Book Description
The Science of Getting Rich is a classic inspirational and financial book authored by Wallace D. Wattles. This book works as a guide to individuals who are interested in uncovering the secrets of getting rich through strategies and case studies. A timeless title such as this one should not be passed up by anybody who is interested in learning how to become wealthy. This book has often been compared to the Napoleon Hill book, Think and Grow Rich, and works well as a companion to that title.
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This book will without any doubt change your life, by changing your mind about the concept of "money". So many of us were brought up with the idea of money as a finite resource, which you had to compete for. This book is desgined to release every preconcieved idea that is holding us all back from wealth. The basic premise of this book is that becoming wealthy is a science, that once understood, and replicated will create wealth in everyone's life. Wealth is as infinite as the creative mind. Create ideas, take action and abundance will flow.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Originals!.......2007-10-18
We all know that this book is what inspired the creation of The Secret. Well, rightfully so! This book is one of the first books to be written on the subject of how to bring wealth into your life. Wallace Wattles did a wonderful job, and I consider him an American Philosopher. This book is great at giving a glimpse into The Law of Attraction on the subject of money. w w w . theexecutiveleadershipcoach . c o m
The Science of Getting Rich.......2007-10-08
Obviously written about the turn of the century. If you can get past the outdated lingo and examples, the meat of the text is rich and rewarding. Women be warned, it was written in a time that we were not considered citizens. Again, if you can get past the lingo, the text is well worth the read.
Awesome book.......2007-10-08
This is a must have book. It was easy to read and I believe everyone should read this book if you are looking for keys to happiness.
This is it........2007-09-21
I have long experienced aspects of this teaching without ever realizing it. When you finally get into the whys and hows of this idea, you too should see very clearly what I am suggesting.
I particularly like the references to Christ and his teachings. It may seem contrary at first, stick to it. Jesus told us we could do these things if we only had the slightest bit of faith.
Enjoy.
"If your day is a failure...then you are a failure.".......2007-09-03
I am a huge Secret fan & good thing Byrne only took a few excerpts from this book/CD otherwise we would have people depressed convinced they are a failure. Not enlightening, not inspiring.
Book Description
Since the end of World War II, economists have tried to figure out how poor countries in the tropics could attain standards of living approaching those of countries in Europe and North America. Attempted remedies have included providing foreign aid, investing in machines, fostering education, controlling population growth, and making aid loans as well as forgiving those loans on condition of reforms. None of these solutions has delivered as promised. The problem is not the failure of economics, William Easterly argues, but the failure to apply economic principles to practical policy work.
In this book Easterly shows how these solutions all violate the basic principle of economics, that people--private individuals and businesses, government officials, even aid donors--respond to incentives. Easterly first discusses the importance of growth. He then analyzes the development solutions that have failed. Finally, he suggests alternative approaches to the problem. Written in an accessible, at times irreverent, style, Easterly's book combines modern growth theory with anecdotes from his fieldwork for the World Bank.
Customer Reviews:
Yes indeed "People respond to incentives".......2007-06-19
Unlike Jeffrey Sachs in "The end of Poverty," who calls for a large-scale investment in the Third World countries and paying only scant attention to the importance of prior government commitment and endogenous (indigenous) policy reforms, Dr. Easterly strongly emphasizes domestic variables in shaping growth. His book highlights why growth have failed in most developing countries:"people respond to incentives." It is a must for anyone trying to understand the multidimensionality of growth. Orthodox elixirs have their limits....
Very interesting easy to read, light on solutions.......2007-04-21
Easterly's book in general does a very good job at simplifying the economic language and is easily accessible to all readers. The book also flows well and is an interesting read. He does a good job at describing and analyzing the problems with various economic growth policies. However, his solutions and paths to move forward are vague and simplified.
Elusive Fantasies on Global Prosperity.......2007-04-20
The persistence of poverty and underdevelopment in African countries after the independence of these countries might lead one to reevaluate the validity of the entire discipline of development studies. William Easterly does so from an institutional point of view. He argues that African countries' failure was partly a result of fictitious "panaceas". Albeit a bit more comprehensive, Easterly's method is not very different from the panaceas that failed, however: It is technology, stupid, not machines (p. 51).
Easterly argues that panaceas such as international aid, investment, education, and population control failed because they were not panaceas in the first place. He adamantly tries to show that there is no historical or statistical relationship between these "panaceas" and economic growth. His second argument as to why these methods failed to result in economic development is that they were not coupled with "right incentives". According to Easterly, governments, donors, and individuals respond to incentives; therefore, policies that do not create any incentives for either of these three are doomed to fail. Other than these policy issues, Easterly views technological advancement as the most concrete factor that determines the development of countries. Thus, rather than investment in machines, Easterly prescribes for poor countries investment in R & D. Given the absence of incentives for private parties to invest in R & D in poor countries, he suggests that the governments of poor countries should subsidize investment in new knowledge (p. 168).
Problems, Problems, Problems...
Putting the "people respond to incentives" motto aside, there are two primary problems in Easterly's evaluation of "panaceas". The first one is that he incorrectly discredits the crucial elements of development. To start with, Easterly believes that increases in investments -or machines- has no theoretical or empirical relationship with growth. However, we know no country that has developed without an increase in savings, investments, and machines. (Indeed, for Stiglitz, the East Asian "miracle" was simply a result of saving heavily and investing well). As such, the relationship between machines and economic growth needs a clarification: machines are necessary, though not sufficient, element of an economic growth. Yet Easterly does not think that machines are even a necessary component of growth. Testing this necessary argument, he finds that high rates of investments are not related to high rates of economic growth. The problem with Easterly's test, however, is that it is based on the assumption of a linear relationship between increases in the number of machines and economic growth. Yet no one would argue that "the more machines, the more growth" relationship holds forever. "Machinization" is not immune to the law of diminishing returns. The first couple machines increase the output enormously, later ones increase output less, and later ones more less, so much so that after a point increases in machines virtually decreases productivity because the return from investment in machines does not even matches its costs. Thus, in the absence of an improvement in technology, the relationship between the number of machines and growth is either log linear or curvilinear (`n' shape). (The classic case of high output growth without much productivity growth was that of the Soviet Union in the 1950s and early 1960s. Soviet economy was growing only because of massive mobilization of labor and huge rates of investment and total productivity was growing slowly, if at all. This implied that the growth had to slow down first, and die down later. This is indeed what happened.) For this reason, the relationship between machines and technology is a complementary one. Machines start economic growth and technological advancements maintain and further it. I do not understand therefore why Easterly mystifies the importance of technology for developing countries and downplays the equal importance of investment in machines for these countries. After al technology is applied on machines; or in other words, technological advancement means improvement of machines.
