Nonfiction
It’s Better than It Looks (2018)
Argues the condition of the world is better than generally perceived. Controversy over It’s Better Than It Looks was covered by the New Yorker, the BBC, NPR and many others.
Editor’s Choice and cover review
— New York Times Sunday Book Review“Masterly and comprehensive”
— the Wall Street Journal“Well-written…readers will flock to this book”
— Library Journal, starred review
The Progress Paradox (2003)
A New York Times bestseller about the paradox that as life gets better in material terms, many people feel worse about their societies and the future.
“Excellent”
— The Economist“Fascinating”
— the Seattle Post Intelligencer“A welcome antidote to the demagoguery prevalent in political discussion today”
— the Los Angeles Times
Sonic Boom (2009)
Published in early 2009, at the low point of the Great Recession, predicts the global economy will recover; that developing world poverty will decline; that inequality will worsen. All happened.
“A book you must read”
— Eric Schmidt, executive chair of Alphabet (parent company of Google)“I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants deep insights into the future”
— Gary Becker, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Beside Still Waters (1999)
Searching for a scriptural understanding of Christian belief that incorporates both God and empirical rationality.
“Fascinating and elegant... invests the timeless question of life's meaning with distinctly contemporary pertinence”
— George F. Will
A Moment on Earth (1995)
Published in 1995 to enormous controversy, predicts that all environmental trends other than greenhouse gas levels are turning positive in the developed nations and eventually will turn positive in the developing world. Describes in detail public-policy steps to prevent climate change. More than two decades later, nearly everything in this 745-page volume has stood the test of time.
“The most important book about the environment since Silent Spring”
— William Reilly, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency“Deserves to be read, investigated, argued about and honored”
— The New York Times Book Review
Literary Novels
The Leading Indicators (St. Martin's, 2011)
Economic indicators tell the big picture. What about the little picture of the impact of globalization on a family?
“The first great novel of the Great Recession”
— Arianna Huffington“Powerful stuff – this book aims high”
— the Buffalo News
The Here and Now (St. Martin’s, 2002)
Can lost idealism be regained? That is the question of this novel, which follows the fortunes of a burned-out middle-aged professional as he struggles to comprehend what happened to the ideals of his youth.
“Moving”
— The New York Times Book Review“Exceptionally moving”
— the Los Angeles Times
This Magic Moment (St. Martin's, 1989)
Critics raved about this novel of modern life, love and honor – and it sunk without a trace in commercial terms. Used copies can still be had at Powell’s.
“This Magic Moment is funny, appealing, original, handsome, smart, beautiful. It dazzles. If this book were a man or woman, you’d want to go out with it. You’d fall in love with it.”
— the Los Angeles Times“More ideas per page than any piece of fiction in recent memory.”
— The New York Times Book Review“Compares with the early novels of Saul Bellow.”
— United Press International (Yes, UPI really said that)
Sports Books
The Game's Not Over (PublicAffairs Books, 2015)
Football has all manner of problems, but fashionable calls for the abolition of the sport are unrealistic. This short book defends the game while laying out an agenda for reform, especially at the youth and high school levels.
“Readable and entertaining”
— The Wall Street Journal“In the history of the world, there have been few books quite like this one”
— the Financial Times (Yes, the FT really said that)
The King of Sports (St. Martin's, 2013)
Explores how football became so deeply ingrained in American culture.
“The King of Sports is a fantastic book”
— Chuck Todd, NBC News“The most significant book ever written on football”
— Brian Kenny, former anchor, ESPN’s SportsCenter
Tuesday Morning Quarterback (Universe, 2001)
A gift book with humorous essays and haiku, plus wonderful pictures from the old leather-helmets era.
Our favorite stocking-stuffer book of the season
— The Washington Post