Part memoir, part passionate polemic, A Crying Shame! casts a wary eye on the state of our culture with a focus on solutions for positive change. In a conversational, witty prose style, author Richard Flora alternates between a vividly remembered life history—spanning his 1950s New Jersey youth, Army service, a career in business and colorful personal relationships—and dramatic evidence of a society and government out of touch with basic values of fairness, equity and honesty. The result is a common-sense (and often uproariously funny) investigation into the nation’s foreign policy, health-care system, education framework, social situation and more. An unabashed liberal, Flora nonetheless cuts across the ideological spectrum by applying simplicity and logic to get at the heart of what ails us—a government no longer working in the public’s interest. This provocative work is a must-read for those curious how we got here and, more important, what we can do to change the nation’s course for the better.