Wande wonter's new book looks at the ways in which government has solved problems. He says it is often a long time before solutions to seemingly obvious problems emerge. One example he cites is when sewers were first considered as an act of 'government overreach' The gauge wars also feature, with different views on how far apart train tracks should be laid.
James Plunkett's new book, End State: 9 Ways Society is Broken, draws on his years working in both public policy and at the top tiers of government. A former advisor to UK prime minister Gordon Brown, his book looks at how to reboot some key ideas ranging from commerce to healthcare for a nation such as the UK in order to provide better quality of life for larger sections of society. James joins urbanist, transport and tech specialist Kat Hanna to talk about the book.
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