Background
Murray, Charles Alan was born on January 8, 1943 in Newton, Iowa, United States. Son of Alan Benton and Frances Bradburn (Patrick) Murray.
( A sweeping cultural survey reminiscent of Barzun's From...)
A sweeping cultural survey reminiscent of Barzun's From Dawn to Decadence. "At irregular times and in scattered settings, human beings have achieved great things. Human Accomplishment is about those great things, falling in the domains known as the arts and sciences, and the people who did them.' So begins Charles Murray's unique account of human excellence, from the age of Homer to our own time. Employing techniques that historians have developed over the last century but that have rarely been applied to books written for the general public, Murray compiles inventories of the people who have been essential to the stories of literature, music, art, philosophy, and the sciences—a total of 4,002 men and women from around the world, ranked according to their eminence. The heart of Human Accomplishment is a series of enthralling descriptive chapters: on the giants in the arts and what sets them apart from the merely great; on the differences between great achievement in the arts and in the sciences; on the meta-inventions, 14 crucial leaps in human capacity to create great art and science; and on the patterns and trajectories of accomplishment across time and geography. Straightforwardly and undogmatically, Charles Murray takes on some controversial questions. Why has accomplishment been so concentrated in Europe? Among men? Since 1400? He presents evidence that the rate of great accomplishment has been declining in the last century, asks what it means, and offers a rich framework for thinking about the conditions under which the human spirit has expressed itself most gloriously. Eye-opening and humbling, Human Accomplishment is a fascinating work that describes what humans at their best can achieve, provides tools for exploring its wellsprings, and celebrates the continuing common quest of humans everywhere to discover truths, create beauty, and apprehend the good.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006019247X/?tag=2022091-20
( Respected author, scholar, and columnist Charles Murray...)
Respected author, scholar, and columnist Charles Murray has long challenged accepted notions of public and social policy issues. In this volume, originally published in 1988, Murray presents a persuasive and practical argument that reconsiders commonly held beliefs of what constitutes success in social policy by examining the scope of government and its role in people’s pursuit of happiness. In Pursuit begins by examining James Madison’s statement: “a good government implies two things; first, fidelity to the object of government, which is the happiness of the people; secondly, a knowledge of the means by which that object can best be attained." Murray exhibits a thoughtful, accessible writing style as he considers such basic, important questions as whether individual efforts or government reform should be responsible for dealing with society's problems. Drawing from his minimalist-government viewpoint, Murray proposes that government not try to force happiness on the people with federal policies or programs but, rather, that it provide conditions that enable people to pursue happiness on their own. Murray also proposes that the pursuit of happiness be used as a framework for analyzing the efficacy of public policy, and he comes to the conclusion that Jeffersonian democracy is still the best way to run society, even in today's complex society. The author states, "Jefferson and his colleagues were right more universally than they knew. In particular, they understood that the vitality of communities and the freedom of individuals are intertwined, not competitive." Charles Murray is the W.H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. He has written numerous books, including Coming Apart, Losing Ground, and Real Education. He is perhaps best known for coauthoring the 1994 New York Times bestseller The Bell Curve with the late Richard J. Herrnstein.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0865978433/?tag=2022091-20
( This classic book serves as a starting point for any se...)
This classic book serves as a starting point for any serious discussion of welfare reform. Losing Ground argues that the ambitious social programs of the1960s and 1970s actually made matters worse for its supposed beneficiaries, the poor and minorities. Charles Murray startled readers by recommending that we abolish welfare reform, but his position launched a debate culminating in President Clinton's proposal to end welfare as we know it.”
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465065880/?tag=2022091-20
Murray, Charles Alan was born on January 8, 1943 in Newton, Iowa, United States. Son of Alan Benton and Frances Bradburn (Patrick) Murray.
Bachelor, Harvard University, 1965; Doctor of Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1974.
Scientist, American Institutions for Research, Washington, 1974-1979; chief scientist, American Institutions for Research, Washington, 1979-1981; fellow, Manhattan Institute, New York City, 1981-1990; Bradley fellow, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, since 1990.
( Respected author, scholar, and columnist Charles Murray...)
( This classic book serves as a starting point for any se...)
( A sweeping cultural survey reminiscent of Barzun's From...)
Married Suchart Dej-Udom, August 19, 1966 (divorced 1980). Children: Narisara, Sarawan. Married Catherine Bly Cox, July 29, 1983.
Children: Anna, Bennett.