For decades, experts have puzzled over why the US spends more on health care but suffers poorer outcomes than other industrialized nations. Bradley and Taylor marshal extensive research, including a comparative study of health care data from thirty countries, and get to the root of this paradox: We've left out of our tally the most impactful expenditures countries make to improve the health of their populations: investments in social services.

The paradox -- Historical perspectives -- Front-line insights -- Learning from abroad -- Home-grown innovations -- An American way forward -- Continuing the discourse.