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treyhunner's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this audiobook. If you work in tech and you're into public policy or interested in US politics, I'd definitely recommend this book.
Ezra Klein's interview with Jennifer Pahlka was a great summary but I think reading the whole book was worthwhile. Both liberals and conservatives have things to learn from this book.
A few favorite quotes:
"Culture eats policy"
"The waterfall methodology amounts to a pledge by all parties not to learn anything while doing the actual work."
"Government knows how to acquire technology. What we need to acquire are capabilities."
Also check out the website: https://www.recodingamerica.us/concepts
Ezra Klein's interview with Jennifer Pahlka was a great summary but I think reading the whole book was worthwhile. Both liberals and conservatives have things to learn from this book.
A few favorite quotes:
"Culture eats policy"
"The waterfall methodology amounts to a pledge by all parties not to learn anything while doing the actual work."
"Government knows how to acquire technology. What we need to acquire are capabilities."
Also check out the website: https://www.recodingamerica.us/concepts
_chaoticbooknook's review
5.0
4.5 rounded up.
What a tremendous book! I almost feel like this was tailored to me: I love policy implementation, so many case studies focus on public health initiatives that have and have not rolled out well (healthcare.gov, MACRA, CovidTest.gov, etc.). Make this book into a whole class please!
This focuses a lot on the implementation side of policy, particularly in the digital realm, but I found it to be more broad strokes why policy implementation is so important especially in today’s digital age. The public’s expectations on what sort of service to receive has changed dramatically with the leaps and bounds in technology over the past two decades, and the government has not caught up despite many policies and regulations and promises to change.
Pahlka lays out her argument well in a digestible, unpatronizing, passionate, and clear manner. Even I was somewhat baffled to learn the inner machinations of how things worked within the government, but what I came away with is that 1) we are so fucking lucky to have the passionate, capable civil servants we do have, and 2) this is not easy but feels surmountable in an incremental and deliberate way that most other policy issues aren’t.
I found this book so hopeful in a sea of dire policy books and it felt like it was speaking to me - hence the nudge over the edge of a 9. I think everyone who is interested in current events should read this book.
What a tremendous book! I almost feel like this was tailored to me: I love policy implementation, so many case studies focus on public health initiatives that have and have not rolled out well (healthcare.gov, MACRA, CovidTest.gov, etc.). Make this book into a whole class please!
This focuses a lot on the implementation side of policy, particularly in the digital realm, but I found it to be more broad strokes why policy implementation is so important especially in today’s digital age. The public’s expectations on what sort of service to receive has changed dramatically with the leaps and bounds in technology over the past two decades, and the government has not caught up despite many policies and regulations and promises to change.
Pahlka lays out her argument well in a digestible, unpatronizing, passionate, and clear manner. Even I was somewhat baffled to learn the inner machinations of how things worked within the government, but what I came away with is that 1) we are so fucking lucky to have the passionate, capable civil servants we do have, and 2) this is not easy but feels surmountable in an incremental and deliberate way that most other policy issues aren’t.
I found this book so hopeful in a sea of dire policy books and it felt like it was speaking to me - hence the nudge over the edge of a 9. I think everyone who is interested in current events should read this book.
drae's review
5.0
As a technology implementer in the public sector, I found this book immensely valuable. It spoke to many of the real life experiences and challenges I've encountered in my career, providing a thoughtful and balanced narrative about how we got here, and offering a hopeful look to the future.
The anecdotes were memorable and poignant, and the calls to action were sensible. I've been recommending this book to all my colleagues.
The anecdotes were memorable and poignant, and the calls to action were sensible. I've been recommending this book to all my colleagues.
jazzsequence's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.0
This is an important book. Like many important books, it’s hard and occasionally dense. The author does a good job of making and explaining her points but it’s written very non-linearly, which means occasionally she’ll return to a subject from three chapters ago and talk about someone by name and you might be left thinking “wait, who is this person?”
I get the point and I get the subject. It’s illuminating in how it reveals much of government’s technology failures, not just what failed but why. But the point seems a little lost, the call to action isn’t very strong, and it takes a while to get there.
I get the point and I get the subject. It’s illuminating in how it reveals much of government’s technology failures, not just what failed but why. But the point seems a little lost, the call to action isn’t very strong, and it takes a while to get there.
kaseydesign's review
5.0
This makes me want to return to public service so we can ensure that government makes good on the promise of improving people’s lives.
jesshuang24's review
4.0
fascinating. great conclusion, a bit murky in the middle but already provides a lot of clarity about a seemingly deeply complex topic.
3rian's review
4.0
This was a fascinating and engaging read, outlining how and why the US government’s digital efforts get tangled up in process and end up prioritizing a list of requirements over the actual user experience, with the latter rarely warranting an afterthought. The book outlines how successful implementation isn’t really a question of throwing more money or people at the issue but rather rethinking the entire approach with the end-user in mind. There are some interesting examples with the Veterans Administration, the disastrous healthcare.gov rollout, SNAP programs, and the Postal Service’s distribution of COVID tests, all driving home the point of why it’s critical to get our act in gear to help the people that need it most.
The author also highlights a number of the talented and dedicated people within government that were able to accomplish meaningful technology-driven solutions in spite of the system. That, for me, was the most appealing aspect of the book. I felt seen knowing there are others who feel compelled to push for new methods and prioritize getting things right as opposed to getting them right away. Not easy to challenge establishment thinking, so I appreciated reading realistic and relatable stories about the obstacles they’d encountered along the way.
I didn’t really find any actual solutions being offered but I don’t think that was the point here. I still found great value in the book - not just for the sanity check, but its thoughtful structure, its advocacy for the benefits of a design-thinking mindset, and its overall inspiring, aspirational tone with respect to public sector work.
The author also highlights a number of the talented and dedicated people within government that were able to accomplish meaningful technology-driven solutions in spite of the system. That, for me, was the most appealing aspect of the book. I felt seen knowing there are others who feel compelled to push for new methods and prioritize getting things right as opposed to getting them right away. Not easy to challenge establishment thinking, so I appreciated reading realistic and relatable stories about the obstacles they’d encountered along the way.
I didn’t really find any actual solutions being offered but I don’t think that was the point here. I still found great value in the book - not just for the sanity check, but its thoughtful structure, its advocacy for the benefits of a design-thinking mindset, and its overall inspiring, aspirational tone with respect to public sector work.