Product Description: The billions of dollars expended in Iraq constitute the largest relief and reconstruction exercise in American history. SIGIR's lessons learned capping report characterizes this effort in four phases (pre-war to ORHA, CPA, post-CPA/Negroponte era, and Khalilzad, Crocker, and the Surge). From this history, SIGIR forwards a series of conclusions and recommendations for Congress to consider when organizing for the next post-conflict reconstruction situation. Over the past five years, the United States has provided nearly fifty billion dollars for the relief and reconstruction of Iraq. This unprecedented rebuilding program, implemented after the March 2003 invasion, was developed to restore Iraq's essential services, build Iraq's security forces, create a market-based economy, and establish a democratic government--all in pursuit of U.S. interests in a stable and free Iraq. Did the U.S. rebuilding program achieve its objectives? Was the money provided well-spent or wasted? What lessons have we learned from the experience? Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience, a report from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), answers these and other important questions by presenting a comprehensive history of the U.S. program, chiefly derived from SIGIR's body of extensive oversight work in Iraq, hundreds of interviews with key figures involved with the reconstruction program, and thousands of documents evidencing the reconstruction work that was - or was not - done. The report examines the limited pre-war planning for reconstruction, the shift from a large infrastructure program to a more community-based one, and the success of the Surge in 2007 and beyond. Hard Lessons concludes that the U.S. government did not have the structure or resources in place to execute the mammoth relief and reconstruction plan it took on in 2003. The lessons learned from this experience create a basis for reviewing and reforming the U.S. approach to contingency relief and reconstruction operations.

For better and for worse, few companies have been so prominently and constantly in the public eye as AT&T. Through decades of growth and dominance, followed by its 1984 breakup and a litany of well-documented troubles, the company has soldiered on, by turns thriving and hanging on for dear life.Perhaps no individual experienced as much of the roller-coaster ride as Dick Martin, an executive vice president and 30-year AT&T veteran with both a bird’s-eye view of and a crucial role in the company’s bumpy history.Tough Calls is the ultimate inside look at how AT&T tried to cope with a “perfect storm” of fierce competition, economic turmoil, and punishing media scrutiny. Mixing unflinching candor with love for the company he helped steer -- and clear respect for many of his long-time colleagues -- Martin takes you through boardroom and back room to shed unprecedented light on:* How the 1996 bungled announcement of 40,000 layoffs nearly destroyed the company* How flawed succession planning precipitated sharp declines in AT&T’s stock price* The never-ending, ugly turf battles with the “Baby Bells” brought on by the AT&T breakup* How even small interest groups can have a tremendous influence on business decisions, and how the media are largely responsible for determining what is business news on any given dayTough Calls is also a cautionary tale to be heeded by all businesses, using AT&T’s experience in the brutal telecom wars as a backdrop for new strategies in weathering unforgiving business conditions. Just a few of the lessons to be learned include:* How to avoid the most common mistakes that executives make, such as being held hostage by unrealistic expectations, waiting too long to make critical changes, and building their celebrity rather than their credibility* How to balance internal and external communications, and how and when to deal with the business media* How to improve relationships between PR executives and the “C” suite -- CEO, CFO, Chief Counsel, etc.--and how to make public relations more strategic* How to build and sustain favorable brand recognition and investor allure even in the face of bitter competition and unpredictable market conditionsAs candid and fascinating as it is constructive, Tough Calls is itself a call to attention and to arms, in preparation for the many battles that every business must eventually face, against fierce adversaries, and even within its own camp.

This book is to help people avoid challenges, heartache, and pitfalls in life and business. You no longer have to learn these lessons The Hard Way like Brad did. If Brad had this book growing up and applied what's in it, his life would have been much better, and he would have found success much sooner. The goal for this book is that it finds its way to anyone wanting to succeed. You will learn these lessons one way or another, but the question is are you going to learn it The Hard Way or the easy way; the easy way is by reading The Hard Way. This book explains life lessons and universal laws that you need to be successful. This a collection of stories and the lessons Brad Lea has learned to help him build an incredible life and ultimately it is his bible on how to do sales, business, and life. Learn more about Brad by subscribing to his YouTube channel at BRADLEA.TV or checking out his website at Bradlea.com. This book is intended to change your life- let it happen and remember to always keep it real.

