The New RealitiesEven in the flattest landscape there are passes where the road first climbs to a peak and then descends into a new valley. Most of these passes are simply topography with little or no difference in climate, language, or culture between the valleys on either side. But some passes are different: they are true divides. History too knows such divides. Once these divides have been crossed, the social and political landscape changes; the social and political climate is different, and so is the social and political language. Some time between 1965 and 1973 we passed over such a divide and entered "the next century." Challenging, insightful, and provocative, Peter Drucker's The New Realities anticipates the central issues of a rapidly changing world. When it was initially published, in 1989, some reviewers mistakenly thought The New Realities was a book about the future, or in other words, a series of predictions. But, as indicated in the title, the book discusses realities. Drucker argues that events of the next thirty to forty years, or even further on, had already largely been defined by events of the previous half-century. Thus, Drucker discusses episodes in world history that had not yet happened at the time of the book's initial publication, such as: the archaism of the hope for "salvation by society" in "The End of FDR's America"; the democratization of the Soviet Union in "When the Russian Empire is Gone"; the technology boom of the 1990s in "The Information-Based Organization"; and the evolution of management in "Management as Social Function and Liberal Art." Graced with a new preface by the author that discusses both reactions to the original publication of the book and how important it is for decision-makers to consider the past and present when planning for the future, The New Realities is mandatory reading for understanding politics, government, the economy, information technology, and business in an ever-changing world. |
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THE NEW REALITIES
User Review - KirkusProvocative, wide-angle perspectives on contemporary sociopolitical and economic issues from a wise old head who has long since transcended his status as a management guru. Eschewing futurism. Drucker ... Read full review
The new realities: in government and politics, in economics and business, in society and world view
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictManagement guru Drucker discusses some political realities--the governmental and political process, the economy, ecology, economics, and the new knowledge society--in a way only he can. These ... Read full review
Contents
Economics at the Crossroads | |
The PostBusiness Society | |
The Two Countercultures | |
The InformationBased Organization | |
Management as Social Function and Liberal Art | |
The Shifting Knowledge Base | |
Conclusion | |
Index | |
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Common terms and phrases
adversarial trade American Austria become cent central China communist competence competitive counterculture create defence developed countries dollar dominant economic theory economists employees enterprise especially Europe European exports farm France Franklin D function Germany grey economy hospital impact important income increasingly Indian Indian Mutiny infant industry information-based organization innovation investment Japan Japanese knowledge society knowledge workers labour union leaders leadership major manufacturing Mark Hanna mass movement Meiji Restoration ment military modern nineteenth century non-communist perestroika performance pluralism pluralist institutions political politicians President problem production programmes protection raw material reality responsibility Revolution Russia Russian Empire Salvation Army salvation by society shift single-cause social socialist Soviet specialists successful task teachers Third Sector Third Sector institutions traditional values West West Germany western world economy World War II
References to this book
Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for Improvement Anthony Bryk,Barbara Schneider No preview available - 2002 |