The Puritan Gift: Reclaiming the American Dream Amidst Global Financial Chaos

"This may be the most significant book I have ever read on business management and leadership. Thanks to Dr. George Cybulski of Chicago for recommending it to me.A key learning is the author's opinion on why publicly held organizations seem to be so short-term focused these days: senior leaders (and especially CEOs) view their customer not as the end-user of their product, but as the institutional investor that buys or sells their shares...and those two groups certainly do not have aligned requirements.In my opinion, this book answers the question of "Why aren't more organizations using the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence a a management model?" The book describes "25 Principles Underlying Good Practice from the "Golden Age of Management" that align closely with the Core Values of Baldrige. While few of us would want to go back to the "Mad Men" days, the authors describe the focus by past leaders on product knowledge, end user customer focus, and a long-term view of the future that was more of the practice during America's "golden years" of prosperity. Was it perfect in those days? No, but this book gives a compelling story of the benefits of past practices.But what is the Puritan Gift of the title? It is a set of characteristics that "reached back to the earliest days of...Massachusetts and still colors the outlook for most citizens of the United States:1. a conviction that the purpose of life, however vaguely conceived, was to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, [don't be mistaken into believing that this is a religious book by this "gift"]2. an aptitude for the exercise of mechanical skills,3. a moral outlook that subordinated the interests of individuals to the group,4. and an ability to assemble, galvanize, and marshal financial, material and human resources to a single purpose and on a massive, or a lesser, scale."I highly recommend that you read this book - it will challenge your thinking, and probably give you new insight into effective management and leadership. And it will also challenge you a bit if you're a consultant (guilty!) and/or MBA (guilty!)."

This book is really quite fascinating in many ways. The essence of their perspectives about management are clear and strongly supported. There are ideas that strike the reader as unique and insightful at many times, and as a reader I was startled and impressed. The insights about the Puritans and the historical perspectives are intriguing. For the most part I would recommend this book.Unfortunately, authors often like to get into things in which they are not expert, just like managers. In the last part of the book they seem to think that they know something about medical care and their comments and conclusions actually get bizarre. They correctly note that medicine would be better managed by physicians and others who actually work in providing health care, but they then go too far. They state that Americans are getting shorter due to dietary issues, and that is patently inaccurate. Height is so genetically based that if Americans are shrinking, which I doubt, there has to be a genetic explanation. There is also a discussion about the Veterans Administration being so great, with commentary per Paul Krugman. In reality, the health care provided by the VA is closer to a travesty. My patients will get there medications there due to cost, but always make sure that I know that i am their real doctor if they actually get sick. My personal experiences with the VA system have been disturbing.When authors clearly demonstrate their lack of serious inquiry into an issue of any type, in this case medicine, it tarnishes and undermines all their work.

The Hopper brothers have written a highly readable, insightful, idiosyncratic, and curmudgeonly history and analysis of what created and made American management great and what then caused its deterioration. They rightly point out that, for a window of about half a century, American management is what drove American industry and economy to achieve such remarkable outcomes. They also rightly point out what changed in American management methods that contributed to the deterioration of American industry and the bifurcation of the American economy. They go on to define the principles of management excellence and express a belief that a return to these core principle could reinvigorate America. I agree. Not only is this good historical journalism, it is also a fun book with tongue in cheek sarcasm. It is unapologetic in it's point of view and the authors are not shy in sharing their opinions about what they observed and chronicled. The people they depict are presented as flesh and blood, who's contributions also came at a price. Can you tell that I loved this book? This should be on the reading list of every manager, wannabe manager, and those who presume to teach and consult management.

