Publications - Publications | American Swiss Foundation

Wonder Drug: 7 Scientifically Proven Ways That Serving Others Is the Best Medicine for Yourself

Anthony Mazzarelli, M.B. (YL 2009) and his co-author use neuroscience and captivating stories from clinical practice, to show how serving others—and pitching in to the world in general—is a secret superpower.

Black Women Will Save The World: An Anthem

April Ryan (YL 2004) reflects on the importance of black women's contributions to America. She examines the lives of various women through who have impacted America's history, especially noting the election of Kamala Harris, America's first black female Vice President in 2020.

Loyalty Shares in Swiss Law

In his now published doctoral dissertation, Dr. Christoph Burckhardt (YL 2015) presents the first comprehensive analysis on loyalty shares, contributing to the discussion on the effects of short-termism on capital markets worldwide.

La Duchesse: The Life of Marie de Vignerot—Cardinal Richelieu’s Forgotten Heiress Who Shaped the Fate of France

Bronwen McShea (YL 2019) paints a rich portrait of a compelling, complex woman who emerged from a sheltered rural childhood into the fraught, often deadly world of the French royal court and Parisian high society—and who would come to rule them both.

Inspired at Work

Do you want to be inspired at work? Are you ready to do something about it? Then, this book is for you. Sunnie Groeneveld (YL 2019) writes of Team Spirit, Leadership, Communication, Meaningfulness, Individual Growth, and Social Responsibility, to improve the workplace.

The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley

In The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley, Jimmy Soni (YL 2012) shares the untold story of the rise of online payments platform PayPal. He documents how founders Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Julie Anderson, Max Levchin, and Reid Hoffman have changed our world forever.

Kamala Harris

Marie-Astrid Langer (YL 2019) creates a portrait of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris from her family’s roots in Jamaica and India through to her inauguration in January 2021 in her book.

See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love

In See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, Valarie Kaur (YL 2012) writes about her own journey as a Sikh activist, filmmaker, and civil rights lawyer. Kaur describes revolutionary love as the call of our time, a practice that should extend to others, to our opponents, and to ourselves.

Apostles of Empire: The Jesuits of New France

Bronwen McShea (YL 2019), historian and current Writer in Residence at the Institute on Religious and Public Life, explores the history of the French Jesuit mission in North America in the 17th and 18th centuries and secular influence on the Jesuits.

Overdeliver: Build a Business for a Lifetime Playing the Long Game in Direct Response Marketing

Brian Kurtz’s (YL 1995) latest book, Overdeliver: Build a Business for a Lifetime Playing the Long Game in Direct Response Marketing (2019), teaches the core principles of direct marketing and how to make them work for you.

John F. Kennedy on Leadership: The Lessons and Legacy of a President

In his 2007 biography, John F. Kennedy on Leadership: The Lessons and Legacy of a President., John A. Barnes (YL 1999) explored what made President Kennedy a great leader and what business leaders today can learn from his life.

Rebuilding the Ark: New Perspectives on Endangered Species Act Reform

Jonathan H. Adler (YL 1995), law professor at Case Western Reserve, writes about the successes and failures of the Endangered Species Act in his 2011 book, Rebuilding the Ark: New Perspectives on Endangered Species Act Reform.

Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America

Gigi Georges (YL 1997) challenges the notion that rural America is a place of misery in Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America, published last month by Harper Collins.

The Road To Character

New York Times Columnist David Brooks (YL 1992) writes about the development of one’s moral character and the values that inform it in his 2015 book, The Road To Character.

Roam: Making Sense of the Wireless Internet

Bruno Giussani (YL 2003), Global Director of TED, wrote about why wireless and mobile technologies are the future of communication in his 2001 book, Roam: Making Sense of the Wireless Internet.

Nature's Civil War

Kathryn Shively Meier (YL 2011), Associate Professor of History at Virginia Commonwealth University, writes about the health and environmental challenges of the Civil War in Nature's Civil War: Common Soldiers and the Environment in 1864 Virginia.

The GQ Candidate

The Daily Beast columnist Keli Goff’s (YL 2008) first novel, The GQ Candidate (2012) tells the story of a Michigan governor’s campaign for president.

The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire

In his 2013 book, Neil Irwin (YL 2008) examines the role of central banks in managing the global financial crisis of 2008 as well as the history of central banking as a whole.

Secret Detroit: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

In her fourth book, Secret Detroit: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure (2018), journalist Karen Dybis (YL 2002) writes about the attractions and history of her hometown of Detroit, Michigan.

Plagues, Products, and Politics

Christopher Foreman (YL 1999) wrote, Plagues, Products, and Politics: Emergent Public Health Hazards and National Policymaking (1994). The book's coverage of public health issues, including pandemics and product safety hazards, has only grown more relevant in the years since its publishing.

Design Rules: The Power of Modularity

Carliss Baldwin (YL 1992), William L. White Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, co-wrote Design Rules: The Power of Modularity (2000) with Kim Clark. The book explores the role of modularity in design theory and industrial evolution.

