Partners, Not Rivals: Privatization and the Public Good

I enjoyed reading this book because it is both accessible and sophisticated. In a discourse too often characterized by polemics and sound-bites, Minow offers a thoughtful view of the trend toward privatization. Reading her book helped me see how complex these issues are, and gave me new insight into arguments I might otherwise have dismissed. I found it a rare treat.

Martha Minow's book is a tremendously valuable, engaging guide to thinking about the respective roles of the public and private sector in promoting our common good. With great insight and fair-mindedness, Minow identifies the promises and problems of the shifting roles of the public and private sector in many areas of our lives; schooling, welfare, legal services and health services. I think how we allocate public and private responsibility will have a huge impact on the future of our democracy. There are, as Minow points out, advantages in creating more private responsibility in education, for example. But these pros need to be weighed very carefully against the disturbing prospect of abandoning our commitment to public, integrated schools. As she has in her other books, Minow brings great wisdom to this vital topic.

Minow ably blends law, policy, and issues of essential fairness in this thoughtful book about some of the most complex issues families and communities are facing. With infinite respect for all sides, she ably cuts through myths and fears to present a thoughtful template for getting the best from both public and private sources. Elegantly reasoned and beautifully written, this book speaks to the mind and the heart and makes an important contribution to a debate that has been too often characterized by more heat than light.