[The book] presents America’s (public) history organizations as more lively and relevant than ever, pressing challenges notwithstanding. Bob’s Guide to Making Public History is a wide-ranging book, bringing together essays by important thinkers from between 2008-2017 on topics such as entrepreneurship, change management, relevance, partnerships, etc. Key themes in the book include financial and institutional stability, change and transformation, collections, diversity and inclusion, and the relevance of the history field as a whole. Each essay is introduced by Bob, who adds invaluable context and additional sources…. Fortunately, the book is full of promising case studies of public history organizations that have tried to become relevant and sustainable again…. Some chapters transcend the level of a guidebook and give directions on another level, most notably Edward T. Linenthal’s reflections on commemoration and David A. Janssen’s story about the rebirth of Detroit…. Instead, the image of the sector Bob’s book paints is one of a sector that feels a strong need to play an important, relevant role in society, and one that feels empowered and enabled to do so. This confidence is rooted in research and best practice. For me, this is the great strength of the book. It covers a formative period for many history (and other cultural heritage) organizations and by looking at many case studies at the same time, manages to give a convincing roadmap of possible futures for all of us.