Education has long been treated as another "necessary but not sufficient" element of economic development. Easterly counters this argument as well. He argues that there is no empirical evidence for the positive relationship between investment in formal schooling and growth rates. His argument is based upon primary and secondary level education, however. I do not think that Easterly would still find a nonexistent relationship between post-high school education and growth. What is important here is that investment in technology, which Easterly views as the crucial element in growth, cannot take place without substantial investment in upper level education. In such a case, developing countries will continuously have to import their scientists and engineers from the developed world, which would perpetuate their dependence on rich countries. (Is it just a coincidence that the four Asian countries that have maintained astonishing levels of economic growth in the second half of the 20th century (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China) are also the top four countries that send most students to American universities?)
Finally, Easterly's conclusion on the irrelevance of population growth to economic growth is based on his incorrect interpretation of the historical relationship between the two. He argues that historically population growth and economic growth followed the same pattern in industrialized nations: both were slow until the 19th century, and then both accelerated at the same time. Thus, "it is hard to reconcile this fact with the idea that population growth is disastrous to growth," (p. 92). But the parallel trends in population and economic growth in the 19th-century Europe was simply due to economic growth's positive impact on social health. Economic growth meant less infant deaths, less diseases, and more disease treatment. This is exactly the case in today's poor countries. Therefore, the reason why economic growth and population increase go hand in hand in poor nations is not that population increase helps economic growth, but rather that economic growth causes population growth by reducing deaths due to curable diseases. (Interestingly, in the introduction of the book Easterly articulates why economic growth is important for poor countries: "Poverty is not just low GDP; it is dying babies, starving children, and oppression of women and the downtrodden," (p. 15). I do not understand, therefore, why he fails to see that this is exactly why economic growth in poor societies has a population-increasing effect.) To me, population growth is detrimental to economic growth especially for countries that has low capital-to-labor and land-to-labor ratios. Population growth may not be harmful for nations who has high capital-to-labor ratio (e.g. Belgium) because they have enough resources to invest on each additional individual. Similarly, population growth might not be necessarily detrimental for countries with a relatively high land-to-labor ratio (e.g. Brazil), for they can employ new members at least in the agricultural sector. But for a country like Bangladesh, which has low capital-to-labor as well as low land-to-labor ratio, population growth harms growth in two ways. First, it increases the number of mouths that are to be fed with the scarce capital; second, it depresses the wage down by increasing demand for the already scarce jobs.
I agree with Easterly that none of these factors are "panaceas"; nevertheless, they are essential elements of growth policies in developing countries.
To me, the fundamental problem in Easterly's approach to economic development is his misreading of history and his failure to understand the dynamics of a capitalist growth. Easterly attributes rich countries' richness to their technological advancement and implementing right governmental policies. This approach has two inexcusable problems: first, it assumes that all countries can be rich if they employ right policies; second, it assumes that development is a national phenomenon. Like most economic liberals, Easterly shares Rostow's (1959) naïve belief that development has a path to be followed and "any and every" country that follows this path will become a rich country. This argument is simply against the scarcity of vital resources of the world. Today each inhabitant of the North consumes ten times as much energy, nineteen times as much aluminum, fourteen times as much paper, and thirteen times as much iron and steel as someone in the South. Thus, it would take ten planets the size of this one for poor countries to consume as much as rich ones do (Galeano 2000, p. 216). Given the scarcity of vital resources, what poor nations can achieve at most is to alleviate (or maybe eliminate) poverty, not to get rich. And even this cannot be done with their own efforts solely.
A related problem in Easterly's approach is its negligence of the relationship between economic and political power in the world (well, according to Gilpin, this is a common problem among economists). Thanks to its richness, the West (led by the US) enjoys economic, political, and military hegemony over the rest of the world. Any threat to this hegemony will preoccupy the Western countries. The US has already started to preoccupy with the Chinese economic growth, even though Chinese GDP per capita is still around $1000 only. How would be the power relations in a world in which Brazil, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, and China had GDP per capita levels above $10000? Would the powerful countries of the world welcome such a world? Interestingly, Easterly fails to apply his motto onto world politics: What "incentives" does G-7 have in the enrichment of poor countries?
Great Themes and Practical Views.......2007-01-12
I was impressed with Easterly's objective viewpoint as well as his clarity of expressive economic ideas. It was great to read about historical progress on the poverty of nations and what ideas have not worked in the past. It is a great broad overview and it is presented in a very orderly and easy to understand way. I was entertained as I read as well with his personal experiences, metaphors and humor.
It is a good educational read.
Fresh Approach.......2006-11-03
The setting and structure are atypical and a sense of humor is added for enjoyable reading. More important there is an element of hope for the dismal science.
Book Description
Critical Thinking is about becoming a better thinker in every aspect of your life: in your career, and as a consumer, citizen, friend, parent, and lover. Discover the core skills of effective thinking; then analyze your own thought processes, identify weaknesses, and overcome them. Learn how to translate more effective thinking into better decisions, less frustration, more wealth Q and above all, greater confidence to pursue and achieve your most important goals in life.
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Critical Thinking is about becoming a better thinker in every aspect of your life: in your career, and as a consumer, citizen, friend, parent, and lover. Discover the core skills of effective thinking; then analyze your own thought processes, identify wea
Customer Reviews:
Not fit for critical thinking.......2007-09-11
Although the authors have plenty of authority in this field, the book comes across to me as marketing or propaganda. They have focused on what they view as the essence of critical thinking which they call "fairmindedness." However, their intent seems less about teaching people how to apply logic to life's situations and more about an agenda of promoting liberal, Humanist philosophy. They eschew emotion as counterproductive to "fairmindedness," yet the text is replete with emotionally charged words, symbols, and examples. I was very disappointed, and I struggled to find the nuggets of truth in the sea of philosophical pondering.
Food for "THOUGHT".......2007-08-06
--You will see (in private) the assets and liabilities of your own personal thinking - as well as the the assets and liabilities in how your family, friends and associates think.
--Highly readable - very informative - absorbing and engrossing presentations - the art of critical thinking made user-friendly, enjoyable, and magnetic. A book worth using to learn or to teach "how" to think - as well as to employ for reflecting upon "how" we think.
Decent Book.......2007-07-06
I think that the book was really good and gave me a couple of new ways to think. I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking to examine how they think.
