Prometheus 6

As you know, I am up to my ass in books. I was suposed to review The Silent Majority next, but I think White Flight is next. It examines the actual development of white dominated suburbs, a time frame which is generally leapt over. It picks up where Slavery by Another Name leaves off. Sort of. It's actually better to think of them as interpenetrating, rather than competing with, the Standard American Narrative.

Meanwhile, I've been offered this. Y'all want a review?

The Measure of America: American Human Development Report, 2008-2009
Sarah Burd-Sharps, Kristen Lewis, and Eduardo Borges Martins

The Measure of America is the first-ever human development report for a wealthy, developed nation. It introduces the American Human Development Index, which provides a single measure of well-being for all Americans, disaggregated by state and congressional district, as well as by gender, race, and ethnicity. The Index rankings of the 50 states and 436 congressional districts reveal huge disparities in the health, education, and living standards of different groups. Clear, precise, objective, and authoritative, this report will become the basis for all serious discussions concerning the realization of a fair, just, and globally competitive American society.

About the Report

The Measure of America: American Human Development Report 2008-2009, produced by the American Human Development Project, is modeled on the United Nations Development Programme’s global Human Development Report, which has provided authoritative analysis and a ranked index for countries around the world for almost two decades. The Measure of America, published by Columbia University Press and The Social Science Research Council, is the first time the human development approach has been applied in the United States or any other industrialized nation. The report features forewords by Nobel laureate and Harvard Professor Amartya Sen and California venture capitalist William H. Draper III.

Using official government statistics and robust peer-reviewed analysis, the American Human Development Report presents human development rankings for U.S. states, congressional districts, and ethnic groups. It reveals where America is today and sets a benchmark for monitoring progress tomorrow. Unlike the many existing measurements used to assess health, education, or income alone, the American Human Development Index (HD Index) combines these factors into one easy-to-understand measurement. This more comprehensive measure allows for a better understanding of the opportunities open to different groups of Americans.

The Human Development Report series advocates a shift away from a sole focus on economic growth as an end in itself and income as the final measure of a person’s well being. This approach considers both income and growth as important means for human progress, but also looks at other things people value that do not show up in growth figures such as a quality education, a long and healthy life, personal safety, a secure livelihood, and a say in decisions that affect one’s life.

The broad purpose of the American Human Development Project and its report is to introduce and champion the human development approach and index and to spur a non-partisan conversation, based on apples-to-apples data, about why such strikingly different results have been achieved. With colorful graphics and accessible language, the report is designed to appeal to a broad audience and to mobilize support for action to address key issues Americans really care about: a quality education, secure livelihoods, decent healthcare, and economic, personal, and community security.