The following review was contributed by: ROGER E. HERMAN

There is no question today that governments—at all levels—are in dire fiscal straits. Years of political maneuvering, wasteful spending, mismanagement, and an economic roller-coaster have taken their toll. While wonderful innovation has been seen in a number of government agencies at the federal, state, and local level, most have a very long way to go. The resistance to change must be overcome if we are to avoid widespread bankruptcy of the very organizations that we, as taxpayers and citizens, rely on for shared services and support. Change is a community effort, not just something to be delegated to a few elected or appointed officials. But the work to be done is akin to hugging a hippopotamus…especially if the animal doesn’t want to be hugged!

The authors are consultants—which could be considered good news or bad news. In this case, it’s good news. They are founder and senior partner of Public Strategies Group, a firm specializing in the field of improving government. Osborne is author of the best-seller, “Reinventing Government.” These authors have the credentials that cry out how valuable their book might be.

The five sections of the book organize their huge volume of information, commentary, and advice: Smarter Budgeting, Smarter Sizing, Smarter Spending, Smarter Management, and Smarter Leadership. Through fifteen chapters the authors describe what’s been happening, the impact, what changes could—or should—be made, and what benefits will result. There are no illustrations in this book—a few charts; it’s straight text in page after intriguing page. Tremendous content that can be absorbed in a straight-through read or studied in a reference book fashion.

Community leaders will find an incredible amount of material to work with in these pages. The question is how many communities will have sufficiently strong and committed leadership—political and apolitical—to overcome the resistance of tradition and self-serving turf protection in order to bring about critically needed change. If you can build the community resources to make the needed improvements, this book will be a real treasure for exploring opportunities and finding wise solutions.