Public forces and private politics in American big business.

Werner (Univ. of Texas at Austin) looks at corporate decision making from the perspective of large corporations in this volume in the Cambridge University Press "Business and Public Policy" series. Even his language reflects that perspective. Unwanted legislation or regulation becomes contentious politics. Public criticism and calls for reform become private politics. Although the author reviews the academic literature on corporate decision making and interviews corporate leaders, the book contains no surprises. In considering three different challenges to corporate policies--environmental concerns, dealing with gay rights, and challenges to executive pay--Werner finds that corporations respond superficially to the first two, mostly concerned with their image. Although Werner does not make this point, companies with the worst environmental reputation seem to invest the most in "greenwashing" (green marketing). In contrast, corporations act decisively to defend their right to grant themselves exorbitant salaries, but they do so without appealing for public support. This book would be of most interest to specialists concerned with corporate decision making, especially with regard to public relations. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections. M. Perelman California State University, Chico