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What Goliath can Learn from David: Big Lessons from Small Nations
America is the biggest, the strongest, the best! That is our national mantra. To say otherwise is unpatriotic. It follows then that the United States must have the world’s happiest, healthiest and best educated citizens, right?
Nope, not right at all.
For far too long we have been preoccupied with size rather than excellence. Turns out small nations like Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and Singapore routinely beat large nations in every category from health to happiness. Why is this so? And what can we – the biggest and grandest – learn from them?
What Goliath Can Learn From David is a whistle-stop tour of 11 small nations, open to experimentation and at the forefront of tackling some of the world’s greatest problems. Each chapter tells the story of one of these countries facing a critical public policy challenge – in education, healthcare or industrial development, among others - and dealing with it successfully through careful research, civilized dialogue and designing a route to consensus.
At a time when extreme polarization in Washington is stifling creative solutions and preventing the US Government from dealing with a raft of critical issues, including soaring public debt, crumbling infrastructure and deteriorating public health, it’s a good time to step back and look at how others are tackling the big issues and learn from them.
America doesn’t need more praiseworthy declarations, empty political promises or ranting sermons on what theoretically could be done better. Instead, look at Auckland, Tallinn or Helsinki, where proven and cost-effective blueprints already exist – waiting for America to adapt.
All big things start small.
Now is the time to swallow our pride and learn from the best.
Nope, not right at all.
For far too long we have been preoccupied with size rather than excellence. Turns out small nations like Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and Singapore routinely beat large nations in every category from health to happiness. Why is this so? And what can we – the biggest and grandest – learn from them?
What Goliath Can Learn From David is a whistle-stop tour of 11 small nations, open to experimentation and at the forefront of tackling some of the world’s greatest problems. Each chapter tells the story of one of these countries facing a critical public policy challenge – in education, healthcare or industrial development, among others - and dealing with it successfully through careful research, civilized dialogue and designing a route to consensus.
At a time when extreme polarization in Washington is stifling creative solutions and preventing the US Government from dealing with a raft of critical issues, including soaring public debt, crumbling infrastructure and deteriorating public health, it’s a good time to step back and look at how others are tackling the big issues and learn from them.
America doesn’t need more praiseworthy declarations, empty political promises or ranting sermons on what theoretically could be done better. Instead, look at Auckland, Tallinn or Helsinki, where proven and cost-effective blueprints already exist – waiting for America to adapt.
All big things start small.
Now is the time to swallow our pride and learn from the best.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2024
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 18, 2024
Good analysis but doesn’t really go the full way to detail particular policies/programs of these countries and the recommendation is too surface level. Also lacks some discussion on cultural differences.
June 18, 2025
Each chapter should be a book. Well researched but too high level for me- I want the nitty gritty of the operational / logistical overhaul that these countries had to do. Did they have pushback? How did they handle it?
Breiding also doesn’t address how we can apply these “small nation” ideas to a country as diverse as the US. Eg gun control reform was possible in Australia because 90% of the population wanted tighter gun control… compare that to 50-60% of US citizens.
Breiding also doesn’t address how we can apply these “small nation” ideas to a country as diverse as the US. Eg gun control reform was possible in Australia because 90% of the population wanted tighter gun control… compare that to 50-60% of US citizens.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews