A Kind of Genius: Herb Sturz and Society’s Toughest Problems

“A Kind of Genius” is a book about how one reformer in the 1960s and 1970s in New York was able to create change with little or no power and few resources. He did it with persuasion, people skills, political awareness and processes that not only found good solutions but built support along the way.

Sam Roberts was a longtime urban affairs reporter for the New York Times.

The big ideas for Urban Atlanta:

• Reform is important to government and not just for the benefits it brings to citizens and taxpayers. Done right, it can also make life easier for public employees and bring credit to public officials.
• In some cases, outside groups can be more effective than insiders at creating reform. That’s because outside groups may be seen as more evenhanded, even as they advocate forcefully for change. Philanthropic support enables outsiders to take risks insiders can’t.
• The keys to outside groups’ success are their methods and temperament. Outside reformers need a calm approach, rigor in finding opportunities and documenting results, and great political skills to identify and work with insider allies.