As the title suggests "The Puritan Gift - Reclaiming the American dream amidst global financial chaos" (new paperback edition 2009), this book sets out to examine the influence of the Puritan Fathers on the history of American business to the present day.From beginning to end, Kenneth and William Hooper pack each page with interesting detail and anecdote. Predominately this is an American story, but there is always the opportunity to draw parallels with the UK and Europe. The authors explain that the principal subject matter of this book is the managerial culture inherited from the Puritan Fathers: the characteristics being religious doctrine, manual skills, social outlook and organisational ability. This is the gift that has been lost and needs to be reclaimed.The authors direct much of their ire towards the development of a belief during the 1960s that management was a profession like medicine, dentistry or the law. In contrast, they take a consistent line throughout that management is a craft that can be properly learned only `on the job' and not in an academic setting. Accordingly, business schools receive a highly critical report.Other commonplace management practices do not escape pithy criticism; for example "Remuneration ceased to reward group effort, as highly subjective `performance-related pay' took over. Fear replaced trust."The book concludes with the Hopper brothers setting out their twenty-five principles of good practice. I would agree with many; particularly those relating to systems and routines. However, there were two omissions that surprised me: the absence of any reference to focussing effort on customer need and the requirement to understand variation in problem solving.

On the face of it reading about the history of management may seem rather dry, particularly one which talks about the Puritan people, for which I learned in school and through media to have a very boring lifestyle. However this is a remarkable book giving a very thorough history about industry and management allowing the reader to reflect on the status-quo, particularly more so for western denizens. If anything this book will hopefully change the way you think about the world we live in and the way we go about work. The book highlights the 'dangers' of using management consultants and give a compelling argument on why 'expert' advice should not be taken as gospel before careful critical thinking. That said, you can say that this book is essentially about experts giving their advice by using stories hand-picked by them to support their argument no matter how compelling it is.This book definitely gives you food for thought, whether you are a manager or a machine operator in a factory you will thinking about work will change, particularly for the former who will gain greater respect for the latter.In short after reading this book, you will make you realise that we need more people to get into science and engineering, for these are the people who will save the USA and Europe. We do not need more American Idols (singers) or celebrities, we need engineers.

This is a very readable book which abounds with good wit and, like the well rounded manager, is well rounded in its scope from before 1630 until 2006. By the end of the book, I had to conclude that the majority of the ills affecting the decline in American manufacturing, and American prosperity in general, since 1970, can be properly addressed without recourse to an ethics based on Puritanism including the subversion of the individual to the group, even though such an ethics is fundamentally voluntary, and is seemingly a simpler course to take than the intellectual rigours of the ethics of capitalism.For instance, the principle of selfishness, as per capitalism, necessitates that others are able to prosper and not be exploited for short term gain. You can't trade to any meaningful extent with poor and demoralised people and make the world a better place.The management side of the book with respect to complimentarity, cooperation and proper communication within the enterprise makes good sense. But this can only work effectively whenever there is no pressure or interference from institutional stockholders, or from government in consort with MBA graduates well versed in the techniques consistent with government demands.Readers of this title would find 'Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics by George Reisman' valuable reading, if they like the principles of management described.Peter Drucker's book on management is available from Amazon. My copy is on order.

I was employed by IBM from the late sixties. The whole company ethic involved looking after employees, making sure the full potential of everyone was developed, and a very democratic management style - whatever the product planning decisions were you always felt you understood them and had the opportunity to express a viewpoint which would be listened to.In the latter years though the first level management style remained in tack it was clear that strange things were happening in the boardroom. Money was disappearing from the pension funds to feed the profit margin.This book explains what was happening due to the cult of the so called "expert" and the MBA cult. The negative impact on American industry, transport infrastructure, schools, and healthcare are explained. The most frightening and illuminating thing is that you can see the same changes have occurred in the UK as we have slavishly followed the US lead in introducing a management class that has little interest or understanding of the basic functions and technologies employed in the enterprise.This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand these changes, the cult of the "finance" men and the damage this is doing to our society. It compass is impressive as it comes right up to now with "credit crunch" and the Obama reign

For those progressing their academic learning this book offers a great insight into the perceived values of certain paths such as MBA / Ph.D. I chose the Ph.D route, not directly because of the book but it gave me lots to think about along the way and helped me understand were I wanted to be. You will no doubt make your own decision if you read the book and it may help you feel nore confident about your decision.