Why does the U.S. stagnate and how do we bridge our cultural divide? ?What causes some populations to flourish and others to subsist? What perspectives and practices optimize our well-being? Author Mark Bitz has been thinking about these questions for over forty years. The answers to them have been millions of years in the making; they come from the evolution of life, the human condition, our Judeo-Christian heritage, scientific findings, the American experiment, and numerous cultures. They involve certain perspectives and practices and their prevalence within populations. Bitz has found the answers to these questions in the one thousand books that he has read and the fifty states and over forty countries that he has visited. The Flourish series explains the answers to these questions. This book describes the Winning Perspectives that lead to critical Winning Practices. The three other Flourish books describe how these Winning Practices improve the effectiveness of individuals, families, groups, enterprises, and governments. Read Less