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Life, liberty, and happiness —a noble vision, but our founders also handed down a powerful obstacle: hierarchical thinking. From childhood, we learn to rank people by the status society assigns them, rather than by their abilities and contributions. Whether in plain sight or hidden from view, hierarchical influence pervades government, corporate culture, our educational system, religious institutions, and the media — not even our bedrooms are off limits. Mired in their ways, our leaders resist change. Their obsolete thinking prevents the nation from leading by inspiration rather than intimidation, and from guaranteeing all of its citizens the rights promised in the Constitution, and the equal opportunity to enjoy rewarding, productive, and healthful lives.

CHARLOTTE AND HARRIET CHILDRESS are identical twins. Collectively, they have earned eight college degrees, including one Ph.D. and four master’s degrees; taught college-level pharmacy, engineering, math, physics, and chemistry for twenty years; received nearly a million dollars in research grants from the National Science Foundation; published one book and fourteen articles; presented seminars and speeches in ten states; worked eleven years in R&D and manufacturing in Fortune 500 companies and NASA; traveled to five continents and forty-eight states; raised a daughter and a son; served on boards of public and historic parks, schools, and neighborhood and community organizations; welcomed more than thirty youths and adults from eighteen countries into their homes, for stays ranging from a weekend to a year; coached twenty-one seasons of youth basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, and swimming, and led Girl Scout troops for more than a decade. They live in the Pacific Northwest.

“The section on political strategies should be required reading for anyone considering a run for political office. Only with such new strategies will we break the partisan logjam so that cities, states and the country can be governed with a win-win strategy.”
— Cheryl Farmer, M.D., mayor of Ypsilanti, Michigan

“Particularly timely when the leadership of the United States is insisting that we be at the top of the world hierarchy, that our form of government is better than all others, that one religion should be dominant over government decisions and all other religions. We find ourselves at odds with much of the world and on the brink of a holy war. We find ourselves alone.”
— Kitty Piercy, former House Minority Leader,
Oregon State Legislature and Mayor of Eugene, Oregon

“While hierarchies can be avenues to maintain structure, too often they become structures of oppression. The authors make clear that the same structures of hierarchy are at work within the “religious” or “sacred” world as well as the “secular” world. As a religious professional, I look forward to the day in which all are set free.”
— Rev. Timothy Thomson-Hohl, Asbury Protestant Ministry, Drexel University

“The authors put the precepts of our society under a microscope, rethinking its top-down structure, and ask us to look more critically at our attitudes toward gender, race, and social station. Rethinking the status quo and asking ‘why?’ is a very worthy endeavor. And I really liked the part about the male cheerleaders in skimpy outfits.”
— Jan Eliot, creator of the syndicated comic strip Stone Soup

“A fascinating and insightful blueprint of why things are so difficult to change. With much of the country in arms over the arrogant use of power by America’s moneyed elite, this book provides a timely plan of action that says, “You can make a difference.”
— George S. Malleck, retired Foreign Service officer and Middle East diplomat

AUTHORS: Charlotte and Harriet Childress
CLASSIFICATION: Current Events/Self-help
PUBLISHER: Cypress House
PUBLICATION DATE: October, 2004
ISBN: 1-879384-56-6
DIMENSIONS: Paperback, 6×9, 336 pages
RETAIL PRICE: $18.95
DISTRIBUTORS: Baker & Taylor, Ingram, Partners/West
INTERNET: Amazon.com • BarnesandNoble.com • Booksense.com • Cypresshouse.com
PUBLISHER CONTACT: Joe Shaw w 800-773-7782

Please feel free to excerpt brief passages from this book for review purposes.
If you excerpt, please include:
CLUELESS AT THE TOP
Copyright 2005 by Charlotte and Harriet Childress
Published by Cypress House