Making Ideas Matter: My Life as a Policy Entrepreneur.

• Author: Fairchild, Mary
• Position: Book review

Making Ideas Matter: My Life as a Policy Entrepreneur

By Pennsylvania State

Representative Dwight Evans, Fels Institute of Government, Nov. 20, 2013, 196 pages.

Available from Amazon

"Making Ideas Matter: My Life as a Policy Entrepreneur" offers a fresh, upbeat look at the life of a legislator whose success is based on a set of values that reads like the Golden Rule. The book presents lessons about life, family and community that provide the building blocks for an effective use of power and money to achieve political goals.

Representative Dwight Evans, a Democrat, is the author and main character of the book, but it's more about how to be an effective policymaker than an autobiography. Evans was first elected to represent Northwest Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania House in 1980, at age 26. Since then, he has accomplished more than most. He led an effort to rebuild a dilapidated neighborhood center in Philadelphia by attracting economic development investments and national anchor, RiteAid. He spearheaded the Fresh Food Financing Initiative that began with a $10 million appropriation from the Legislature and eventually spurred more than $1 billion in financing across this country and caught the attention and support of First Lady Michelle Obama. He led the effort to build a new convention center in Philadelphia despite stiff opposition from his constituents.

His vita is impressive, but what distinguishes his book from other public policy books are the stories he tells. And every story has a moral: listen to others even if you don't agree with...