Ewan Ferlie has previously worked at the Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent (1979-1986) and then the Centre for Corporate Strategy and Change, Warwick Business School (1986-1997), University of Warwick. He was awarded a personal chair there in 1996. Between 1997 and 2003, he was a Professor at Imperial College Business School, London, and joined the School of Management, Royal Holloway University of London as Professor and Head of Department in autumn 2003. He is also Director of the Centre of Public Services Organisations there. He has also been a non executive member on Warwickshire Health Authority. He is now Head of Department at the School of Management, King's College London.Laurence E. Lynn Jr. graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, after which he undertook doctoral study at Yale University, where he was awarded a Ph.D. in economics, and a stint in the U.S. Army, Lynn held various policy making and budgeting positions in the U.S. Federal Government, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Director of Program Analysis at the National Security Council, Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, and Assistant Secretary of Interior. His academic career has included positions at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration and Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, where he is the Sydney Stein, Jr. Professor of Public Management Emeritus.Christopher Pollitt began his working life as a civil servant in Whitehall, where he worked in policy divisions and as a private secretary to two ministers. Subsequently pursued an academic career, including periods at the Open University (1975-1990) and as Head of Department and Dean at Brunel University, West London (1990-1999). He is now BOF/ZAP Research Professor of Public Management at the Public Management Institute of the University of Leuven. Pollitt has also served as Editor of the international journal Public Administration (1980-1989), President of the European Evaluation Society (1996-98) and Scientific Director of the Netherlands Institute of Government (since 2004). He has carried out consultancy and advice work for many governmental organizations, including the European Commission, the OECD and the World Bank. His special research interests lie in comparative public management and in programme evaluation and performance audit.

Altogether, the contributors make this an outstanding book, head and shoulders above the rest. It deserves to be read and discussed.

• SECTION I: BASIC FRAMEWORKS; SECTION II: THEORETICAL AND DISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES; SECTION III: EXPLORING CURRENT PUBLIC POLICY AND MANAGEMENT THEMES; SECTION IV: FUNCTIONAL AREAS; SECTION V: NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS

Ewan Ferlie has previously worked at the Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent (1979-1986) and then the Centre for Corporate Strategy and Change, Warwick Business School (1986-1997), University of Warwick. He was awarded a personal chair there in 1996. Between 1997 and 2003, he was a Professor at Imperial College Business School, London, and joined the School of Management, Royal Holloway University of London as Professor and Head of Department in autumn 2003. He is also Director of the Centre of Public Services Organisations there. He has also been a non executive member on Warwickshire Health Authority. He is now Head of Department at the School of Management, King's College London.Laurence E. Lynn Jr. graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, after which he undertook doctoral study at Yale University, where he was awarded a Ph.D. in economics, and a stint in the U.S. Army, Lynn held various policy making and budgeting positions in the U.S. Federal Government, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Director of Program Analysis at the National Security Council, Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, and Assistant Secretary of Interior. His academic career has included positions at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration and Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, where he is the Sydney Stein, Jr. Professor of Public Management Emeritus.Christopher Pollitt began his working life as a civil servant in Whitehall, where he worked in policy divisions and as a private secretary to two ministers. Subsequently pursued an academic career, including periods at the Open University (1975-1990) and as Head of Department and Dean at Brunel University, West London (1990-1999). He is now BOF/ZAP Research Professor of Public Management at the Public Management Institute of the University of Leuven. Pollitt has also served as Editor of the international journal Public Administration (1980-1989), President of the European Evaluation Society (1996-98) and Scientific Director of the Netherlands Institute of Government (since 2004). He has carried out consultancy and advice work for many governmental organizations, including the European Commission, the OECD and the World Bank. His special research interests lie in comparative public management and in programme evaluation and performance audit.

Altogether, the contributors make this an outstanding book, head and shoulders above the rest. It deserves to be read and discussed.

• SECTION I: BASIC FRAMEWORKS; SECTION II: THEORETICAL AND DISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES; SECTION III: EXPLORING CURRENT PUBLIC POLICY AND MANAGEMENT THEMES; SECTION IV: FUNCTIONAL AREAS; SECTION V: NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS