Bert Sperling
| Bert T. Sperling | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brooklyn, New York |
| Occupation | Author Demographer Software Programmer Public Speaker Consultant |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.S. Engineering |
| Alma mater | Oregon State University |
| Notable works | "Cities Ranked & Rated" "Best Places to Raise Your Family" |
| Website | |
| www |
|
Bertrand T. Sperling (born 1950 in Brooklyn, New York) is an author and researcher. His books and studies on quality of life in America have made him "an internationally recognized expert on cities."
Sperling is commissioned to carry out demographic studies which highlight a particular aspect of American life. Past studies have included "Funnest Cities to Live", "Best Cities for Singles", "Best Cities to Retire", and "Best Cities for Women’s Health".
In 2004 Sperling released the 832-page Cities Ranked and Rated, co-authored by Peter Sander and published by John Wiley and Sons. Sperling and Sander appeared on The Today Show in support of the book.
The 864-page Second Edition of Cities Ranked and Rated was published in 2007.
The 464-page Best Places to Raise Your Family was released in 2006 and again co-authored by Sander.
Sperling's interactive "Places, U.S.A." computer program evolved into the Sperling's BestPlaces (BestPlaces.net) website. Using quarterly-updated statistics from dozens of sources, the site is a free resource for people across the country seeking to relocate. The site is also used as a recreational learning tool and academic reference.
Sperling has been a guest on the Today Show and featured in the New York Times. The results of his studies have been mentioned in "The Simpsons" animated TV show, "The Tonight Show", as well as in clues in the popular trivia game show "Jeopardy!"
The Simpsons episode "They Saved Lisa’s Brain" (Season 10, Episode 22) generated controversy for its mention of East St. Louis, Illinois as America's least livable city.
In the episode, Comic Book Guy announces that Springfield is 299th on a list of the United States' 300 most livable cities. East St. Louis is in last place. A journalist for a "local East St Louis [news]paper" noticed this, and called writer Matt Selman to ask him why they were "taking a shot at East St Louis." Selman jokingly replied: "because it's a crack-ridden slum." The Simpsons staff received several angry letters from East St Louis' residents, demanding an apology.
Sperling founded Dataccount in the early 1980s, a company specializing in model-specific software for the emerging laptop market. For example, he entered the United States Tax Code into programmable calculators, which were then used by tax professionals for estate planning.
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Wikipedia