Review of the hardback: 'With a line-up of scholars who are at the forefront, theoretically and empirically, in their respective areas of public and performance management research, any researcher or policymaker who seeks to be at the cutting edge of public performance improvement needs to read this volume. Both new empirical investigations and in-depth, systematic reviews, framed by innovative conceptual thinking, are brought to bear on longstanding concerns about how to improve public sector performance, including overcoming goal ambiguity, internal organizational impediments and red tape, and financial and human resources constraints.' Carolyn J. Heinrich, University of Wisconsin-Madison