Interesting reading
I find that I read a large of number of books in my work, many of which are worthy of a much wider audience.
Business, politics & society, Michael Moran
May sound a little heavy, but actually an excellent introduction to the relationship between public and private sectors, with a focus on the
UK and the US, but with examples drawn from elsewhere.
Business, Politics & the State of Africa, Tim Kelsall
This is an excellent book that looks at the reasons that some countries managed to grow whilst others have failed to
exploit their advantages. As well as short histories of Kenya, Malawi and Cote d'Ivoire, it includes case studies on Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Ghana
Getting to Yes, Roger Fisher & William Ury
I discovered this book after reading Roger Fisher's obituary. Roger was the Founding Chair of the 'Program on Negotiation' at
Harvard Law School. Inter alia, he was the originator of an award winning television series, 'The Advocates'. He consulted widely with governments
and others helping successfully to negotiate ways through apparently intractable problems. This is a 'must-read' for private sector advocacy
practitioners.
Lobbying and policy change: who wins, who loses and why, Frank Baumtgartner et al
This book, published in 2009, summarises the results of a seven year research project involving five authors and
50 student collaborators. They looked in detail, over a four year period, at the key issues pursued by all the lobbyists in Washington.
The result is considerable insighht into the entire lobbying process - at least in the US and in so far as it applies to lobbying Congress.
There are some gaps therefore but it is essential reading for anyone interested in advocacy and lobbying.
Basic Interests: the importance of groups in politics and political science, Frank Baumgartner & Beth Leech
This book was written in 1998, so is a little out of date, but is an excellent review of the literature relating to the way
that interest groups (primarily business but not exclusively) seek to influence public policy in the US. For anyone doing a literature review, it
provides an exemplar. For anyone interested in public private dialogue and private sector advocacy, it is an interesting read, though the fact that
it only looks at public policy influencing in the US makes it hard to draw more general conclusions
Brussels versus the Beltway, Christine Mahoney
A slightly quirky title, implying some competition between Brussels and Washington, for a book that gives an excellent overview
of the differences in lobbying between The US an dthe EU. Some of what Mahoney has to say is fairly obvious, but if you are in any way involved in
private sector advocacy then this book is worth reading
Wars, guns & votes: democracy in dangerous places, Paul Collier
An excellent book which explores how democracy takes roots in sub Saharan Africa, why heads of state resprt to war and ideas
to discourage them
Our turn to eat, Michaela Wrong
A brilliant book about John Githongo and his efforts to combat corruption in Kenya - which ultimately provided an impossible
task, with John running to London
The bottom billion, Paul Collier
Why so many people in the world are starving and suggestions for how to make a difference
The Secret Language of Leadership, Stephen Denning
This book explains how to use narrative to make a compelling case for change
Realistic evaluation, Ray Pawson and Nick Tilley
If you are interested in evaluation, and want to think about whether a programme has made a difference, to whom, and how,
rather than getting too quantitative, then this book is well worth reading
© Irwin Grayson Associates 2022