Cooperation and Coercion By Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS HAS LED TO UNPRECEDENTED COERCION...
BUT COULD THERE BE A BETTER WAY?

Rethinking America's COVID-19 Responses

Since the COVID-19 crisis began, we've seen unprecedented government coercion. State and local governments have ordered everyone to stay home and have shut down businesses, schools, and churches. The federal government has sent debt to record heights with its spending. What's missing here? Cooperation.

Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan show why in their enlightening new book, COOPERATION AND COERCION: How Busybodies Became Busybullies and What That Means for Economics and Politics. 

Davies and Harrigan, hosts of the popular podcast Words & Numbers, reveal that there are only two ways that humans work together: they cooperate with one another, or they coerce one another. This fundamental fact provides an essential framework for understanding what we're seeing play out with the coronavirus crisis.

Government is all about coercive power. That doesn't mean it's all bad. We need government. But Davies and Harrigan show the immense - and overlooked - power of cooperation. They also reveal the dangers of embracing government coercion as the knee-jerk reaction to any problem.

In COOPERATION AND COERCIOIN, they show:

·    The two biggest reasons we shouldn't be in thrall to government solutions and expert pronouncements: the knowledge problem and unintended consequences;

·    Why people tend to believe the worst about the damage a crisis can cause but overlook the damage that proposed solutions will do;

·    Why "if it saves just one life" is an empty slogan that leads to bad policy;

·    Why policymakers who are trying to manage the economy don't understand what the economy actually is;

·    Why supposed corporate villains like Amazon and Walmart have become a lifeline for Americans;

·    How government coercion pushes obvious solutions to our problems into the background;

·    Why there are many problems government can't fix; and

·    Why governments, even as they clamp down on citizens, are relaxing all kinds of onerous regulations - allowing cooperation to flourish.

Davies and Harrigan explain much more than government responses to coronavirus. By looking for cooperation and coercion in everyday life, they help make sense of a wide range of issues that dominate the public debate. You'll come away from this book with a clear understanding of everything from the minimum wage to taxes, from gun control to government regulations, from the War on Terror to the War on Drugs to the War on Poverty.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Antony Davies is associate professor of economics at Duquesne University. James R. Harrigan is managing director of the Freedom Center at the University of Arizona. Together they host the weekly podcast Words & Numbers. Davies and Harrigan are distinguished fellows at the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE).

OVERCOME By Jason Redman

Retired Navy SEAL and New York Times Bestselling Author Jason Redman reveals how to Triumph over Adversity During These Challenging Times

In the new book by retired Navy SEAL and wounded warrior Jason Redman - OVERCOME: Crush Adversity with the Leadership Techniques of America's Toughest Warriors - he delivers incredible content on how to overcome and thrive in these uncertain times with his three rings of excellence - the Overcome Mindset, Productivity and Leadership.

Adversity can often catch you by surprise and leave you struggling with what to do next. What if you could confront any adversity, from the unprecedented challenges many of us are facing today (i.e., the loss of your job, health issues, bankruptcy) to normal daily challenges and not just survive it, but thrive afterwards?

Jason Redman was horrifically wounded in Iraq in 2007 when he was shot at close range through the face and arm. After 40 surgeries, including extensive facial reconstruction and skin grafts, he emerged from this experience stronger than ever - despite the scars and injuries he will have for the rest of his life. Redman went on to launch two successful companies and speaks all over the country on how to build better leaders through his OVERCOME mindset.

Jason's new book, OVERCOME, is based on extensive research and interviews with America's toughest warriors including retired 4-star Admiral William McRaven, retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, retired 4-star General Stanley McChrystal, and others. In this book, Redman teaches:

·    How to survive any life ambush;

·    How to move from defense to offense using the proactive techniques of SEAL teams;

·    How to strengthen your endurance during long-term trials;

·    How to rediscover and thrive in your life purpose;

·    How to lead your team (whether in business or family) to success;

·    How to compete with the top 1% in your field; and

·    How to stay the course even when you want to quit.

In OVERCOME, Jason teaches how to build a relentless Overcome Mindset in the face of chaos and uncertainty with step by step tools to stay positive in the face of negativity; and he teaches how to build and create forward momentum to get out of any crisis along with building structure and discipline. Jason provides actionable tools to maintain momentum and move the needle in our lives even when working from home. Most importantly, Jason gets deep into his three rules of leadership; how to lead ourselves through positivity, structure and discipline, how to lead others by building strong teams with guidance, motivation and inspiration and how to lead always in any situation including and especially during crisis.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JASON REDMAN is a retired Navy Lieutenant who spent eleven years as an enlisted Navy SEAL, and almost ten years as a SEAL officer. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, the Purple Heart, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, five Navy Achievement Medals, two Combat Action Ribbons and the US Army Ranger Tab.. After being severely wounded in Iraq in 2007, Redman returned to active duty before retiring from the Navy in 2013. Upon retirement, he founded SOF Spoken, a speaking and consulting company which provides inspirational presentations on leadership, teamwork and overcoming adversity for businesses, first responders, sports teams, and government organizations. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir The Trident.