The Second Mountain

David Brooks' (YL 1992) latest release, The Second Mountain (2019), explores what it means to lead a meaningful life with regards to four main commitments: to the family, to the career, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community.

Lord Liverpool: A Political Life

William Anthony Hay (YL 2005) writes about the life and activities of Robert Banks Jenkinson, one of the longest serving British Prime Ministers, in his 2018 book Lord Liverpool: A Political Life.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Carol Graham (YL 1992) of Brookings Institute writes about the determinants of happiness globally, and how the “economics of happiness” relates to public policy in her 2011 book, The Pursuit of Happiness: An Economy of Well-Being.

Compassionomics

Anthony Mazzarelli (YL 2009) coauthored the 2019 book, Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference, with Stephen Trzeciak and a foreword from Senator Cory Booker. The book explores how human connection and kindness help change health and healthcare for the better.

How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World

In his latest book, How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World (2019), Neil Irwin (YL 2008) writes about how to be successful in a changing economic landscape.

Age Smart

Jeffrey Rosensweig (YL 1996) and Betty Liu write about ageing in the modern era and adapting to new stages of life while interviewing individuals about how life can get better with age, in the Age Smart (2011).

Making Government Work

In the September 2020 release, Making Government Work, Jacki Deason (YL 2015) contributes a chapter about the future of energy in the United States.

Ethics and International Affairs

Joel Rosenthal (YL 1996), President of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, and Christian Barry wrote Ethics and International Affairs (2009), which examines ethics in international policy.

The Episodic Career

Farai Chideya (YL 2001) explores the changing landscape of the American workplace, work-life balance, and career in her 2016 book, The Episodic Career. Chideya examines how careers today follow different trajectories than they typically did in the past, and the unique challenges of today’s workplace.

American Passage

Vincent Cannato (YL 2002) captures the history of Ellis Island and its significant and symbolic role in American history in his 2009 book, American Passage. The book covers Ellis Island’s history from the immigration entry point it was around the turn of the century, to the national monument it is today.

Genes, Trade, and Regulation

Thomas Bernauer (YL 1997) examines the relationship between emerging biotechnologies and policy, delving into global regulatory and trade conflicts surrounding agricultural innovations in Genes, Trade, and Regulation (2003).

Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance

Nouriel Roubini (YL 1998), who predicted the 2008 financial crisis, writes about economic trends and the fragility of financial institutions in his 2011 book, Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance.

The Heartbeat of Excellence

Curt Blattner’s (YL 1995) new book, The Heartbeat of Excellence (2020), examines how Swiss political models can help build successful leadership and teams in the modern workplace.

One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger

In his book, One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger, Matthew Yglesias (YL 2008), co-founder of Vox, argues for increased government spending on programs that contribute to national prosperity: supporting parents and children, welcoming immigrants, and exploring creative policies that support growth.

Heroes Among Us: Firsthand Accounts of Combat from America's Most Decorated Warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan

Charles Larson (YL 2006) shares the stories of decorated American soldiers in his 2008 book, Heroes Among Us: Firsthand Accounts of Combat from America's Most Decorated Warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Switzerland and the European Union: An Impossible Membership?

Originally published in French, René Schwok’s 2006 book, Switzerland and the European Union: An Impossible Membership?, explains the main tenets of the Swiss-EU relationship, and how it continues to evolve over time. Professor Schwok is the Director of the Global Studies Institute at the University of Geneva and an alum of our Young Leaders Conference.

The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement

New York Times columnist David Brooks’ (YL 1992) 2012 book, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement explores the social aspect of human nature and the meanings of success.

Backwards in High Heels

Ambassador Faith Whittlesey was the Grande Dame of American-Swiss relations for three decades. Her biography, Backwards in High Heels, was published in 2012 by Thomas Carty (YL 2005), Professor at Springfield College.

The Almanac of American Politics

The Almanac of American Politics, co-authored by Michael Barone (YL 1993), is the most comprehensive guide to U.S. politics. The 50th anniversary edition will be released in 2022 and is available for pre-order this July. The most recent edition currently available was released last year in 2020.

Epidemic: Ebola and the Global Scramble to Prevent the New Killer Outbreak

Reid Wilson, YL 2014, National Correspondent at The Hill, writes about the world's vulnerability to global health crises in his 2018 book, Epidemic: Ebola and the Global Scramble to Prevent the New Killer Outbreak.

The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream

In “The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream” (2009), Patrick Radden Keefe (YL 2006), staff writer at the New Yorker, documents the life of a surprising criminal: a middle-aged grandmother who, from a tiny noodle shop out of NYC’s Chinatown, managed a multi-million dollar business smuggling people.

Warrior Dreams: Playing Scotsmen in Mainland Europe

David Hesse (YL 2015), who teaches history at the University of Zurich and works at the Mercator Foundation Switzerland, writes about celebrations of Scottish heritage, culture, and history across mainland Europe and the draw of Scottish nostalgia and myth in Warrior Dreams: Playing Scotsmen in Mainland Europe (2014).