to achieve. The real way to improve is not just to put in more effort. It is knowing how to try differently that can help change things for the better! In Unleash Your Epic Self, you can learn how to spend your efforts more effectively, and in ways that build your POS-EDGE® for well-being. Each of the 35 Unleash Your Epic Self practices includes four steps:Learn-Understand-Gain knowledge or skill Grow-Connect and expand new learning-Make choices and personalize Flourish-Practice abilities-Experience and apply them in new ways Reflect-Look inward-Consider new action

The Motivation Myth

The Motivation Myth

Author: Jeff Haden

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2018-01-09

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0399563784

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From Inc.com's most popular columnist, a counterintuitive--but highly practical--guide to finding and maintaining the motivation to achieve great things. It's comforting to imagine that superstars in their fields were just born better equipped than the rest of us. When a co-worker loses 20 pounds, or a friend runs a marathon while completing a huge project at work, we assume they have more grit, more willpower, more innate talent, and above all, more motivation to see their goals through. But that's not at actually true, as popular Inc.com columnist Jeff Haden proves. "Motivation" as we know it is a myth. Motivation isn't the special sauce that we require at the beginning of any major change. In fact, motivation is a result of process, not a cause. Understanding this will change the way you approach any obstacle or big goal. Haden shows us how to reframe our thinking about the relationship of motivation to success. He meets us at our level--at the beginning of any big goal we have for our lives, a little anxious and unsure about our way forward, a little burned by self help books and strategies that have failed us in the past—and offers practical advice that anyone can use to stop stalling and start working on those dreams. Haden takes the mystery out of accomplishment, proving that success isn't about spiritual awakening or a lightning bolt of inspiration --as Tony Robbins and adherents of The Secret believe--but instead, about clear and repeatable processes. Using his own advice, Haden has consistently drawn 2 million readers a month to his posts, completed a 107-mile long mountain bike race, and lost 10 pounds in a month. Success isn't for the uniquely-qualified; it's possible for any person who understands the true nature of motivation. Jeff Haden can help you transcend average and make lasting positive change in your life.


Book Synopsis The Motivation Myth by : Jeff Haden

Download or read book The Motivation Myth written by Jeff Haden and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-01-09 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Inc.com's most popular columnist, a counterintuitive--but highly practical--guide to finding and maintaining the motivation to achieve great things. It's comforting to imagine that superstars in their fields were just born better equipped than the rest of us. When a co-worker loses 20 pounds, or a friend runs a marathon while completing a huge project at work, we assume they have more grit, more willpower, more innate talent, and above all, more motivation to see their goals through. But that's not at actually true, as popular Inc.com columnist Jeff Haden proves. "Motivation" as we know it is a myth. Motivation isn't the special sauce that we require at the beginning of any major change. In fact, motivation is a result of process, not a cause. Understanding this will change the way you approach any obstacle or big goal. Haden shows us how to reframe our thinking about the relationship of motivation to success. He meets us at our level--at the beginning of any big goal we have for our lives, a little anxious and unsure about our way forward, a little burned by self help books and strategies that have failed us in the past—and offers practical advice that anyone can use to stop stalling and start working on those dreams. Haden takes the mystery out of accomplishment, proving that success isn't about spiritual awakening or a lightning bolt of inspiration --as Tony Robbins and adherents of The Secret believe--but instead, about clear and repeatable processes. Using his own advice, Haden has consistently drawn 2 million readers a month to his posts, completed a 107-mile long mountain bike race, and lost 10 pounds in a month. Success isn't for the uniquely-qualified; it's possible for any person who understands the true nature of motivation. Jeff Haden can help you transcend average and make lasting positive change in your life.

Another Fine Myth

Another Fine Myth

Author: Robert Asprin

Publisher: Ace

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780441013463

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A magician's apprentice teams up with the demon Aahz and experiences a variety of adventures with many strange, other-worldy characters.


Book Synopsis Another Fine Myth by : Robert Asprin

Download or read book Another Fine Myth written by Robert Asprin and published by Ace. This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A magician's apprentice teams up with the demon Aahz and experiences a variety of adventures with many strange, other-worldy characters.

The Myths of Innovation

The Myths of Innovation

Author: Scott Berkun

Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."