Great for teachers of critical thinking classes.......2007-05-20
I use this book as a college professor for courses in ethics in addition to courses based primarily on critical thinking skills. Easy to follow, good chapter separation, and each chapter building upon the previous one, make this an excellent choice for these types of courses.
If you want to get smart, especially in today's chaotic world..., get hold of this book quickly!.......2006-10-28
Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life
by Richard Paul & Linda Elder
One of the hallmarks of strategic thinking, whether it is for business or for personal application, is the ability to think critically. This is also the expressed contention of Michel Robert in his series of well-known strategic thinking books for CEOs & senior managers.
In this particular book, which also happens to be one of my personal favourites, the two authors argue that everything you do in life is determined by the quality of your thinking. I fully concur with the authors. The two authors are principal leaders of the Center for Critical Thinking, a well-respected research & professional development organisation among the critical thinking community.
What I like about this book is that the authors help the reader to become a better thinker in every aspect of your life: in your career, & as a consumer, a citizen, a friend, a parent, & even a lover. They also help the reader to analyze your own thought processes so you can identify your own weaknesses & overcome them. To be more precise, they actually show the reader how to "take thinking apart" & assess it for quality.
In a nutshell, readers will learn how to improve all the three core components of thinking:
- analysis;
- evaluation;
- re-thinking;
The authors have also provided practical metacognitive exercises for honing your thinking skills every day.
These are the powerful & beautiful features of this wonderful book!
In the end analysis, thinking strategically is actually using effective critical thinking to achieve your goals & enhance your life. This also applies in the business realm.
I want to compliment both authors for crafting this excellent guide & field book on critical thinking. Their writings are clear, succinct & concise. Personally, I have enjoyed working on their exercises in the book.
If you want to get smart, especially in today's chaotic world where you're at the mercy of everyone else - from dishonest politicians to aggressive, stop-at-nothing ad agencies - get hold of this book quickly.
Readers who are interested to explore further the two authors' masterwork are welcome to check out their corporate website. They have a lot of other good stuff e.g. Thinker's Guides.
Book Description
Shows employees how they can avoid 15 basic mistakes that create major stress in the workplace. By all accounts, the pace of business will continue to accelerate in the years to come, and for many that means more stress-stress which will almost certainly affect job performance and satisfaction. This easy-to-read handbook explains the sources of stress and provides practical, usable tips for reducing it.
Customer Reviews:
Concise.......2003-03-18
I've been on both sides of reorganizations, and this book does HELP. It was especially very good advice when I was younger and just beginning to experience the change that all organizations must go through. I held on to my copy and still look at it now and then to remind myself that I shouldn't fight change, but take it as it comes and make the most of it.
Pragmatic Reality.......2003-01-31
I am an employee who appreciates reality. This book espouses the importance of personal accountability...for how we work, how we live, how we feel.
The challenge is in doing something right that does not come naturally; proactive rather than reactive. This book made me feel good about how much control I actually do have.
Following the axioms presented will help you step over some tripwires in the minefield of a work-a-day world in the throes of change.
Senior managers will love it, but employees will hate it.......2001-03-25
The tone and messages of the book are such that they will serve to demotivate, rather than inspire, employees. For example:
Message #1: You (the reader) are not senior management. Throughout the book, senior management is described as "the people at the top" and "they." The book immediately sets up a distinction between these two groups - top management, which is moving the company along in response to outside changes, and employees, who are resisting change at every turn.
Message #2: Change is scary, unrelenting, and you (the average person) are naturally not going to like it. And if you weren't scared about change going into the book, you will be after you read it. One of the opening paragraphs reads: "And if today's stress and tension aren't enough to create problems, all a person has to do is consider what the future holds. One close look at what's in store should be enough to worry anyone."
Message #3: You (the reader) are an idiot, and you will persistently resist change unless you wise up to the tips in this book. The book outlines 15 mistakes people usually make in dealing with change. It doesn't offer 15 good ideas for preventing stress due to change, but instead focuses on 15 things you'll probably do wrong unless, of course, you read this book.
On the whole, this book is too simplistic and supplies only minimal rationale for why an employee should change. If you want to get employees to be more open to change, to put their heart into their job, to be more supportive of the company's overall direction, then give them a book that will inspire them. Give them tips for how to be a happier person, both on the job and at home. Talk to them in a positive tone and not a negative one, as this book does. There are many books out there that can accomplish these goals, just not this one.
Amazon.com
Ever feel like you just can't get ahead with the bills? You're not alone. More than half of Americans believe the American dream has become impossible for most people to achieve. And two-thirds think this goal will be even harder for the next generation. (One reason for the gloominess--average full-time income has fallen 15 percent since 1975.) All this has Benjamin Friedman worried. In his hefty, 549-page tome, The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth, the acclaimed Harvard economist and advisor to the Federal Reserve Board says economic stagnation is bad for the moral health of a nation. Friedman, a former chair of Harvard's economics department, argues that economic growth is vital to social and political progress. Witness Hitler's Germany. Without growth, people look for answers in intolerance and fear. And that, Friedman warns, is where the U.S. is headed if the economic stagnation of the past three decades doesn't soon reverse. It's not enough for gross domestic product to rise, he says. Growth also has to be more evenly distributed. The rich shouldn't be the only ones getting richer.
Friedman's arguments are provocative but at times lack rigor. In his comparisons of various countries, he offers no objective data to measure their levels of social progress, relying instead on his own--sometimes selective--interpretation of historical events. He glosses over the fact that China, where the economy has grown sevenfold since 1978, has seen little political change in that time. He also acknowledges that the Great Depression--which brought Americans together to achieve great social and political progress--tends to disprove his theory. Friedman makes a good case that the economy sometimes influences social movements, but the jury is still out on exactly when and how that happens. --Alex Roslin
Book Description
From the author of Day of Reckoning, the acclaimed critique of Ronald Reagan’s economic policy (“Every citizen should read it,” said The New York Times): a persuasive, wide-ranging argument that broadly distributed economic growth provides benefits far beyond the material, creating and strengthening democratic institutions, establishing political stability, fostering tolerance, and enhancing opportunity.
“Are we right,” Benjamin M. Friedman asks, “to care so much about economic growth as we clearly do?” To answer, Friedman reaches beyond economics. He examines the political and social histories of the large Western democracies—particularly of the United States since the Civil War—distinguishing times of generally rising living standards from those of pervasive stagnation to illustrate how rising incomes render a society more open and democratic. He shows, too, how our attitudes toward economic growth and its consequences have roots in the thinking of prior centuries, especially the Enlightenment, and also include significant strands of religious influence.
