Anyone interested in how our current healthcare dilemma came to be will be fascinated by the tales told in Health Policy--The Hard Way, for this book not only traces the inside story of the development of Blue Cross and Blue Shield through the 1956 adoption and implementation of Medicare and Medicaid, but also analyzes the medical malpractice tort reform crisis of 1975, up to and including the shift to managed care. It is an important document for those who want to track what has happened to healthcare during these decades as well as providing an important springboard for all those interested in addressing the predicament of current healthcare needs. This is a wonderful resource to add to the discussion of the public heal th issues and for those trying to understand how the United States, albeit one of the wealthiest nations in all history, cannot provide an adequate national health policy program for its citizens. The author, a founder of the specialty of health-care law, is especially well-suited to assess this vital issue, having provided legal and policy counsel to more than 100 hospitals and healthcare organizations.