Books by Patrick Field

Written by the founder of The London School of Cycling, this stunning book celebrates how cycling has changed the world - and the wisdom we can glean along the way from life on two wheels.

"Prince Patrick" was a nick name given to me as a child by my family and parent's friends that reflected my attitude and desire to be treated in a manner befitting a little prince. A sign of endearment to humor my natural, idiosyncratic demeanor. I actually never thought of myself as royalty, rather, that I was "special," destined for greatness or to be famous, and should be treated as an incubating celebrity. But just how was I going to become a figure in history? A doctor or scientist that discovered a cure to a hideous disease or condition? An actor/artist that was going to define my generation? Or would I become infamous? Whereas, my innocent "hijinks" would lead to other more serious acts that would get me recognized for the wrong reasons. These stories of my eccentric exploits, told time and time again at family gatherings, have made both family and friends smile, giggle and laugh hysterically, with the words "no he did not" uttered more than once.

Some portion of the American public will react negatively to almost any new corporate initiative, as Disney discovered when it announced its plans to build an historical theme park in Virginia. Similarly, government efforts to change policy or shift budget priorities are invariably met with stiff resistance. In this enormously practical book, Lawrence Susskind and Patrick Field analyze scores of both private and public-sector cases, as well as crisis scenarios such as the Alaskan oil spill, the silicone breast implant controversy, and nuclear plant malfunction at Three Mile Island. They show how resistance to both public and private initiatives can be overcome by a mutual gains approach involving face-to-face negotiation, a strategy applied successfully by over fifteen hundred executives and officials who have attended Professor Susskind''s MIT-Harvard "Angry Public" seminars.Susskind and Field outline the six key elements of this approach in order to help business and government leaders negotiate, rather than fight, with their critics. In the process, they show how to identify who the public is, whose concerns to address first, which people and organizations must be convinced of the legitimacy of action taken, and how to assess and respond to different types of anger effectively. Acknowledging the crucial role played by the media in shaping public perception and understanding, Susskind and Field suggest a way to develop media interaction which is consistent with the six mutual gains principles, and also discuss the type of leadership that corporate and government managers must provide in order to combine these ideas into a useful whole.We all need to be concerned about a society in which the public''s concerns, fears and anger are not adequately addressed. When corporate and government agencies must spend crucial time and resources on rehashing and defending each decision they make, a frustrated and angry public contributes to the erosion of confidence in our basic institutions and undermines our competitiveness in the international marketplace. In this valuable book, Susskind and Field have produced a strong, clear framework which will help reduce these hidden costs for hundreds of executives, managers, elected and appointed officials, entrepreneurs, and the public relations, legal and other professionals who advise them.