Friedman also delineates the role of economic growth in determining which developing nations extend the broadest freedoms to their citizenry. He makes clear that growth, rather than just the level of living standards, is key to effecting political and social liberalization in the third world. But he also warns that the democratic values of countries even as wealthy as our own are at risk whenever incomes stagnate for extended periods. Merely being rich is no protection against a society’s retreat into rigidity and intolerance once enough of its citizens lose the sense that they are getting ahead.
Finally, Friedman shows us why, if America is to strengthen democratic institutions around the world as a bulwark against terrorism and social unrest, we must aggressively pursue growth at home and promote worldwide economic expansion beyond what purely market-driven forces would create. And for the United States, he offers concrete suggestions for policy steps to achieve those objectives.
A major contribution to the ongoing debate on the effects of economic growth and globalization.
Customer Reviews:
The Chicken or the Egg?.......2007-02-06
Since the rise fascism and Bolshevism in the 1920s there has been the question of how political rights and civil liberties correspond to economic rights and growth. Amartya Sen has argued that the political rights and civil liberties should not be divorced from economic process (Development As Freedom). Sen's normative approach of equating economic rights to the freedoms one achieves with guaranteed civil liberties is one that many can respect.
Benjamin Freidman has taken a more positivist to the same issue. In doing so he asks, "Which came first the chicken or the egg?" Does economic growth in a capitalist setting require democracy and civil liberties or visa versa? Friedman's study looks back not only over all to this question in modern economic history. But, he also takes specific case studies from the United States, Germany, France and others to see the over all trends of the problem.
From this he develops a matrix on the issue. In times of growth political rights tend to expand. In times of stagnation they tend to contract. What is interesting his not how Friedman arrives at this basic framework, but his look into the exceptions of this common sense rule. Why in the 1930s was the political openness of the New Deal accepted, but the recent economic stagnation in France caused the rise of the right-wing Le Pen party?
Friedman is one of the foremost experts on the political economy. He has held a seat at Harvard since 1972. Yet, in this work for public consumption his writing is more along the lines of an historian. He does not delve too far into the economics or the political science of the issue, which many academics tend to - even for the lay reader. Instead, he sees to it that the main ideas are gotten across.
His prescriptions are simple. Maintain economic growth and we can maintain political and civil liberties. While Amartya Sen may find a problem with placing the chicken before the egg, after this work one must understand that economic stagnation helps noone.
Better than church: Economics, the joyful science.......2006-12-01
Economics is often considered a values-free discipline (and economists - well, a sperm cell has a better chance of becoming human). Economists have promoted this view with their emphasis on "positive" (scientific) economics. Economic theory must generate testable hypotheses which stand on their ability to predict the future and withstand the test of data. This is actually very important if economic theory is going to serve as the basis for policy. Without a rigorous and dispassionate analysis of the problems we face and their potential solutions, policy is more likely to be destructive than useful. But taken to an academic extreme, this approach makes economics rather arid, an extremely formal social science that looks more like a branch of mathematics. Indeed, some economics journals publish articles so arcane they might as well be about string theory for all the relevance they have to actual human beings.
Friedman understands that economics is much more than mathematics, that it deals directly with human happiness. It's the most optimistic and joyful of sciences, not simply a ruler by which we can measure policy. Its uses and conclusions are fundamentally moral (or immoral). Economic growth isn't just about GDP and reams of statistics, but about the expansion of opportunity, the lifting up of the poor and the powerless to prosperity and self-determination. Markets aren't just about money, but about liberty. It may be the responsibility of economic advisors to be cold, impartial and rational in their analysis and advice, but policy makers and citizens must apply moral reasoning and moral sense to the products of that analysis.
Friedman's book is a solid introduction to the moral relevance of economics. Friedman shows us that economics matters, though it doesn't matter in quite the way that physics matters. Physical knowledge may be used for moral or immoral purposes, but physics is fundamentally without morality. It also need not deal with anything that really matters to you and me. Economic theory can explain human behavior in ways similar to thermodynamic explanations of molecular motion, but humans aren't molecules. You can't simply describe the impact of globalization or tax policy on humans without a moral framework; an attempt to objectify humans as you'd objectify hydrogen molecules contains its own grim morality. It's the strength of Friedman's book that it makes clear that economic decisions and economic analysis are firmly embedded in a moral framework, no matter how hard we might try to ignore it in our pursuit of scientific and mathematical rigor.
Friedman's book isn't just a moral tract; he attempts to make a case for his moral stand. Friedman is a skilled economist, and he marshals historical data and comparisons of different nations and different periods in our own history to make his case. He provides some information useful for evaluating his thesis that economic growth is moral, he doesn't simply assert it. But herein is a weakness in his book. He doesn't provide nearly as much hard information as he should, and he scatters his supporting numbers throughout the text. It would be very helpful to the reader if data were gathered into charts and tables. There's but a single Figure in the book, no tables of data. It should also be noted that his national comparisons leave out some states (China, Singapore, Vietnam) that might contradict his thesis regarding the linkage between economic growth and political liberty. He's chosen his examples far too carefully.
Another weakness of this book is a natural danger of the type of text Friedman has written. Because he is dealing with economics as a moral issue, he takes a moral stance, one that's clearly to the political left in many ways. I have no problem with this, even though I'm somewhat to the right of him, but we should be very clear on one point. While a trained economist like Friedman is in a much better position than the average person to analyze the effects of different policies, he's no more qualified than a pastry chef to comment on the relative desirability of those different policies once their effects have been laid out in terms the pastry chef understands. Friedman makes a number of policy suggestions in his book with which I disagree. He doesn't make it sufficiently clear that their potential effects aren't unambiguously better than those of alternative policies designed to create or enhance economic growth.
My final objection to this book is its length. Friedman is clearly a well-read man of wide interests, and he brings a great deal of his erudition to this book. It strengthens his case, but I'm not sure that the marginal benefits of the 400th page exceed the marginal costs. More than once I found myself wanting an executive summary of the chapter I was reading and wishing that he would just cut to the chase. But that's really a minor complaint. I benefited from reading this book. It's an interesting and thoughtful contribution to the issue of economic growth (and by extension to international trade and economic aid to developing countries), and I strongly recommend it.
Society and Economic Growth.......2006-11-05
Friedman explains how growth is good for promoting a freer, more tolerant and open society. The author gives good reasons for defending growth as the major objective of any government.
