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The book is at its best when it goes beyond organizing the content of Drucker's writings and gives the reader context and additional information. I found this mostly occured in the beginning third of the book when the author injected more of Drucker's personal history and his relationship with others (e.g. Drucker and Sloan). There was just too few of these moments in the book. Despite these limitations, I did find new insights into Drucker. Overall, I'd consider the book an essential for the serious Drucker student only. Others have plenty of other Drucker material to choose from first.
STRENGTHS: A very thorough, analytical look at Drucker's work. I liked the summary list of key concepts ending each chapter. Exhaustively footnoted and indexed. I repeatedly refer to the thorough list of "Published Works of Peter Drucker" at the end of the book.
WEAKNESSES: The book is too academic for my taste. It is totally devoid of the author's opinions and personality. The author has a tendency to use "big" words e.g. "chimerical", "propinquity", "insouciance", "shibboleth", "obsequious") not used by the average person.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: Serious students of Drucker who've already read a number of his works. The casual Drucker reader or reader of mass market management/business books should look elsewhere.
ALSO CONSIDER: "Adventures of a Bystander" by P. Drucker (for an autobiographical-like look at Drucker); "The World According to Peter Drucker" by J Beatty (for a biographical look and an overview of Drucker's thoughts); and "The Essential Drucker" by P. Drucker (for a select sample of Drucker's writings).
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Beatty's book works from the level of the detail, exposing critical sections of Drucker's writings that few will have read. Based on that, many (myself included) found new works of Drucker's to examine. As a result, one's knowledge and understanding grew.
Flaherty's book works from the opposite direction. It begins with the themes and works towards the detail. After being immersed in Beatty's detail and intellectual history approach, this book extends your knowledge in another useful way.
He indentifies the six dominating themes as: (1) a systems approach (2) continuity and change (3) challenge of productivity (4) role of the practitioner (5) moral dimension (6) organization of ignorance.
Anyone who is familiar with Drucker's writings will immediately recognize these themes and recall favorite passages and examples. On the other hand, those who are new to the writings will find them helpful to put Drucker's work in context as the work is learned.
One of the things that amazes all those who know Drucker is the astonishing extent of his knowledge and perspective. He is just as likely to use an example from 1215 as one from 1995. He will refer to the evolution of Japanese art as readily as to the divisionalization of General Motors. Professor Flaherty has a wonderful quote from Drucker that explains that perspective. Drucker defines himself as a " . . . social ecologist concerned with man's man-made environment." Does that sound like any other management thinker you have ever met or read?
As Professor Flaherty points out, almost all management writings draw something from Drucker so these themes will also help you to see the Drucker influence in newer books.
More significantly, these themes are also deeply imbedded in the way almost every manager and executive thinks about managerial tasks and responsibilities. So, you can also connect Drucker to your own thinking and proclivities.
After reading this book, you will probably come away with an expanded and more appropriate understanding of the pervasive and defining influence that Professor Peter Ferdinand Drucker has had on us and our world. Our debt to him can never be repaid.
I congratulate Professor Flaherty on the fine job he has done in this important defining work. For future generations yet unborn, this book will become an important primer into the social effects of Peter Drucker's thinking and life. Even he does not realize how pervasive his influence is. What a wonderful tribute for his 90th birthday!
Use this book to consider how you could create more positive influences on the people who come into contact with you, your ideas, and your ideals.
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Capital is not as important as knowledge. Capital by itself does not create wealth, innovation, or increases to productivity. Knowledge produces ideas, innovations, efficiency, and productivity.
A knowledge worker can create a idea without capital, knowledge is brain power. Once the idea is realized, funders provide capital floods transforming the idea into process or product. Knowlege provides an incredible economic company potential. Remove the knowledge worker and growth stops, systems and processes stagnate. Reduce the number of service workers and operations become more efficient. Historically, as service workers number decrease their tasks and output have increased proportionate to their numbers. Basically, the service worker were expected to "Do More with less".
Knowledge represents the whole expertise in domains of finance, information, policy, management, etc.. The knowledge worker generates the "Ideas". Ideas are transformed into processes and systems. Its principles of creativity and credibility which provides trust in the idea. Drucker concludes that knowledge itself is profitable. In the post capitalistic society knowledge produces wealth. Knowledge increase productivity. The sum of knowledge in a domain increases productivity and growth exponentially. Its this radically breakaway phenomenia which knowledge produces providing wealth and growth to an organization.
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The real force of this book becomes apparent by the very applicability of it in today's scenario of great economic and social change. Concepts like the result areas of business, and managing knowledge as the ONLY crucial economic resource of an organization are most relevant today. The book also explicitly details strategies that can be developed depending on each individual organization in times of change.
This book is a great asset to every manager! I recommend it as one of the best and most comprehensive books on business analysis and strategy.
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Drucker raised many new issues and concepts basic to organizations. For example, he touched upon: dignity and status of the worker, corporate purpose, corporate contribution to and harmonization with community, management compensation and succession, worker training and development, workers as resources not costs, etc. Since new ideas will tend to seep into the popular consciousness over time, many of the ideas he introduced have long since become popularized and accepted (e.g. the benefits of decentralization, suggestion plans, and reengineering). However, there are also a number the concepts which are not fully appreciated today or which we tend to just give lip service. For example, the basic concept of corporations as both economic and social institutions is still not fully appreciated or understood (neither by those on the "right" or the "left"). For me, the book was worth the read for these insights alone. In summary, I very much recommend this book if you've read some of Drucker's other writings and are interested in reading Drucker's founding writings on the corporation as both an economic and social organization. One option you may want to consider is to skip Part II which mostly discusses GM decentralization as a model.
STRENGTHS: Great thinking and understanding from Drucker on corporations as social structures. First thorough analytical look at a business corporation from the inside. Important economic concepts explained too (e.g. monopoly, profit motive).
WEAKNESSES: Some parts are rambling and others more concise. Part II of the book (more specific to 1940s GM and decentralization) is more outdated. Never a graph or equation to help understanding.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: Those interested in understanding corporations as both economic and social organizations.
FOR SIMILAR/RELATED TOPICS, CONSIDER: Any of Peter Drucker's other books still in print. "My Years with General Motors" by Alfred Sloan. "Maslow on Management" by Abraham Maslow. "First Break All the Rules" by M. Buckingham & C. Coffman.
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Drucker, in his unlikely autobiography, introduced some interesting and unforgettable characters at his times, entertains, educates and empowers us to think there are always equally interesting and unforgettable souls at our times, and probably at all times.
An enjoyable experience to have read this book, and more enjoyable experience when we can learn from him the passion and depth in appreciate people around us.
highly recommended.