Non-Fiction Books
Nance, John J.
The author of A Splash of Colors offers dozens of valid and intelligent solutions to the worsening problem of safety risks in the commercial airline industry. 8 pages of black-and-white photographs.
On the heels of T. A. Weppenheimer's The Coming Quake (Nonfiction Forecasts, Aug. 5) appears this excellent study by the author of Blind Trust , in part historical and in part admonitory. Nance goes into detail on the Alaskan quake of 1964, the last major seismic disaster in North America, and also furnishes information on the Mississippi Valley quake of 1811 and the one in Chile in 1960, showing how great the damage can be. He treats the history of seismology and its exponential growth in our century, alluding to two contemporary temblors that were predicted: Haicheng, China, in 1975 and Oaxaca, Mexico, in 1978. But while demonstrating that seismology is becoming an exact science, he also points out that the public is often deaf to the warnings of experts, citing the examples of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and Anchorage, Alaska, where people have rebuilt on ground that has proved to be unsafe. With 39 states of the U.S. declared "significant seismic hazard zones," Nance outlines ways to minimize disaster; his message merits wide attention. Photos not seen by PW. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Discusses the problems of global warming and the destruction of the ozone layer and the scientific and political issues that have arisen while the conditions which lead up to them continue
In an age where business is too often seen as brutal combat devoid of ethics and human concern, the amazing story of Harold Simmons journey from bank trainee to one of the nations wealthiest, most successful corporate investors is an inspiring record of intelligence, honesty, and faith in the American system. It is also a fascinating trip through the byzantine realities of high corporate finance and corporate acquisition, and a validation of the idea that the true value of public companies can be discovered through nothing more than intellect, hard work, and public records. This is the story of Harold Simmons, whose journey from his home in Golden, Texas, has been on a path paved in gold. Written in the cant-put-it-down style of best-selling author John J. Nance.
2009 ACHE Book of the Year “This book is a tour de force, and no one but John Nance could have written it. He, alone, masters in one mind the fields of aviation, health care safety, medical malpractice law, organizational sociology, media communication, and, as if that were not enough, the art of fine writing. Only he could have made sophisticated, scientifically disciplined instruction about the nature and roots of safety into a page-turner. Medical care has a ton yet to learn from the decades of progress that have brought aviation to unprecedented levels of safety, and, in instructing us all about those lessons, John Nance is not just a bridge-builder – he is the bridge. This book should be required reading for anyone willing to face the facts about what it will take for health care to be as safe as it truly can be.” Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP President and CEO Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
"Charting the Course" is the sequel to John J. Nance's best-selling, award-winning novel "Why Hospitals Should Fly". John Nance and his wife, Kathleen Bartolomew, have co-written the continuing story of Dr. Will Jenkins as he takes over the leadership the fictional Las Vegas Memorial Hospital. John Nance and Kathleen Bartholomew address head-on how to become a top-level institution by illuminating the norms of the current hospital culture and then demonstrating how each member of every medical facility, regardless of rank, must be a leader and owner of the cultural revolution needed to keep their hospital system viable and their patients safe. Whereas "Why Hospitals Should Fly" dealt more with the "why" of a cultural revolution, "Charting the Course" deals more with the "how" of changing an ingrained hospital culture. Study guide provided at end of book.