Interesting Thesis, but overlooking some important points.......2006-06-13
Mr. Friedman's book begins with an interesting thesis, defining morality and its definition within a context of economic growth. The idea that economic growth or stagnation effects the mindsets of the people living in that time period is a logical argument that Friedman often well supports with historical facts. However, the exceptions to his argument make me wonder if he really believes in his own thesis, or if he just felt the need to write a book. Furthermore, for every chapter in the book, there seem to be at least one or more flawed arguments or points that, with a little thorough thought or research, don't make sense or can easily be disproven. With these things being the case, I find Friedman's argument a little hard to buy. The entire book seems to build up to the final chapter, which Friedman uses to make policy recommendations that would aid in economic growth; this final chapter could have stood alone from the book entirely, however, because the evidence in the book an his arguments elsewhere in the book (ie. the importance of education) do not add or support his final policy recommendations. His policy recommendations could have easily been listed by students in an economics class as responses to the question "What should the government do to promote economic growth?" They don't push the argument forward or indicate anything that hasn't already been suggested in the past, nor do they give suggestions as to how to go about implementing his policies.
Puzzling.......2006-06-02
Friedman begins with a few troubling statistics, particularly the fact that except for a brief period in the late 1900s, most of the fruits of the last three decades of economic growth in the U.S. have accrued to only a small slice of the population. Further, after allowing for higher prices, the average 2004 worker in an American business made 16% less each week than 30+ years earlier. With more and more two-earner households and more individuals holding two jobs, most families' income have more than held their own. But nearly all the gain in the last three decades came only in the late 1990s. Young men entering the American job force in the 1970s started off earning two-thirds more, on average, than the generation starting out in the 1950s; by the early 1990s it was one quarter less than their parents.
Economic growth positively affects the character of the society as a whole, and because neither tolerance nor democracy is a good that private markets value, there is a role for government measures to seek growth beyond what the market would provide on its own. Improved transportation, crime reduction, safety from external attack, savings, education, and patent protection are examples of valuable government contributions.
Friedman asserts that declining investment is a problem in the U.S., and blames it on increased current consumption and government borrowing. (But what about the fact that much cheaper labor is available in Asia?) He goes on to posit that chronically large deficits' depressing effect on America's investment probably received a greater spur from change in the tax structure than the positive aspect of the tax reductions.
Friedman suggests improvement that begins with undoing the Bush administration high-end tax changes that provided 60% of the benefits to the top 10% (earning over $120,000) to reduce the deficit and improve society.
Fireman, like many others, very much wants to improve American education. He begins by focusing on improving the high school graduation rate - stable at about 90% over the last several decades - through more spending. (Friedman, however, forgets that enormous increases in inflation-adjusted per-pupil spending also occurred during this period, and that dropout rates closely correlate with race - ergo, positive home influence is probably a much more potent lever.) More government support for college education is also highly recommended because their incomes average some 70% more than those without a college degree. As for class sizes, Friedman is aware that most quality research has found reductions do NOT improve pupil achievement; nonetheless he suggests reductions would improve graduation rates, though the sources he cites seem to confound race and socio-economic status with class size as influences. He also supports competition within education, citing several inner-city positive examples such as Harlem Community Schools.
Another significant recommendation is raising the Social Security retirement age.
What is puzzling about "The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth" is that Friedman does not address a major issue of today's economic growth - the impact of free trade and illegal immigration on American incomes. Also, his treatment of economic development and population growth on environmental impacts is overly optimistic. These issues seriously limit the book's contributions.
Average customer rating:
- Delivers on the promise
- Excellent book about the economic growth theory.
- A thorough introduction
- Une théorie générale de la croissance
- Very good as an undergraduate text in the subject
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Introduction to Economic Growth (Second Edition)
Charles I. Jones
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
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ASIN: 0393977455 |
Book Description
One of the hottest fields in contemporary macroeconomics, economic growth is both fascinating to theorists and critically important to policy makers. In Introduction to Economic Growth—the only text in the field designed specifically for advanced undergraduates—Charles I. Jones explains in clear, direct language how economists have come to understand the long-run growth of economies. Beginning with empirical evidence—how rich are the rich countries, how poor are the poor, and how fast do the rich and poor countries grow? —Professor Jones then presents the major theories of economic growth, from the Nobel Prize-winning work of Robert Solow to the new growth theory that has ignited the field in recent years.
Customer Reviews:
Delivers on the promise.......2003-02-18
This book delivers on its promise of being a textbook on economic growth theory for undergraduates. It is not easy (as economic growth is not), but it is definitely within the grasp of economics undergraduate with knowledge of basic economic principles. It also provides sufficient advance material in the second half of the book to stimulate further study into economic growth. However, beware that this is not a book about policy prescriptions for economic growth, it is about the theoretical framework to understand it (necessary, but not sufficient for policy prescriptions).
Excellent book about the economic growth theory........2001-05-19
This is a excellent book about the economic growth theory. I've read excellent books as "Economic Growth" by R. Barro, "Advanced Macroeconomics" by David Romer and "Endogenous Growth Theory" by Philippe Aghion, the principal problem is the level, if you don't have notions about economic growth theory, you'll have problems to understand. Charles I. Jones wrote a excellent introduction about all the modern economic growth theory. I recommend this book amply.
A thorough introduction.......2000-07-06
Since most intermediate-level macroeconomics textbooks - probably because of lack of space - usually decide to devote no more than a chapter or two to what is often considered to be the most important topic in economics, Jones' book serves as a very neat introduction to the field. Obviously, noone should expect to see the rigour one can find in advanced treatments, but - without doubt - it is easier to jump to advanced treatments if you see the intuitive explanation first. I could say this is one of the best textbooks I had a chance to read.
Une théorie générale de la croissance.......1999-11-24
Une traduction francaise de l'ouvrage vient de paraître chez DE BOECK. Ce livre est une belle tentative de construction d'une synthèse des théories de la croissance et d'essai d'une théorie générale. A la lecture certaines manies de l'auteur apparaissent, certaines bonnes, d'autres curieuses. Les bonnes sont sans aucun doute la pédagogie, le lien permanent avec les faits, la volonté "to takes Robert Solow seriously" et la réalisation d'une synthèse entre Solow et les théories endogènes. Mais 1) le chapitre 5 donne une présentation bien compliquée du modèle de Romer, on pouvait faire plus clair.2) Alors que les commentaires insistent sur l'importance de la dynamique transitoire, aucune présentation théorique de la beta convergence n'est proposée. 3) Jones prétend que la croissance endogène est caractérisée par l'action de la politique economique sur le taux de croissance. Il a beau jeu de montrer qu'il n'en est rien et que selon lui, la croissance endogène se définit par le choix des agents qui investissent en recherche (page 159). En fait tout le monde est d'accord avec lui sur ce point.
