The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean

Journalist Bodanis (The Secret House) delivers a character-driven study of how civility and fairness can be contributing factors to success. Drawing on case studies of men and women who displayed grace in difficult work circumstances and prospered as a result, Bodanis advises readers to “listen, without ego” and “defend, by not over-defending.” Profile subjects include film director Danny Boyle, who curated the opening ceremonies at the 2012 London Olympics. According to Bodanis, Boyle succeeded in part because he made everyone involved—volunteers, TV producers, corporate liaisons—stakeholders in the goal of keeping the ceremony’s surprises under wraps. The program ended up being the best-rated in British television history. Other examples include the teamwork that helped construct the Empire State Building in less than a year, New York Mets manager Gil Hodges’s victory over Chicago Cubs manager Leo Durocher (who coined the phrase “nice guys finish last” in the 1969 NL pennant race), and FDR’s efforts to unite America during the Great Depression. Though Bodanis’s anecdotal evidence doesn’t amount to a grand proof that fairness always wins, he enlivens the proceedings with vivid character sketches, colorful historical tidbits, and graceful prose. Readers will be entertained and inspired. (Sept.)