What is it about?
This publication reviews a book that explains how governments deal with major risks and crises such as pandemics, cyberattacks, and natural disasters. It shows that crises are not random events but often grow out of complex systems and past policy choices. The review highlights why learning from past crises, coordinating across agencies and countries, and balancing fast action with public accountability are essential for effective government response. The author offers lessons for policymakers, students, and practitioners on how public institutions can better prepare for uncertainty and protect the public during times of crisis.
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Why is it important?
This work is timely because it reflects on crisis management lessons from COVID-19, a truly global emergency. It is unique in highlighting how risk and crisis management now overlap and why learning, comparison across countries, and institutional resilience matter more than ever for public trust and effective governance.
Perspectives
This book review examines a volume that offers comprehensive insight into risk and crisis management. In my view, the book effectively captures how living through COVID-19 reshaped our understanding of crisis governance. Writing this review allowed me to reflect on how real-world crises challenge traditional theories and why learning, comparison, and institutional memory are essential in public administration today.
Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Public Health, and Public Management, Dr. Jiwon Speers, Ph.D.
Jackson State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Risk and Crisis Management in the Public Sector, 3rd Edition. By Lynn T.Drennan, AdinaDudau, AllanMcConnell, and AlastairStark, London: Routledge, 2024. 292 pp. $54.95 (paperback). ISBN: 978‐1‐03‐243472‐8, Public Administration Review, December 2025, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/puar.70075.
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