Very good as an undergraduate text in the subject.......1999-09-02
The book presents the subject in a very friendly way; great for a first glance to the subject. However, I have to agree that it turns out to be a little too basic as one approaches the chapters on new growth and other alternative theories.
Customer Reviews:
People helping people help themselves.......2003-12-14
In the mid 1970's I was an Amway Distributor and one thing that always stuck with me were the tapes by Mr. Rich Devos. To this day, even though I am no longer associated with Amway, I enjoy listening to "Four Winds", "Selling America" and other audio tapes recorded by Mr. Devos. This man has a voice and something to say! He is great. An outstanding businessman and an outstanding American.
In Compassionate Capitalism, Devos explains that the "dog eat dog", law of the jungle and every person to himself rat race mentality is not only not necessary to achieve success but in fact, impedes success.
Devos offers a completely different vision of capitalism. A vision of capitalism as the finest tool yet known to help people become all they can be for others as well as themselves.
In Compassionate Capitalism, Devos offers more than just a vision, it is a plan--a practical plan--a proven plan. And it is not just about Amway and it's incredible success stories. It's about you and me and everyone. How we can all become more by helping others help themselves in a nation of free enterprise.
Compassionate Capitalism spells out clearly and eloquently the guiding principles and concrete steps to take to make your life and your world better. Devos shows how your energy, your ambition, and your spirit of enterprise can travel together down a path in which the spirit of capitalism and moral values inextricably merge.
Devos illustrates both how success is achieved and what it really means. He demonstrates how compassionate capitalism is the only solution to the most crucial issues of our time---poverty, homelessness, hunger, the enviroment, and the many other challenges that face us in the new millenium.
Whether you are the owner of a huge corporation or a worker on a assembly line, a student about to graduate or a homemaker ready to enter the job market, this important guide to success the compassionate way can be the most inspiring and enlightening book you ever read.
Highly recommended. AND to repeat, I am not an Amway Distributor. Just someone who appreciates Mr. Devos and what he is doing to create a stronger nation, the compassionate way.
Call to Arms, Unless We Have, We Cannot Give.......2002-09-06
Some highlights:
1) Compassion is the ultimate goal of capitalism.
2) Capitalism is the economic reality which drives us as individuals to excel and maximize our talents and potential. However, money is not everything. It is just a tool.
3) Albert Schweitzer said, "The purpose of life is to serve and show compassion and the will to help others."
3) Question: So, why do we work? Why do we need money?
Answer: Unless we have, we cannot give.
5) The reality is that most people live their lives very defensively. They are always afraid that someone will take some of what is theirs. They are too busy protecting ~ to give to anyone.
6) Question: So, how do you succeed?
Answer: Be an entrepreneur. Start small, and inexpensive. Be creative, believe in yourself, find a good mentor, have a dream, make a goal, do the basics everyday, learn from mistakes, work hard, care about others, put people before products,don't make excuses, never give up.
"Never give up, never give up, never give up"
-Winston Churchill
"Success is going from one failure to another failure with great enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill
"One man with courage is a majority."
- Thomas Jefferson
"The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."
- Wordsworth
A successful entrepreneur shares the secrets to true wealth.......2001-01-29
There are lots of wealthy people out there but most aren't truly happy. This is largely because they aren't fulfilling a higher purpose with their businesses, they're simply out there trying to survive in the often cutthroat business world. DeVos explains what it takes to make your business a positive force in the world; "positive" by virtually any standard.
Contrary to a lot of advice you may have heard out there on how to successfully build a prosperous business, DeVos claims that integrating compassion for your fellow man with lucrative opportunities is the real secret to security and happiness. It's the knowledge that what you're doing is making a difference that makes you feel worthy of the privilege and comfort of wealth. And even before the wealth comes, having a compassionate attitude along with sound business acumen (which can be learned) goes a long way towards increasing your chances of attaining wealth and influence.
A great book written in a language anyone can understand. I don't have any complaints, but I refrain from giving it five stars because it didn't "knock my socks off!" Highly recommended reading for anyone looking to understand the attitudes and principles necessary for *true* success.
Definitely worth buying (and reading).......2000-07-28
I am not involved in Amway (Rich de Vos sure is!), nor am I an ardent Christian (I believe Rich de Vos is), yet I have no hesitation in recommending this book. I suppose I'm always on the lookout for new ways of doing things and new ways of thinking. "Compassionate Capitalism" provides some real meat for a hungry world in need of just that - new ideas. Economics is a complicated field (so I've been told - I'm no expert), yet Rich de Vos has managed to demystify it, at least as far as this reader is concerned. His ideas seem to be free of any real political ties or religious taints (religion doesn't enter into the book at all) - he seems just to be genuinely interested in people (I wish I couldn't hear the sneers, but unfortunately I do). I also admire him as an American. Goodness knows America has the driving force and energy to influence the whole of this world one way or another, but it doesn't really seem to have the will (nor, perhaps, the imagination) to do anything really creative (sure they have introduced fuel efficient motors - a relative concept at the best of times - but have you seen the size of the 1999 and 2000 models? ). So learning that there are ideas out there which do not just mean more of the same, and bigger and meaner (whether from the auto industry or the rest of the military-industrial complex) is somewhat reassuring.
One thing I'm sure of: every American (those who can read) should digest this book. It doesn't try to convert. It simply tries (very well) to make sense out of the current madness.
A Book The Country Should Read.......1999-06-09
This book was written by one of the most prominent businessmen in the world. He and his partner started with just an idea, as with many other large corporations we are familiar with, and turned it into one of the only debt free companies in the U.S.. Producing billions of anual revenue. Rich Devos has a huge heart and he is more generous than most, for he is willing to share with the world what beliefs and habits put him into the positions that he is at now. Rich Devos has been able to help milliions of people find hope and rekindle their dreams by using a direct selling method that many other companies alike can only wish they had. This book has great stories about success and failure alike, for one does not come without the other. If you are looking for a book with strong priciples and beliefs then this is the book for you. I would recommend it to anyone building an amway business or not, simply because of what it will teach. This book will make you feel proud to be in a FREE country and make you think "why am I not doing my part to help out?"
