March Book of the Month: A Journey through Governance

Cosimo's Book of the Month for March is a new release, a personal account from career civil servant William A. Morrill, who spent nearly twenty-five years working in the White House during a combined six presidencies. Morrill experienced some of the most iconic American moments firsthand and worked with several of the most well-known (if not well-loved) presidents of the modern era.

A Journey through Governance: A Public Servant's Experience under Six Presidents is a memoir revealing how the United States government works behind closed doors. Morrill, the quintessential public servant, takes the reader inside the White House fence and through Capitol corridors to meet presidents, senators, generals, and cabinet secretaries as they deal with one critical national issue after another.




Morrill's Government Involvement
Among the projects central to Morrill's time in federal government were helping to spearhead healthcare reform in the early 1970s, transforming the telecommunications industries, improving emissions standards under the Clean Air Act, and helping to figure out how many nuclear bombs were needed in the United States.

Morrill writes, "I want to share an insider's look at events and challenges that are more exciting and historically significant than readers may have guessed. But more important, I want to convey the necessity, even the nobility, of the work of those who serve in government." Morrill hopes his book will inspire others to follow his footsteps into lives of public service. For more information about this book, check out our press release. A Journey through Governance is currently available as a paperback book from multiple online vendors around the world and through the Espresso Book Machine, and will soon be available in eBook format. Praise for A Journey through Governance The book has received high praise from former government workers, including former secretary of labor, the Treasury, and State, George P. Shultz. Shultz writes, "Morrill brings vast and diverse experience to his views about a subject of critical importance: how we govern ourselves. Among the gems: 'How to Be an Effective Bureaucrat--A Dozen Tips.' Everyone, whether in government or not, can learn from this book." Alice M. Rivlin, founding director of the Congressional Budget Office and former director of the Office of Management and Budget said, "In this thoughtful book, Bill Morrill draws on his first-hand experiences with complex public decisions over a remarkable career in several presidential administrations. He writes with insider knowledge and respect for the hard work of doing the public's business amid conflicting pressures." Former secretary of the Treasury and former chairman and CEO of Alcoa Paul H, O'Neill commented that "This is a life story everyone will enjoy. For young people beginning or aspiring to a career in public service, the stories in this book will light your way--and show you how public service can give meaning to your life." About William A. Morrill William A. Morrill has had a long distinguished career of public service in federal and local government. He served in the administrations of six presidents, from Eisenhower to Carter: at the Pentagon on the Air Force Headquarters staff; in the Executive Office of the President under Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter; and as an assistant secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under Presidents Ford and Carter. Morrill has remained engaged in public-service and public-policy matters in the private sector, including with the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Public Administration. After leaving government, he was president of Mathematica Policy Research, chief executive and chairman of Mathtech, and a senior fellow at ICF International. He can be found online on his website