Published: 2010-08-13

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 1449399614

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In this new paperback edition of the classic bestseller, you'll be taken on a hilarious, fast-paced ride through the history of ideas. Author Scott Berkun will show you how to transcend the false stories that many business experts, scientists, and much of pop culture foolishly use to guide their thinking about how ideas change the world. With four new chapters on putting the ideas in the book to work, updated references and over 50 corrections and improvements, now is the time to get past the myths, and change the world. You'll have fun while you learn: Where ideas come from The true history of history Why most people don't like ideas How great managers make ideas thrive The importance of problem finding The simple plan (new for paperback) Since its initial publication, this classic bestseller has been discussed on NPR, MSNBC, CNBC, and at Yale University, MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Google, Amazon.com, and other major media, corporations, and universities around the world. It has changed the way thousands of leaders and creators understand the world. Now in an updated and expanded paperback edition, it's a fantastic time to explore or rediscover this powerful view of the world of ideas. "Sets us free to try and change the world."--Guy Kawasaki, Author of Art of The Start "Small, simple, powerful: an innovative book about innovation."--Don Norman, author of Design of Everyday Things "Insightful, inspiring, evocative, and just plain fun to read. It's totally great."--John Seely Brown, Former Director, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) "Methodically and entertainingly dismantling the cliches that surround the process of innovation."--Scott Rosenberg, author of Dreaming in Code; cofounder of Salon.com "Will inspire you to come up with breakthrough ideas of your own."--Alan Cooper, Father of Visual Basic and author of The Inmates are Running the Asylum "Brimming with insights and historical examples, Berkun's book not only debunks widely held myths about innovation, it also points the ways toward making your new ideas stick."--Tom Kelley, GM, IDEO; author of The Ten Faces of Innovation


Book Synopsis The Myths of Innovation by : Scott Berkun

Download or read book The Myths of Innovation written by Scott Berkun and published by "O'Reilly Media, Inc.". This book was released on 2010-08-13 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this new paperback edition of the classic bestseller, you'll be taken on a hilarious, fast-paced ride through the history of ideas. Author Scott Berkun will show you how to transcend the false stories that many business experts, scientists, and much of pop culture foolishly use to guide their thinking about how ideas change the world. With four new chapters on putting the ideas in the book to work, updated references and over 50 corrections and improvements, now is the time to get past the myths, and change the world. You'll have fun while you learn: Where ideas come from The true history of history Why most people don't like ideas How great managers make ideas thrive The importance of problem finding The simple plan (new for paperback) Since its initial publication, this classic bestseller has been discussed on NPR, MSNBC, CNBC, and at Yale University, MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Google, Amazon.com, and other major media, corporations, and universities around the world. It has changed the way thousands of leaders and creators understand the world. Now in an updated and expanded paperback edition, it's a fantastic time to explore or rediscover this powerful view of the world of ideas. "Sets us free to try and change the world."--Guy Kawasaki, Author of Art of The Start "Small, simple, powerful: an innovative book about innovation."--Don Norman, author of Design of Everyday Things "Insightful, inspiring, evocative, and just plain fun to read. It's totally great."--John Seely Brown, Former Director, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) "Methodically and entertainingly dismantling the cliches that surround the process of innovation."--Scott Rosenberg, author of Dreaming in Code; cofounder of Salon.com "Will inspire you to come up with breakthrough ideas of your own."--Alan Cooper, Father of Visual Basic and author of The Inmates are Running the Asylum "Brimming with insights and historical examples, Berkun's book not only debunks widely held myths about innovation, it also points the ways toward making your new ideas stick."--Tom Kelley, GM, IDEO; author of The Ten Faces of Innovation

Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth

Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth

Author: Aaron Hogan

Publisher:

Published: 2017-05-10

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 9781946444158

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The idyllic myth of the perfect teacher perpetuates unrealistic expectations that erode self-confidence and set teachers up for failure. Author and educator Aaron Hogan is on a mission to shatter the myth of the perfect teacher by equipping educators with strategies that help them shift out of survival mode and THRIVE.


Book Synopsis Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth by : Aaron Hogan

Download or read book Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth written by Aaron Hogan and published by . This book was released on 2017-05-10 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The idyllic myth of the perfect teacher perpetuates unrealistic expectations that erode self-confidence and set teachers up for failure. Author and educator Aaron Hogan is on a mission to shatter the myth of the perfect teacher by equipping educators with strategies that help them shift out of survival mode and THRIVE.

