A Venkatasubramanian

The Art of Public Good A Venkatasubramanian

Being in a position of power is a tremendous responsibility. Any decision taken by people in power should be done with due consideration and laced with wisdom. Often what seems obvious and logical at first sight, may actually lead to wrong policies when implemented. This, in turn, could cause tremendous hardship and suffering to the inhabitants of a country and beyond. Any policy must pass the basic tests of equal opportunity over equal outcome, wisdom over knowledge and fairness over righteousness. There may be times when short-term needs defeat long- term wisdom. The ability to take a holistic view and think with fluidity and openness rather than rigid dogma are signs of an able administrator. An administrator's knowledge needs to be tempered with experience and coated with wisdom. The book has two parts. The first part deals with the important current topics, while the second half of the book is meant for an administrator to read, understand and imbibe into his/her job and life. The Art of Public Good aims to serve as a guide by providing tremendous insight into administration and is drawn from deep wisdom and experience of practical life. The saying, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely," is not written in stone after all.