On the Principles of Social Gravity

Tobore Tobore’s concise and thought-provoking book, On the Principles of Social Gravity, offers pragmatic analyses of the risks the degeneration of current social systems coupled with the importance of achieving the systems-based heterogeneity essential to thrive in a changing world. In his opening chapter, Introduction to Social Gravity, Tobore does a fine job defining and providing examples of the notion of social gravity and nine principles which can help neutralize the negative influences of social entropy which he applies to each of the social systems examined in ensuing chapters. He applies his model of social gravity to the family, health care system, Social Security, schools, the military, community, nation-state, criminal justice system, and the United Nations.

Given the dynamics and complexity of the health care sector in the USA today, this book is particularly timely and useful. The chapter The Healthcare System provides an informative review of current US-based payment systems, the role of third-party payers and the population demographics which directly influence the cost of health services. A case is made for how the aging population throughout the world directly impacts cost and utilization. This section of the book provides a useful launch pad for creative, future-focused thinking about payment systems and the vital need to redesign health care services delivery.

Through the lens of social gravity, Tobore challenges the reader to acknowledge the complex nature of the nine social systems he examines and the demands of future-oriented thinking and change.

Dr. Ann-Michele Gundlach

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health