The Myth of Meritocracy

The Myth of Meritocracy

Author: James Bloodworth

Publisher: Biteback Publishing

Published: 2016-05-19

Total Pages: 80

ISBN-13: 1785900765

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The best jobs in Britain today are overwhelmingly done by the children of the wealthy. Meanwhile, it is increasingly difficult for bright but poor kids to transcend their circumstances. This state of affairs should not only worry the less well-off. It hurts the middle classes too, who are increasingly locked out of the top professions by those from affluent backgrounds. Hitherto, Labour and Conservative politicians alike have sought to deal with the problem by promoting the idea of 'equality of opportunity'. In politics, social mobility is the only game in town, and old socialist arguments emphasising economic equality are about as fashionable today as mullets and shell suits. Yet genuine equality of opportunity is impossible alongside levels of inequality last seen during the 1930s. In a grossly unequal society, the privileges of the parents unfailingly become the privileges of the children. A vague commitment from our politicians to build a 'meritocracy' is not enough. Nor is it desirable: a perfectly stratified meritocracy, in which everyone knew their station based on 'merit', would be a deeply unpleasant place to live. Any genuine attempt to improve social mobility must start by reducing the gap between rich and poor. PROVOCATIONS is a groundbreaking new series of short polemics composed by some of the most intriguing voices in contemporary culture and edited by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Sharp, intelligent and controversial, Provocations provides insightful contributions to the most vital discussions in society today.


Book Synopsis The Myth of Meritocracy by : James Bloodworth

Download or read book The Myth of Meritocracy written by James Bloodworth and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2016-05-19 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The best jobs in Britain today are overwhelmingly done by the children of the wealthy. Meanwhile, it is increasingly difficult for bright but poor kids to transcend their circumstances. This state of affairs should not only worry the less well-off. It hurts the middle classes too, who are increasingly locked out of the top professions by those from affluent backgrounds. Hitherto, Labour and Conservative politicians alike have sought to deal with the problem by promoting the idea of 'equality of opportunity'. In politics, social mobility is the only game in town, and old socialist arguments emphasising economic equality are about as fashionable today as mullets and shell suits. Yet genuine equality of opportunity is impossible alongside levels of inequality last seen during the 1930s. In a grossly unequal society, the privileges of the parents unfailingly become the privileges of the children. A vague commitment from our politicians to build a 'meritocracy' is not enough. Nor is it desirable: a perfectly stratified meritocracy, in which everyone knew their station based on 'merit', would be a deeply unpleasant place to live. Any genuine attempt to improve social mobility must start by reducing the gap between rich and poor. PROVOCATIONS is a groundbreaking new series of short polemics composed by some of the most intriguing voices in contemporary culture and edited by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Sharp, intelligent and controversial, Provocations provides insightful contributions to the most vital discussions in society today.

Success and Luck

Success and Luck

Author: Robert H. Frank

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2016-04-19

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1400880270

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From New York Times bestselling author and economics columnist Robert Frank, a compelling book that explains why the rich underestimate the importance of luck in their success, why that hurts everyone, and what we can do about it How important is luck in economic success? No question more reliably divides conservatives from liberals. As conservatives correctly observe, people who amass great fortunes are almost always talented and hardworking. But liberals are also correct to note that countless others have those same qualities yet never earn much. In recent years, social scientists have discovered that chance plays a much larger role in important life outcomes than most people imagine. In Success and Luck, bestselling author and New York Times economics columnist Robert Frank explores the surprising implications of those findings to show why the rich underestimate the importance of luck in success—and why that hurts everyone, even the wealthy. Frank describes how, in a world increasingly dominated by winner-take-all markets, chance opportunities and trivial initial advantages often translate into much larger ones—and enormous income differences—over time; how false beliefs about luck persist, despite compelling evidence against them; and how myths about personal success and luck shape individual and political choices in harmful ways. But, Frank argues, we could decrease the inequality driven by sheer luck by adopting simple, unintrusive policies that would free up trillions of dollars each year—more than enough to fix our crumbling infrastructure, expand healthcare coverage, fight global warming, and reduce poverty, all without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone. If this sounds implausible, you'll be surprised to discover that the solution requires only a few, noncontroversial steps. Compellingly readable, Success and Luck shows how a more accurate understanding of the role of chance in life could lead to better, richer, and fairer economies and societies.