Book Description
The Marine Corps Way shows managers at all levels how to apply the tactics and techniques of maneuver warfare to achieve overwhelming results in today's fiercely competitive market environment. The Marine Corps Way illustrates the power of maneuver warfare and shows you how to apply it directly to your business. You'll learn how to reshape your organization based on seven guiding principles:
- Targeting critical vulnerabilities
- Boldness
- Surprise
- Focus
- Decentralized decision-making
- Tempo
- Combined arms
You will also learn how to master the intangibles of any maneuver warfare-based approach and unlock the ingenuity and energy of your people by emulating the Marines' three leadership pillars:
- Setting the example for others to follow
- Taking care of those in your charge
- Investing in the leadership development of each and every member of the organization
The authors provide in-depth treatments of each principle and back them up with historical case studies - forty-six in all - that illustrate the principle in action, both on the battlefield and in the boardroom. Advancing these illustrations one step further, the authors also describe the modern-day techniques and practices that make the Marines such a successful organization and adapt them for application in business.
Embrace these techniques and practices and you'll turn your business into a lean, mean, profit machine that out-thinks and outflanks stronger, better-equipped competitors.
Customer Reviews:
business .......2007-07-11
This is one of the best 'military & business" books to come out in years.
In a highly readable yet intelligent writing style, the authors explain how preparation, planning, execution AND a lack of ego all combine to build an organization as small as a rifle team to a billion-dollar multinational.
With examples taken from both the military and business worlds, this book gives everyone from newbie managers to punk MBA types a clue how to succeed in the real world. Highly reccommended !
A Winning Strategy For Business.......2006-05-11
This book is an interesting and well written analysis of how to apply maneuver warfare to a commercial business. The authors prove their analysis by illustrating the similarities between military and competitive business environments.
First, this book is an easy read. It is approximately 181 pages long and broken into easily digested parts. Seven of the thirteen chapters focus exclusively on each of the principles of maneuver warfare. Generally speaking, all the chapters follow a similar format. The authors will make a point and follow it up with an example from military history. They then provide an example from the commercial world. Each of these examples is followed by a brief analysis of the principle in discussion. The reader is then given a general analysis that cuts across both the military and business examples. Finally, each chapter ends with a discussion of how the Marine Corps applies and/or views this principle. The advantage of this format is that the reader knows what to expect. The book finishes with a discussion on leadership, the glue that holds the maneuver warfare principles together.
There is nothing new in this book. All of these principles can be found in other management and leadership teaching aids. This book's true value is the clear, concise, and easy format in which it is written. The true standard for good writing is the ability to clearly convey a point to the reader. This book meets that standard. It has valuable lessons for managers in all organizations, be they military, civilian-government, commercial, or non-profit. Anyone in a leadership position would find their time well spent in reading this book.
Excellent practical concepts for any organisation.......2006-01-28
I had reservations about this book before reading it because I happen to agree with those who say that business and war are two very different things.
However, the author makes it clear at the start of this book that he knows business and war are different phenomena, but the principles he outlines are applicable to both arenas.
I believe he is absolutely correct and to be clear what is discussed in this book is exactly that, a set of principles or qualities that are sure to be an effective boost to anyone working in any number of competitive arenas.
I think Warfighting by the USMC is an excellent work - from where these principles are largely derived - and this book builds on those and essentially outlines how they can be transferred into civilian organisational life and business - even a very small business.
These principles are completely practically-based on real world experience - tried and tested more so than many theoretical systems that no-one has ever tried.
Well the USMC is nothing if not an effective organisation based not only on what works, but what brings about outstanding breakthrough results.
I also regard the principles outlined as being useful in other areas of life and very easy to carry in mind.
I also really enjoyed reading this book, the military and business examples used are inspirational.
My personal favourite is the story of a USMC Captain fighting against enemy forces in Vietnam using ingenuity and the principle of decentralised decision making to thwart an attack by 30,000 enemy and 200 tanks.
Don't you wish your staff could make an equivalent achievement in your business?
To my mind, this book is worth much more than many business books on the market.
It is not some macho testosterone-soaked work, it is not all about how great the USMC is, it is about what works.
Yes, business is not war, but the skills of resource management and competition do share strategic, operational and tactical similarities.
Well worth reading and applying to work.
Curious but Not Effective.......2005-12-02
Read this book and listened to a discussion from one of the authors. Most of the material is extremely offensive to any educated person. While the correlation between success and military campaigns is curious reading for military buffs - this material is largely non-applicable for a real business.
Excellent.......2005-06-18
A great introduction to the strategy tenets of the USMC. The authors do a splendid job of combining theory with practical examples. I especially liked their integration of tactics and execution.
Average customer rating:
- Fun to read
- Great Companion to'The Evolution of Cooperation'
|
The Complexity of Cooperation
Robert Axelrod
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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ASIN: 0691015678 |
Book Description
Robert Axelrod is widely known for his groundbreaking work in game theory and complexity theory. He is a leader in applying computer modeling to social science problems. His book The Evolution of Cooperation has been hailed as a seminal contribution and has been translated into eight languages since its initial publication. The Complexity of Cooperation is a sequel to that landmark book. It collects seven essays, originally published in a broad range of journals, and adds an extensive new introduction to the collection, along with new prefaces to each essay and a useful new appendix of additional resources. Written in Axelrod's acclaimed, accessible style, this collection serves as an introductory text on complexity theory and computer modeling in the social sciences and as an overview of the current state of the art in the field.
The articles move beyond the basic paradigm of the Prisoner's Dilemma to study a rich set of issues, including how to cope with errors in perception or implementation, how norms emerge, and how new political actors and regions of shared culture can develop. They use the shared methodology of agent-based modeling, a powerful technique that specifies the rules of interaction between individuals and uses computer simulation to discover emergent properties of the social system. The Complexity of Cooperation is essential reading for all social scientists who are interested in issues of cooperation and complexity
Download Description
Robert Axelrod is widely known for his groundbreaking work in game theory and complexity theory. He is a leader in applying computer modeling to social science problems. His book The Evolution of Cooperation has been hailed as a seminal contribution and has been translated into eight languages since its initial publication. The Complexity of Cooperation is a sequel to that landmark book. It collects seven essays, originally published in a broad range of journals, and adds an extensive new introduction to the collection, along with new prefaces to each essay and a useful new appendix of additional resources. Written in Axelrod's acclaimed, accessible style, this collection serves as an introductory text on complexity theory and computer modeling in the social sciences and as an overview of the current state of the art in the field. The articles move beyond the basic paradigm of the Prisoner's Dilemma to study a rich set of issues, including how to cope with errors in perception or implementation, how norms emerge, and how new political actors and regions of shared culture can develop. They use the shared methodology of agent-based modeling, a powerful technique that specifies the rules of interaction between individuals and uses computer simulation to discover emergent properties of the social system. The Complexity of Cooperation is essential reading for all social scientists who are interested in issues of cooperation and complexity
Customer Reviews:
Fun to read.......2003-11-16
A sequel to his prior book, "the evolution of cooperation".
