MACo’s “good government” Book Club will renew in December – with a provocative book called Mine! Join us for the conference and this discussion, with a free advance copy of the book.
At the MACo Winter Conference, county officials and other guests can join a discussion on a book affecting public service and best practices as officials, employees, and colleagues. The selection for December is Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives by Michael Heller and James Salzman.
From the synopsis on the reader-driven website Good Reads:
A hidden set of rules governs who owns what–explaining everything from whether you can recline your airplane seat to why HBO lets you borrow a password illegally–and in this lively and entertaining guide, two acclaimed law professors reveal how things become mine.
Mine is one of the first words babies learn. By the time we grow up, the idea of ownership seems natural, whether buying a cup of coffee or a house. But who controls the space behind your airplane seat: you reclining or the squished laptop user behind? Why is plagiarism wrong, but it’s okay to knock-off a recipe or a dress design? And after a snowstorm, why does a chair in the street hold your parking space in Chicago, but in New York you lose the space and the chair?
Mine! explains these puzzles and many more. Surprisingly, there are just six simple stories that everyone uses to claim everything. Owners choose the story that steers us to do what they want. But we can always pick a different story. This is true not just for airplane seats, but also for battles over digital privacy, climate change, and wealth inequality. As Michael Heller and James Salzman show–in the spirited style of Freakonomics, Nudge, and Predictably Irrational–ownership is always up for grabs.
With stories that are eye-opening, mind-bending, and sometimes infuriating, Mine! reveals the rules of ownership that secretly control our lives.
Best of all, if you’re coming to the Winter Conference, and would like to take part in this discussion – your copy of the book is free, if you are among the first 25 to respond!
MACo is grateful for the ongoing support and sponsorship from J.P. Morgan, which has made possible the delivery of free advance copies. Their support for, and contributions to, each renewal of the Book Club has greatly advanced this multi-year conference offering.
Not registered yet for the conference? Register now, and make your hotel plans soon!
Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference:
