Wicked Problems, Workable Solutions

Daniel Yankelovich is chairman of Public Agenda (co-founded in 1975) and founder of the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research at the University of California at San Diego. He was also founder of the New York Times/Yankelovich Poll and the business research firm, Yankelovich, Skelly and White.

As a commentator, citizen, and advisor, Daniel Yankelovich has had a long career reporting and analyzing national issues, trends, and opinions. Here, he shares the philosophical foundation of his successful career and revisits some of his breakthrough experiences, drawing insightful conclusions applicable to our current condition.

PART I: Elitism Versus Democracy1. Introduction: America's Wicked Problems2. Retrofitting The Plumbing Of Democracy3. A Plea For Adaptive Sanity4. Four Wrong Turns5. Why We Can't Rely On Our Culture6. Straight And Crooked Thinking7. Caring and Stewardship8. Elite Forms of Groupthink9. From Martin Heidegger To Lloyd Blankfein10.Transitioning to a Thoughtful Public - A StrategyPART II: Understanding the Public's "Learning Curve"11. An Accidental Profession12. Starting My Own Firm13. Part Science ...14. Part Circus ...15. Smart People; Dumb Mistakes16. New Methods Of Conducting Research17. Research Designed For Action18. Never Present More Than One Idea At A Time19. Tracking The Cultural Revolution20. A Special Brand Of Rebellion21. Who's Afraid Of The "Generation Gap"22. High-Risk Experiments Without A Net23. America Tells Itself A New Story24. The Yankelovich Monitor25. Founding The Public Agenda26. The Elitist Double Whammy27. Missed Chances To Regain The Public Trust28. Coming To Public Judgment29. Losing the Battle With The News Media30. How My Philosophy For Living EvolvedPART III: My Philosophy For Living31. Dinner With Quine32. How Scientism Nearly Devoured Philosophy33. My Wrong Map Problem34. A Look At Existentialism35. Finding A Better Framework36. Applying Philosophy To Psychoanalysis37. "Ego and Instinct" In Retrospect38. The Mindset Of The Iron Cage: Prying It Open39. Don't Fight Human Nature!40. Co-Evolution41. Culture Is Inescapable...42. Structuring Your Own Philosophy For Living43. Some Philosophical Tweets to Live By