People You Should Know About: Matt Miller

Matt Miller / American / 1961-

For several months now, I’ve been part of a group of former Starbucks employees who gather weekly for coffee, conversation and encouragement. I’m happy to report that the group has begun to shrink, as several have now found jobs. A couple weeks ago, it was just Kristin Anderson and I. We met at Herkimer Coffee up on Phinney Ridge – a local coffeehouse I’ve been enjoying fairly regularly recently. Good coffee, nice people, and a fun little roasting operation right in the cafe.

When we were finished with coffee, Kristin, who lives in the neighborhood, suggested we visit the local bookseller, Santoro’s Books . I’m a sucker for bookstores, and I do my best to buy local whenever possible, even if it costs a bit more. (And many local bookstores, Santoro’s included, have discount programs that reward you after a certain number of purchases – the discounts aren’t as deep as Amazon or Barnes and Noble, but you essentially get the eleventh book free once you’ve purchased ten.)

When I visit a bookstore for the first time, I like to focus on the feature tables and newer releases, which gives me a sense of how the bookseller perceives their clientele and what books they deem worthy of their customers’ attention. (If I see too many Glenn Beck “books,” for example, I’ve learned that it’s best to slowly head for the door, keeping my eye on the help and my fellow shoppers.) I’m happy to report that Santoro’s has a great selection, with lots of local interest titles, as well as a helpful, knowledgeable staff.

One of the titles that caught my eye was Matt Miller’s “The Tyranny of Dead Ideas: Letting Go of the Old Ways of Thinking to Unleash a New Prosperity.” The title sounded a little cutesy, especially the whole “unleash a new prosperity” bit – it seemed like it might be another happy talk business book. Then I glanced at the dead ideas Miller chose to write about, and the book suddenly had my attention. The dead ideas are:

1. The Kids Will Earn More Than We Do
2. Free Trade Is "Good" (No Matter How Many People Get Hurt)
3. Your Company Should Take Care of You
4. Taxes Hurt the Economy (and They're Always Too High)
5. Schools Are a Local Matter
6. Money Follows Merit

If it were up to me, “Journey was a great band” would also get a chapter, but I think that might distract and offend a few readers. I’m only about sixty pages into the book, but have found it riveting and occasionally alarming. My concern about the future -- given the state of the global economy, the seeming impossibility of our leaders to act, and the odd insistence on the part of so many that “American dominance” is a viable starting point from which to engage the world – is growing weekly. The structure of the book, which lays out the problems associated with all six dead ideas before the whole unleashing of prosperity thing happens will no doubt heighten my anxiety in the weeks ahead. (I’ve thought about skipping ahead after each chapter, but I’ve pretty much decided to trust that Miller wrote it this way for a reason.)

In the introduction to the book, which you can read in its entirety here, Miller lays out three steps for “breaking free of dead ideas,” which we would all do well to apply in many areas of our lives. They are:

1. Identify the dead ideas that matter. We all believe some pretty wacky things; some of them just help us get through the day, while others probably retard progress, making us less effective. We need some disciplined thought and a little courage to identify the dead ideas that impede progress.
2. Understand each dead idea’s “story.” It is useful to understand why we believe certain things, where the idea came from, what has changed since the idea was broadly adopted? And whose interest does the dead idea serve?
3. Reach for new (and paradoxical) ways of thinking. This often involves asking questions people don’t want to answer and proposing solutions (higher taxes!!) people don’t want to consider. But it’s often the only way to fight through a dead idea and make changes.

I’ll devote a few brief posts in the weeks ahead to some of the ideas in the book. Please leave a comment or email me if any of the six dead ideas are of particular interest.

Matt Miller is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress (one of those lefty outfits) and the host of “Left, Right and Center” on NPR. He worked as an aide in the Clinton White House.