Howard Friedman, statistician and United Nations health economist, compares the United States competes with the thirteen countries around the globe most similar to ours and argues that the country is often close to the bottom in health, safety, democracy, education, and the environment. In The Measure of a Nation: How to Regain America's Competitive Edge and Boost Our Global Standing, he pinpoints specific policies and practices in other nations that the United States could benefit from.