Rules of Activism: Dissent, Organizing, and Direct Action in American Politics (forthcoming)
A comprehensive overview of how political activism works, with detailed case studies of the most important movements of modern political; and social movements.
Anatomy of Failure: How Woodrow Wilson and henry Cabot Lodge Killed the League of Nations (forthcoming)
The untold story of the twenty-eighth president’s 10,000-mile train barnstorming tour to promote the League of Nations. The narrative work follows Wilson and his retinue from the Midwest to the Pacific Coast and then back inland, with side stories on the president’s opposition in Washington and events in Europe.
The Elements of Writing Series
- The “mother ship,” The Elements of Writing, offers a comprehensive system for mastering writing in all fields.
- In the specialty book, Writing About Place, I provide case studies from the professional literature to teach writing.
- The “minis”–a series of 14 short guides–provides simple instruction on writing.
- Mad Men’s Guide to Persuasion uses the burgeoning literature on the brain and behavioral economics to explore the persuasion tactics of TV’s Mad Men.
- In Cold Ink explores the literary techniques Truman Capote used to turn a tabloid murder into literature.,
- The One-Minute Writer offers a parable of writing and learning to detail the essential skills of both.
- The Writing Revolution explores how the modern age of the Internet, e-publishing, and social media has transformed writing.
Nobody Turn Me Around
A dramatic grassroots account of the the 1963 March on Washington–its inspiration and organizing, its controversies and breakthroughs, and the ordinary people who made it a signal moment in American history.
Danger Zones (ghostwritten for Ambassador John Gunther Dean)
America’s longest serving diplomat recounts his work in Cambodia, India, Pakistan, and other diplomatic missions–and the events that led to his dramatic dismissal with trumped-up charges of insanity. One reviewer write: “I found that the beauty of this book was its simplicity, its lack of pomposity, and its pure love of country.”
The Last Nine Innings
In this work, which Frank Deford called “the last word on the inside game of baseball,” I explore baseball’s “triple revolution” through the lens of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series between the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Little League, Big Dreams
On the transformation of youth sports, with a focus on the 2005 Little League World Series, in which Hawaii prevailed over Curacao.
Governing Greater Boston Series (editor and contributor)
Detailed studies of the major issues facing policymakers in the Boston era at the beginning of the 21st century.
Urban Policy Reconsidered (with Steven McGovern)
A comprehensive overview of the major challenges facing American cities, written in a dialogue format. Topics include economic development, poverty, housing, education, and crime.
Extraordinary Politics
The only comprehensive study of protest and dissent in modern American politics, which explores the lifecycles of dissent, spurs and barriers to action, strategies and tactics of activists, and the impact of the outsider style of political action.
Playing the Field
The first book-length critique of the inter-city competition for major league baseball and football franchises, with case studies on the Baltimore Colts and Orioles, the Chicago White Sox, and Oakand-cum-Los Angeles Raiders.