"As the leader of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, I have been privileged to play a role in many legislative and political struggles. This new book is a summation of these lessons, many learned in public, some - perhaps the most difficult - learned behind closed doors." "To be useful, this kind of report must be candid. And, indeed, in it I recount some of the most challenging, even painful, moments of my career, including the controversial effort that led to the resignation of Speaker Jim Wright, my difficult encounter with the House Ethics Committee, public blunders such as my comments about Air Force One, and my personal reaction to the so-called coup efforts within the House Republican majority." "In writing about these and other topics, it is my intention to clear the air, to update Americans on the truth behind the headlines, and to give readers a much fuller understanding of who I am as a person and what I stand for."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The National Park Service is one of the most popular federal agencies with the American public. But the agency charged with preserving and protecting the nation's most significant natural and historic places is viewed much more critically by its own employees. There are many reasons for this: evolution of the agency, political interference, poor leadership, failure to incorporate science into management of park resources, and a culture of cronyism and favoritism.After 29 years working for the National Park Service as a park natural resource specialist, and 15 years overseeing programs to preserve endangered black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs, a large bison herd, fossil resources, and native prairie at Badlands National Park, the author found himself targeted by elements within the agency. He spent two years in exile on administrative leave, prevented from working, but still drawing his salary while he fought back against the agency he had served for so many years. He learned hard lessons about speaking out when the Park Service fails its employees and the resources it's supposed to preserve. He faced retaliation and a ruined career without objective investigation or due process, and almost completely in secret. Cases like his are surprisingly common in an agency so concerned about its public image, with secrecy protecting its actions from scrutiny. This book describes this case and shows how it reflects greater problems in the agency. It places the actions against one individual within the context of the many Park Service employees treated similarly in recent years. The author provides context for how the National Park Service has changed in the 21st century and examines how those changes are reflective of the political division in the country today. He also offers solutions to make the agency a better steward of the nation's treasures and a more welcoming place to work.

A decade ago there were only two charter schools in the United States. Today there are more than 2,400, serving more than half a million students. Charter schools are public schools that are free from many of the regulations that have long governed public education. Supporters include many of the country's most prominent educators and politicians, among them President George W. Bush, who hope charter schools will reshape education, especially where it proves most challenging--in the inner city. The fact that most charter schools promise smaller classes and more parental involvement makes them immensely appealing to the nation's most disadvantaged families. Charter school detractors, on the other hand, fear that these alternative schools will irredeemably ruin public education, drawing away the talented students and the most involved parents. Clearly the stakes are high. But few Americans understand what a charter school really is--or what is involved in trying to create, attend, and teach in one. Written by a renowned journalist and education writer, and a former inner-city school teacher himself, "Hard Lessons is the first book to capture the human drama of the entire experience. For three years, Jonathan Schorr was allowed complete access to the students, teachers, and parents of the E.C. Reems Academy in Oakland, California, making him uniquely qualified to tell their fascinating story. But would the new school succeed in effectively teaching children from urban neighborhoods where success is rare? Would it become a whole new bureaucracy or sabotage itself from within? The answers are found in the moving stories of some deeply involved yet very different individuals. Amongthem, there is Nazim Casey, Jr.--rescued from his crack-addicted parents, he's the last-chance child who will put inner-city charters to their ultimate test; William Stewart--a father whose fury at his daughter's failed public school propels him into activism; Eugene Ruffin--the entrepreneur who helped introduce the personal computer to America, then collaborated with Wal-Mart heir John Walton to "invest" in education; and Valentin Del Rio--a young teacher whose idealism turns to exhaustion and the search for a punctual paycheck. Through successes and setbacks, "Hard Lessons reveals just how difficult it is, even with the best of intentions, to offer a quality education to every child in America. The story of E.C. Reems Academy offers invaluable lessons for anyone interested in America's most pressing domestic concern. At once harrowing and hopeful, and in the finest tradition of modern nonfiction, "Hard Lessons is one of the most important books to come along in decades.