In pursuit of fairness at any cost, we have created a society paralyzed by legal fear: Doctors are paranoid and principals powerless. Little league coaches, scared of liability, stop volunteering. Schools and hospitals start to crumble. The common good fades, replaced by a cacophony of people claiming their "individual rights."

By turns funny and infuriating, this startling book dissects the dogmas of fairness that allow self-interested individuals to bully the rest of society. Philip K. Howard explains how, trying to honor individual rights, we removed the authority needed to maintain a free society. Teachers don't even have authority to maintain order in the classroom. With no one in charge, the safe course is to avoid any possible risk. Seesaws and diving boards are removed. Ridiculous warning labels litter the American landscape: "Caution: Contents Are Hot."

Striving to protect "individual rights," we ended up losing much of our freedom. When almost any decision that someone disagrees with is a possible lawsuit, no one knows where he stands. A huge monument to the unknown plaintiff looms high above America, casting a dark shadow across our daily choices. Today, in the land of free speech, you'd have to be a fool to say what you really think.

This provocative book not only attacks the sacred cows of political correctness, but takes a breathtakingly bold stand on how to reinvigorate our common good. Only by restoring personal authority can schools begin to work again. Only by judges and legislatures taking back the authority to decide who can sue for what can doctors feel comfortable using their best judgment and American be liberated to say and do what they know is right. Lucid, honest, and hard hitting, The Collapse of the Common Good shows how Americans can bring back freedom and common sense to a society disabled by lawyers and legal fear.

Reader Reviews

Vichmd

(4/5)

Nov 30, 2008

The title sums up the premise of this book and to anybody who has been paying attention for the past several decades, this should not be a startling theme. There is no doubt that our tort system is out of control and the costs are spread throughout society. Most consumer products come with a "lawsuit tax" in the form of higher retail prices to offset the costs associated with litigation. Often, the "lawsuit" tax increases the costs of consumer goods where the inherent dangers of using such goods...

Mike Kowalczyk

Dec 29, 2007

Finally a voice of reason among the insanity! I found this book to be enlightening on a subject I have long taken interest in. The first half of the book was especially intruiging, in which Philip Howard discusses the culture of lawsuits that has taken hold in the last 20-30 years. People sue each other for every minor infraction and as a result it has come to the point where people have to watch every minor move they make. Through examples, historical cases, a history, he shows the evolution of...

Colin

(2/5)

Jan 15, 2009

Man bites dog.Therefore, the world is going to hell.A Treatise by Philip K. Howard.The author raises some interesting issues regarding the (hyper and negative)interaction between laws and society. I understand where he is coming from. A system of laws is definitely not perfect. However, by definition, laws derived from an imperfect source are bound to be imperfect.But a system without laws similarly fails. So let's resolve to work on the balance. I won't resolve to be friends though, Mr. Howard....

Big H

(3/5)

May 20, 2015

Well-written, but I think I might've missed the point (or I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it). I think the morale of the story was to stop people who sue for stupid reasons, we need to each step up and demand more individual rights/get away from Big Government. I think. Right?

Michael

Apr 04, 2008

Christopher James Nixon

(5/5)

Feb 15, 2017

Nicholas Beecroft

Jul 19, 2014

Ken

(1/5)

Oct 09, 2015

Chris Rinaldi

Dec 25, 2018

Hatim Banaja

Jan 18, 2020

Natalie T

Dec 29, 2013

Buford Willisburg

Aug 23, 2013

Lalena

Aug 12, 2012

John J.

Aug 20, 2009

Chris Hansen

Jan 26, 2017

Donnie Clapp

Jun 01, 2014

Bobby & Elizabeth Campbell

Jun 30, 2015

Natalie Sass

Feb 14, 2019

Janet6cats

Jan 27, 2016

Fred

Aug 15, 2011

John

Apr 12, 2012

William Hynes

Apr 04, 2012

Eric Sondermann

Aug 03, 2013

Sara

May 11, 2013

Jan 18, 2021

Jesse Greider

May 27, 2018

Matthew

Dec 19, 2013

Dibox

Oct 27, 2016

Polly Callahan

Dec 27, 2015

Millicent

Jun 22, 2009

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The Collapse of the Common Good: How America's Lawsuit Culture Undermines Our Freedom

The Collapse of the Common Good: How America's Lawsuit Culture Undermines Our Freedom

The Collapse of the Common Good: How America's Lawsuit Culture Undermines Our Freedom

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Reader Reviews