Customer Reviews

The Age of Paradox

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From the first page it is obvious that the author has an incredibly diverse background of experience and knowledge which enable him to take a high level view of the world. Most books dive right into a subject and never explain where they are going. Handy tries to fit all of our life experiences into a model by stating that life is a series of paradoxes. And therein lies the key--we cannot make a perfect working model of life because things are always paradoxical in nature. Take the paradox of justice--Handy's discussion of this phenomenon allows you to finally come to grips with why issues such as affirmative action can seem so compelling to both sides.

If you are interested on the ideas of capitalism and whether or not it is a best solution the book provides some real insights. Take for example Handy's simple explanation about Adam Smith and The Wealth of Nations. Having personally done some reading on the subject, Handy was the first to inform me that Smith was actually a professor of moral philosophy. He thought that the market would work, but it would require social responsibility on the part of society. I think this simple point is rarely discussed when using Smith's invisible hand in defense of capitalism.

As an avid reader who gets disinterested after the first chapter of most books, this is the first one in a long time worthy of being finished. Handy has an amazing ability to incorporate our experiences in life: love, money, work, family, etc. into a model which serves to explain it all. While I'm sure Handy himself would agree that his model is incomplete, the thought excites me and I can't wait to see what "age" he publishes next.

This book may not be the newest book out there, but it is certainly one of the best.

Charles Handy does an excellent job in setting forth his case that we live in an age of paradox. The need for organization is greater than ever yet the need for remaking our organizations is also greater than ever. He has many ideas and suggestions which may be helpful in refitting our organizations. The concepts that the new capital of organizations is their intellects and that there needs to be a new 'federalism', an era of 'twin citizenship' between the local and the center, are both interesting and challenging. It is a good read and a provocative one. One weakness is that Handy seems to posit the need for greater local control while speaking of social changes which only a new power center (the government) will truly be able to implement. He seems to be caught in a paradox of his own creation.

Handy does an excellent job of defining key business and personal paradoxes. The best section was on the intellectual paradox which future managers need to know how to anticipate and deal with.

While the Age of Paradox was written more than 15 years ago, it is just as relevelant today as it was then - perhaps even more so. Charles Handy makes engaging arguments as to how individuals and businesses should conduct themselves. While the book has a philosophical bent, it is also a practical guide.

Charles Handy frames up many emerging trends that were less clear in the early 1990's but in many situations have come to fruition during the last decade. I had to chuckle when he described the turbulence of the times (1990's). Looking back, it all seemed pretty tame compared to today.

His discussion on The Sigmoid Curve and the need to create new Curves as you go through life is fascinating. Equally compelling are his discussions about the purpose of a business. The book points out that profit for the sake of profit is destructive in the long-run. But profit as a means to make things better, more abundant, and create long-term wealth is the best model. As you read his words, you can appreciate how a culture of short-term profit maximization during the last decade led to not only a destruction of shareholder wealth but crippled this nation's competitive advantage on the global stage.

This book is a classic masterpiece that will help you gain a better appreciation of who you are or can become both as a human being and as a person in business.

Handy, one of he world's foremost business philosophers, provides an important work that all leaders must read or at minimum acknowledge the concepts he espouses. As a leadership writer and instructor, Handy's work is a staple for my students. His chapters on the Sigmoid Curve and Doughnut are alone worth the price of the book.

A book that attacks the very core for some of our most reverential beliefs, exposes our modicum of understanding about the rationale in doing some of the things we do(assuming there is one)and puts across some eye-opening,some egregious thoughts without rancour or religious fervour in a cogent and organised manner

But I must add in the same vein that in my opinion, the most difficult thing to do after wooing an audience is assuring that one's attention remains unequivocally rivetted to the machinations of the author's thinking. To that extent, Handy flounders as his line of reasoning gets more and more nebulous. Even then, for sheer novelty, impact and articulate ratiocination, The Age of Paradox takes some beating

A book that attacks the very core for some of our most reverential beliefs, exposes our modicum of understanding about the rationale in doing some of the things we do(assuming there is one)and puts across some eye-opening,some egregious thoughts without rancour or religious fervour in a cogent and organised manner

But I must add in the same vein that in my opinion, the most difficult thing to do after wooing an audience is assuring that one's attention remains unequivocally rivetted to the machinations of the author's thinking. To that extent, Handy flounders as his line of reasoning gets more and more nebulous. Even then, for sheer novelty, impact and articulate ratiocination, The Age of Paradox takes some beating

I read this for an MA course. Since Handy lives in Great Britain, he has a wonderfully refreshing view of leadership and political life (and how they work together). I'm so glad I read this book. It's conclusions are challenging but make sense.

The zealous analysis of the human behavior, the hidden clues conferred by the unconscious philosophy inserted in the myths, the absolute domain of the evolution of the paradigms, the constant and growing application in almost every one of our tangible and intangible systems and procedures around the knowledge 's universe, plus the prodigious imagination of Charles Handy has produced this admirable intelligent and audacious text that breaks the barriers of the conventional thinking around the well know managements issues.

All the organizations are supported unconsciously by ancient and similar facts immersed in the history. Handy has rethought, confirmed and carved in relief a magnificent example of what intelligence means: to reorder and focus from different angles the essential principles that underlie beneath the complexity and the increasing competitiveness of the modern world.

In this order of ideas, Handy plans and puts on the table of the leonine executive 's mind new proposals, demolishing certain behavior patterns that remain such authentic mental barriers. The paradoxes as well as the myths don' t pretend erect as perpetual life' s lessons, because this attitude would reveal precisely he rationalization of the mythical fact. Handy opposes the reality against the illusion of the reality and unmasks certain learned and absorbed models that we ten to assume as unerring. The paradoxes ' intention, in last instance is unbalance to rebalance, but you as manager is the only who can do it if you process the information and redistributes the iron laws in search of your role.

Innovation is simply an intelligent transformation, and this book bets for that device.

It has virtually a few pages of sense that can be put into practice, and have any value.

I may be influenced by, my privilege of having lived in England from the mid seventies thru early eighties. He particularly acknowledges the former Labor Party, Tony Benn. This "socialist" even frightened moderate laborites of its time. Another one of those he acknowlges is former Vice President Al Gore, and for Mayor of New York, Mayor Dinkins. As a resident and taxpayer of New York, I know the true David Dinkins !

He correctly points out that Microsoft Corporation is merely "intelectual Property". I agree with him. Later on, he rambles on that ownership of Corporations and business's should be overhauled.

We can all learn from Japan and Germany, and without Japan the US Auto Industry would still be producing thousands upon thousands of junk. However, his reasons that British and American Society should adapt the German and Japanese systems are a joke. In reality, much which was implemented in the 80's in both UK and US is now hurriedly being copied in Germany.

His Chinese Contract is not even worth the time to comment on it !

Other than a few pages of real practicality and common sense, this book is nothing more than left wing rambling and nonsense

He says it is about time we paid the third world a fair price for their trees. I insist must replant trees, we must reduce the amount of paper we comsume. Culprits must not get off the hook. This,in my opinion, is essential whatever ones political beliefs. This paperback is about 320 pages. It is a pity so many trees have to be torn down and the end result is this junk