Stephen Dubner

Here's a sentence from the book Jacket that I particularly love. When Rebecca Allensworth began attending board meetings, she discovered a thicket of self-dealing and ineptitude. The self-dealing we can get to later. Let me hear a favorite example of ineptitude.

Here's a sentence from the book Jacket that I particularly love. When Rebecca Allensworth began attending board meetings, she discovered a thicket of self-dealing and ineptitude. The self-dealing we can get to later. Let me hear a favorite example of ineptitude.

Here's a sentence from the book Jacket that I particularly love. When Rebecca Allensworth began attending board meetings, she discovered a thicket of self-dealing and ineptitude. The self-dealing we can get to later. Let me hear a favorite example of ineptitude.

So it's really interesting reading about all the reasons for that and all the ways in which a licensing board, even if well-intentioned, is underpowered. That would seem to be most prominent in medical boards, right?

So it's really interesting reading about all the reasons for that and all the ways in which a licensing board, even if well-intentioned, is underpowered. That would seem to be most prominent in medical boards, right?

So it's really interesting reading about all the reasons for that and all the ways in which a licensing board, even if well-intentioned, is underpowered. That would seem to be most prominent in medical boards, right?

You write that licensing boards, quote, combine the most dangerous features of a professional association. And I have to say, I'd never really thought about professional associations as dangerous before. And the government agency boards have all the interests and incentives of a private club and the police power of the state to back them up.

You write that licensing boards, quote, combine the most dangerous features of a professional association. And I have to say, I'd never really thought about professional associations as dangerous before. And the government agency boards have all the interests and incentives of a private club and the police power of the state to back them up.

You write that licensing boards, quote, combine the most dangerous features of a professional association. And I have to say, I'd never really thought about professional associations as dangerous before. And the government agency boards have all the interests and incentives of a private club and the police power of the state to back them up.

When I first read that, I was sure that you were overstating your case. By the time I finished your book, I was pretty certain that you weren't. But if I read that out of context, I might take you for some kind of deep state conspiracist. Maybe you are, but can you give me a sense of why you've got such a harsh indictment in that sentence?

When I first read that, I was sure that you were overstating your case. By the time I finished your book, I was pretty certain that you weren't. But if I read that out of context, I might take you for some kind of deep state conspiracist. Maybe you are, but can you give me a sense of why you've got such a harsh indictment in that sentence?

When I first read that, I was sure that you were overstating your case. By the time I finished your book, I was pretty certain that you weren't. But if I read that out of context, I might take you for some kind of deep state conspiracist. Maybe you are, but can you give me a sense of why you've got such a harsh indictment in that sentence?

There's more than that. They may have a license, but there's a lot that can be buried within a valid license that is still not very good for consumers.

There's more than that. They may have a license, but there's a lot that can be buried within a valid license that is still not very good for consumers.

There's more than that. They may have a license, but there's a lot that can be buried within a valid license that is still not very good for consumers.

And in that case, who were the members of the board? Did they have any relationship with the person whose license was being considered?

And in that case, who were the members of the board? Did they have any relationship with the person whose license was being considered?

And in that case, who were the members of the board? Did they have any relationship with the person whose license was being considered?

You cite many examples of professionals who face discipline from their licensing board, but then they encounter, as you put it, a system full of second, third, and even fifth chances. And you write that a lot of these regulatory failures come from the most legitimate professions, you call them, like medicine. Talk about the Michael LaPaglia story.

You cite many examples of professionals who face discipline from their licensing board, but then they encounter, as you put it, a system full of second, third, and even fifth chances. And you write that a lot of these regulatory failures come from the most legitimate professions, you call them, like medicine. Talk about the Michael LaPaglia story.