Iterated prisoner's dilemma is the center of this book,
with a particular focus on the collaboration in the interests of competiion.
No mathmatical background required and usefull referenced included.
Great Companion to'The Evolution of Cooperation'.......2003-09-26
This books covers what Robert Axelrod been up to since "The Evolution of Cooperation." Extensions to the original "Prisoner's Dilemma" have required new agent behaviors for stable solutions.
"Coping with Noise" deals with agents that make mistakes in their defections and cooperation.
"Promoting Norms" covers the fact that pure self-interest isn't a stable strategy and to promote stability requires norms - common behaviors among agents. The most interesting result from his work is NOT that agents should punish defectors - that is intuitive - but agents who DON'T punish defectors (of norms) must be "persuaded" to punish defectors to keep the norm stable. I guess we all need both the carrot and stick!
"Choosing Sides" covers landscape theory - the creation of population aggregates because similar agents tend to clump together.
There are other interesting sections and I like this book. I would normally give a five to this book; however, this is also a thin book. If there were more coverage of the material and a more in depth discussion of other peoples work, I would have given it a five.
Amazon.com
Church on Sunday, Work on Monday, Laura Nash and Scotty McLennan's guide to negotiating spiritual and economic priorities, can help corporations, churches, and seminaries tackle a difficult project. The authors' goal is to improve communication between the worlds of church and business. Much of their book, drawing on extensive research including case studies and interviews, defines the obstacles to such communication: liberal church leaders are dismissive of capitalism, conservative church leaders are overly indulgent of it, and business leaders are put off by both of these unsophisticated economic perspectives. Nash and McLennan offer questions for "Reflection" and "Action" at the end of each chapter, and they provide a few general suggestions, particularly for churches and seminaries, that might improve communication between the two worlds. The book devotes most of its energy to diagnosis, however. The prescription is yet to come. --Michael Joseph Gross
Book Description
Must business people leave their Christian values at church?
While many business people have a strong and growing interest in the relationship between work and spirit, few find the church to be a resource in their explorations. How can business people live out their faith at work? And how can the church respond more effectively to business peoples needs?
Church on Sunday, Work on Monday takes the "spirituality at work" movement to the next level, offering practical advice on how business people can find and develop better resources within Christian communities. Nash and McLennan assess the distance between pew and pulpit, articulate how the church is turning off business and professional people, and make concrete recommendations on how church leaders and lay business people can work together in partnership to bridge the gap. They also offer practical help for business people who wish to nurture the soul, create harmony, connect with community, and perform ethically on the job.
Customer Reviews:
A Few Steps Across the Chasm.......2006-12-23
This book delves into the highly unresearched area of business and religion. The result is that at best, this book can only help start to help develop the construct. Although the authors provide a fair assessment about a portion of the divide, it is obvious that the breadth of denominations explored is minimal so unless you are in a few specific metro areas or in the northeast, you may scratch your head a little while reading this.
Some of the points are certainly valid for describing why there is such a large separation of church and state, but overall they are lacking. I don't think there is enough substantive points for a person to actually apply much of what is contained.
There is an underlying criticism of secular spirituality while simultaneously acknowledging the success of the approach. I think their criticism of the church body for accentuating the gap with highly divisive interpretations of the Bible is fairly accurate.
Although spirituality and religion are separate terms for most people today, there is a resistance by the authors to embrace this change. There reasoning is not exactly faulty since there is a need for religion, but a bit narrow in fearing that religion is being marginalized by its brother (or sister) spirituality.
The bottom line is that religion must change or face further scrutinization and unless absolution of power is achieved, that is unlikely. Some of the protestant groups have made much greater strides in this arena and the authors did not do those denominations enough justice.
The bottom line is that the best suited audience for this text are preachers, pastors, fathers, etc., and social researchers. Business executives will not likely benefit much from this. The reason is that the church must meet people where they are, not keep themselves holed up behind a wall trying to preserve their eroding power from a constituency that is leaving them in droves.
A cry into the wind . . ........2003-07-30
The challenge of fusing Christian values with business life. I find it very difficult to deal with individual moral value systems in the business world. So, as a manager, I developed a concept of Ethics is a Business Process in which clearly stated moral values of the company are inculcated throughout the corporation; in mission and vision statements, in slogans, in training, in policies and procedures. These values cannot be based on religion and still be welcoming to our increasingly multi-ethnic workforce here in the U.S. and around the world. Rather, I believe we must keep religion out of the ethical process.
Yet we know that individuals most often include their religious up-bringing in the list of "where I get my moral values." Usually listed are family, school, and religious institute. So how do we keep things separate while honoring the basis for our moral sources? Nash and McLennan posit that from a Christian point of view, the coping mechanisms are neither active nor developing synergy between faith and business. The wake-up call they wish to pronounce in this book is limited in that they really only address Christianity's view and interaction. While this is certainly a significant view, it is not a majority view and is becoming more of a minority view in our culture. This, therefore, limits the usefulness of this book to managers in the business world unless they can make the translation from Christianity to "any religious or cultural" group.
I found the book useful in outlining the difficulties faced by business people today. But I did not find hope for an easy or even difficult solution. Instead, I became more convinced than ever that we need to make religion a personal and PRIVATE affair and make sure that our business moral values are clearly stated in secular terms so that we as employees or service providers can decide on the appropriate interaction with the corporation. Today, science informs our moral values more eloquently than many religious institutions and therefore informed individuals turn to those sources whenever possible. As a business executive, I remain unconvinced that we can bring religious language into the multi-cultural workplace without creating severe strain and discomfort for the employees. If there is a homogeneous workforce of one culture and/or one religious faith, then there is no difficulty. Luckily, that is rarely the case. I find the multi-cultural environment to be most stimulating and intellectually preferable to a homogeneous workplace. So I vote for clearly defined secular moral values in the workplace. Keep religion out.
A bold book...........2001-11-05
"This is a bold book with a clear wake-up call to businesspeople and the result is a heartening and indispensable guide for anyone making critical decisions in business today."--Jeffrey L. Seglin, author of The Good, the Bad, and Your Business: Choosing Right When Ethical Dilemmas Pull You Apart (Wiley)
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- The Unconscious Civilization
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- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
- Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry (2nd edition) (Thin Book Series)
- Tough Choices or Tough Times: The Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce
- Understanding Business
- Value-at-Risk: Theory and Practice
- Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America (Institutional Structures of Feeling)
- Wealth and Poverty (Ics Series in Self-Governance)
- When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management
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