87 of 89 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Paradox of Success, January 9, 2001
This book clearly deserves more than 5 stars. It is Professor Robert Reich's best book, and the first to go beyond Professor Peter Drucker's thinking about the future of "knowledge" work. It is well written, and designed to stir a debate and self-examination . . . rather than answer all of the questions in an opinionated way. Nicely done!
In sharing an epiphany that he had, Professor Reich describes the trap of success that he ran into as Secretary of Labor for President Clinton. "My problem was that I loved my job and couldn't get enough of it." Sounds okay so far, doesn't it? Well, read on. " . . . [A]ll other parts of my life shriveled into a dried raisin." He quit after calling to tell his children that he would not be home before bedtime for the sixth night in a row, and he son begged him to wake the son during the night simply for the comfort of knowing his father was in the house. As a result of having had that experience and happily changing his life balance, "I am writing here about making a living and making a life . . . [and it's] geting harder to do both."
The book is an excellent summation of the reasons why the most successful people typically work the longest hours and the most intensely. Trends suggest that this imbalance is likely to get worse.
Basically, the current economy puts a huge premium on finding new, creative solutions whether as a technologist, designer of new business models, new product conceptualizer, or marketer. Most people cannot synthesize all of those roles into one person -- the perfect entrepreneur. Those who can are even more valuable. The digital society vastly increases the rewards for these innovations by making them available to more people faster. Much of this new work is "creative" rather than "knowledge" work. I think that distinction is a useful one that should be retained in examining the subject.
Some of the consequences of this situation are that personal lives are disappearing under the waves of career. Loyalty to anything but the current assignment is modest. Family life is shriveling. Naturally, that may be what you want. Or is it?
The book culminates in suggesting that each person more consciously consider the personal choices of how to allocate time. In addition, there is a choice that society must make about how hard to pursue economic opportunity versus creating a more balanced connection among people. The ultimate strivers tend to hang out and live with each other, and have less and less contact with those who are not the top performers. It is a new form of elitism that can undermine many of our social mores. He suggests that we think about this choice in both economic and moral terms.
In both cases he finds, "It's a question of a balanced society."
My own experience is that it's good to step back from concentration, even if your goal is only to achieve economically. That seems to give your subconscious time to come up with better solutions.
I also suspect that many people end up overcommitted to work because they do not have the skill to insulate themselves from work. That isn't taught anywhere. You have to learn it on your own. Unfortunately, many people have to crash and burn first . . . sometimes taking their families with them. That's the hard way. I'm sure we can find easier ways. With people living longer, it's even less reasonable to expect that everyone will want to or be able to keep up these enormous paces for many years. The most intense field (like investment banking) have always been mostly handled by the young. But what do you do for an encore?
However you decide what balance should mean for you, I do hope you will consider the question. You and those you love will be much better served by your conscious decisions as a result.
May you enjoy a wonderful balance of health, happiness, peace, and prosperity!
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63 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, comprehensive overview but..., January 21, 2001
What Former Labor Secretary Reich does say, he says with insight and clarity: the transformation of society into one that is obsessively "bottom line" driven, whether it be a company seeking highest profitable returns or an on-line customer seeking the quickest delivery time for an item. However the result of this thinking, according to the author creates two major problems: it widens the income gap between economic classes and it makes "time is money" the paradigm of the new millenium--at the expense of personal and family relations, self-reflection and understanding, enjoyment of life outside of work. The well-off have access to service (massage, personal trainers, limousines,); as for the poor: let them do stretching exercises, jog, and take the bus. The author insists that as the more affluent become more insular, they do not intentionally separate themselves from the needy or disadvantaged; it's just that they follow the dictates of common sense that says why not get the best bang for the buck (for example, not caring or acting on the fact that low prices of computers is at least due in part to woefully low wages among foreign workers who produce the chips). We need to reassess our values, according to Reich, and ask ourselves whether indeed do we really want to live overworked if pampered lives with less and less time for those things which traditionally display our humanity. All in all, a very inclusive, incisive book with such disparate citations as Oscar Hammerstein and brain chemistry research to promote the thesis. Two small issues I have though: 1) I wonder if we really aren't so aware of the injustices around us and simply have a "that's life" attitude; and 2) I believe the author might have included a bit more regarding the role of the media in influencing opinion, especially given that other opinion forums are not much examined or respected. Nevertheless, anyone who is concerned about the future of work, American culture, and "family values" should enjoy and receive insights from this book even if he or she doesn't totally agree with it.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful, February 1, 2001
Reich articulates the dilemma of the modern time...that essentially, middle to upper income professionals can now simple dial in the number of hours they work to receive a set of fixed income and other benefits. As a physician, I found that Reich describes what many physicians have long experienced...long hours, always "on call", higher pay, stress on family time, etc. Physicians have also long had a direct correlation between hours worked and income for the most part. The hard part was choosing not to work and too spend time on other pursuits. In the new economy, a greater number of workers are now operating under this model of work, work, work and they find that it is stressful.
The value of Reich's book is that he explains why all of this is happening due to rapid equalization of access to information. Why should you read it? Because it will help you understand the choices that will have to be made as you define "success" for the next twenty to thirty years of your career. In the new economy, YOU have the power to make that decision.
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