Book Synopsis Success and Luck by : Robert H. Frank

Download or read book Success and Luck written by Robert H. Frank and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From New York Times bestselling author and economics columnist Robert Frank, a compelling book that explains why the rich underestimate the importance of luck in their success, why that hurts everyone, and what we can do about it How important is luck in economic success? No question more reliably divides conservatives from liberals. As conservatives correctly observe, people who amass great fortunes are almost always talented and hardworking. But liberals are also correct to note that countless others have those same qualities yet never earn much. In recent years, social scientists have discovered that chance plays a much larger role in important life outcomes than most people imagine. In Success and Luck, bestselling author and New York Times economics columnist Robert Frank explores the surprising implications of those findings to show why the rich underestimate the importance of luck in success—and why that hurts everyone, even the wealthy. Frank describes how, in a world increasingly dominated by winner-take-all markets, chance opportunities and trivial initial advantages often translate into much larger ones—and enormous income differences—over time; how false beliefs about luck persist, despite compelling evidence against them; and how myths about personal success and luck shape individual and political choices in harmful ways. But, Frank argues, we could decrease the inequality driven by sheer luck by adopting simple, unintrusive policies that would free up trillions of dollars each year—more than enough to fix our crumbling infrastructure, expand healthcare coverage, fight global warming, and reduce poverty, all without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone. If this sounds implausible, you'll be surprised to discover that the solution requires only a few, noncontroversial steps. Compellingly readable, Success and Luck shows how a more accurate understanding of the role of chance in life could lead to better, richer, and fairer economies and societies.

The Myth of Homeland Security

The Myth of Homeland Security

Author: Marcus Ranum

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2003-11-24

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 0764555790

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"As I write this, I'm sitting in a restaurant in a major U.S. airport, eating my breakfast with a plastic knife and fork. I worked up quite an appetite getting here two hours early and shuffling in the block-long lines until I got to the security checkpoint where I could take off my shoes, remove my belt, and put my carry-on luggage through the screening system . "What's going on? It's homeland security. Welcome to the new age of knee-jerk security at any price. Well, I've paid, and you've paid, and we'll all keep paying-but is it going to help? Have we embarked on a massive multibillion-dollar boondoggle that's going to do nothing more than make us feel more secure? Are we paying nosebleed prices for "feel-good" measures? . "This book was painful to write. By nature, I am a problem solver. Professionally I have made my career out of solving complex problems efficiently by trying to find the right place to push hard and make a difference. Researching the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, CIA, INS, the PATRIOT Act, and so forth, one falls into a rabbit's hole of interdependent lameness and dysfunction. I came face to face with the realization that there are gigantic bureaucracies that exist primarily for the sole purpose of prolonging their existence, that the very structure of bureaucracy rewards inefficiency and encourages territorialism and turf warfare."


Book Synopsis The Myth of Homeland Security by : Marcus Ranum

Download or read book The Myth of Homeland Security written by Marcus Ranum and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2003-11-24 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "As I write this, I'm sitting in a restaurant in a major U.S. airport, eating my breakfast with a plastic knife and fork. I worked up quite an appetite getting here two hours early and shuffling in the block-long lines until I got to the security checkpoint where I could take off my shoes, remove my belt, and put my carry-on luggage through the screening system . "What's going on? It's homeland security. Welcome to the new age of knee-jerk security at any price. Well, I've paid, and you've paid, and we'll all keep paying-but is it going to help? Have we embarked on a massive multibillion-dollar boondoggle that's going to do nothing more than make us feel more secure? Are we paying nosebleed prices for "feel-good" measures? . "This book was painful to write. By nature, I am a problem solver. Professionally I have made my career out of solving complex problems efficiently by trying to find the right place to push hard and make a difference. Researching the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, CIA, INS, the PATRIOT Act, and so forth, one falls into a rabbit's hole of interdependent lameness and dysfunction. I came face to face with the realization that there are gigantic bureaucracies that exist primarily for the sole purpose of prolonging their existence, that the very structure of bureaucracy rewards inefficiency and encourages territorialism and turf warfare."