Saving Gotham: A Billionaire Mayor, Activist Doctors, and the Fight for Eight Million Lives 1st Edition

I wish this book at been available earlier this fall, so that I could have assigned it for my class on state and local government! Dr. Farley's book reads like a fast-paced thriller recounting the health and well-being of New Yorkers. Farley's book is a useful text for understanding the particulars of New York City's most innovative public health solutions, however, more importantly, the book also offers unique insight into the jostling that goes into getting policies through at the local level. Dr. Farley's commentary regarding relations between state, local, and federal government is fascinating and highlights the complexity of associated with addressing public health crises.

A good introduction to what the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene has been doing to improve the health of the city's populations. Focuses on the battles against smoking, excessive sugar and salt in our food. Well-written and fast-paced work by a former Commissioner of Health. Somewhat triumphalist -- the city did succeed in many of these endeavors, but perhaps not quite as much as the author would have us believe, and somewhat hero-worshipping of his predecessor, Tom Frieden, whose leadership was indeed import and but appears exaggerated here. It also leaves out discussion of some of the more serious arguments and controversies around the DOH policies, politics, and priorities. A more thorough, more academic account, with a longer historical perspective, is available in James Colgrove, Epidemic City: The Politics of Public Health in New York (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2011), a fine book indeed.

Highly entertaining and informative. I didn't think you could write a book about public health policy and make it a "great read," but Farley has mangers just that. It's gossipy with out being salacious. Fascinating and insightful. It's like a great Vanity Fair article writ large.

Pulblic Health's Kitchen Confidential. A well written book that documents the "behind the scenes" saga behind our generation's greatest public health battles Dr Farley does a great job bringing the team members to life as he documents their motivations, strengths, weaknesses and often, their most exasperating moments. This book also provides a unique lens on Mayor Bloomberg's management style, highlighting the way he could support ideas on their life-saving merits alone. An uplifting story of how committed teams, working with community partners, were able to launch the NYC Dept of Health onto centerstage.

I am working on making policy changes and this book helped a great deal. I'm a big fan of Michael Bloomberg, because he is a bold leader willing to do what is right and make those hard decisions, even if it may become political suicide. He was in the job to effect positive change for New Yorkers. And because of the policy changes they made, they paved the way for other states and cities to follow suit.

Very interesting if you are interested in the public health field. Very easy to follow.

A great book on public health for both the professional and layperson. A great integration of story and facts. A surprising "page turner." I didn't want to put it down.

Fascinating view into the inner workings of NYC public health and how they implemented some policies that saved lives and changed public health throughout the country.

Love it! Fab read with lots to think about