Genius slacker Dr. David Loren outsmarts the government, the military, and the all of the brightest minds in science to escape the think tank he used to call his home and his job. But his tropical retreat isn't as secluded as he would hope!

Over the past half-century, think tanks have become fixtures of American politics, supplying advice to presidents and policy makers, expert testimony on Capitol Hill, and convenient facts and figures to journalists and media specialists. But what are think tanks? Who funds them? What kind of “research” do they produce? Where does their authority come from? And how influential have they become? In Think Tanks in America, Thomas Medvetz argues that the unsettling ambiguity of the think tank is less an accidental feature of its existence than the very key to its impact. By combining elements of more established sources of public knowledge—universities, government agencies, businesses, and the media—think tanks exert a tremendous amount of influence on the way citizens and lawmakers perceive the world, unbound by the more clearly defined roles of those other institutions. In the process, they transform the government of this country, the press, and the political role of intellectuals. Timely, succinct, and instructive, this provocative book will force us to rethink our understanding of the drivers of political debate in the United States.

Essays that explore quirky, counterintuitive aspects of brain function and “make us realize that what goes on in our minds is nothing short of magical” (Scientific American). Neuroscientist David J. Linden approached leading brain researchers and asked each the same question: “What idea about brain function would you most like to explain to the world?” Their responses make up this one-of-a-kind collection of popular science essays that seeks to expand our knowledge of the human mind and its possibilities. The contributors, whose areas of expertise include human behavior, molecular genetics, evolutionary biology, and comparative anatomy, address a host of fascinating topics ranging from personality to perception, to learning, to beauty, to love and sex. The manner in which individual experiences can dramatically change our brains’ makeup is explored. Professor Linden and his contributors open a new window onto the landscape of the human mind and into the cutting-edge world of neuroscience with a fascinating, enlightening compilation that science enthusiasts and professionals alike will find accessible and enjoyable. “Scientists who can effectively communicate science are rare, but here are forty of the best, describing with clarity and enthusiasm the latest in brain research and its impact on our lives.” —Gordon M. Shepherd, co-editor of Handbook of Brain Microcircuits

Think tanks and research organizations set out to influence policy ideas and decisions—a goal that is key to the very fabric of these organizations. And yet, the ways that they actually achieve impact or measure progress along these lines remains fuzzy and underexplored. What Should Think Tanks Do? A Strategic Guide for Policy Impact is the first practical guide that is specifically tailored to think tanks, policy research, and advocacy organizations. Author Andrew Selee draws on extensive interviews with members of leading think tanks, as well as cutting-edge thinking in business and non-profit management, to provide concrete strategies for setting policy-oriented goals and shaping public opinion. Concise and practically-minded, What Should Think Tanks Do? helps those with an interest in think tanks to envision a well-oiled machine, while giving leaders in these organizations tools and tangible metrics to drive and evaluate success.

Improving Think Tank Management: Practical Guidance for Think Tanks, Research Advocacy NGOs, and Their Funders demonstrates better management is possible, cost-effective, and rewarding for leaders and funders of think tanks. The book contains contemporary and actionable best practices, case studies, templates, and strategies used by real organizations to improve management. In this comprehensive guide, Raymond Struyk encourages think tank managers to make improvements to increase efficiency and guides them through lowering the costs of making those improvements. The examples shared confront specific issues managers often experience, such as difficulty motivating staff, controlling project costs, assisting project leaders, and becoming more efficient with fundraising.

The Fifth Estate: Think Tanks, Public Policy, and Governance is a comprehensive look at think tanks and the important role they play in shaping public policy and public discourse in the United States. Author James G. McGann illustrates the lasting impact of think tanks in today’s civil society. A survey that McGann conducted among all the leading think tanks in the United States highlights the progress that think tanks in the United States have made and the challenges they have yet to face. McGann clarifies the correlation between think tank research and the policies enacted by the past three presidential administrations by looking at case studies in both foreign and domestic policy. He also describes a phenomenon known as “the revolving door,” where think tanks provide former government officials an opportunity to share insights from public service, remain involved in policy debates, and continue to provide advice and commentary. Based on the history and the level of involvement seen today, the influence of think tanks is unlikely to diminish in the coming years.

Dr. Perry Annister, a Washington Think Tank wunderkind partner bidding on the President's 2050 Project, delivers a speech at Harvard recommending that elected Government Officials should have Government Sciences Degrees. Harvard, then Stanford, publish the speech hoping to add profitable courses to their curricula. The University and Presidential endorsements unleash stormy responses, foreign and domestic, from politicians to oil and drug cartels, that terrorize Perry to stop him from disrupting their operations. Hunted and pursued by Mafia and covert Intelligence operatives, Perry and his beautiful PhD fiancee, Jackie, desperately run for their lives. Traumatized and wounded, they frantically fight back and escape several times, using brainpower, athleticism and unseen help to outwit merciless killers. Realizing their danger, the President appoints NSA/Secret Service Agents to protect the beleaguered pair as they dodge car-bombs and bullets, from Las Vegas to the White House, until the President himself unveils a surprising life-saving solution.Author Bio: Bob Cohn owned and operated a National Boutique Advertising and Marketing Agency, with offices in Chicago and New York, employing 60 professionals, 20 of whom were writers. The Agency specialized in creating, developing and marketing new products. The author of novels, To Catch a Catch and Comet Enemy, and non-fiction books, War Squared, Aviahomospionics and They Called It Pilot Error, Bob is now writing special interest novels and non-fiction books drawn from his experiences developing unique products, and accessing the U.S. Laboratory Consortium plus hi-tech private and Government agencies. Bob and his wife, Sylvia, live in Arizona. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/BobCoh