5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to sustain simultaneous, multi-dimensional personal development, September 17, 2009
This review is from: Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker's Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life (Hardcover)
In the Foreword, Frances Hesselbein suggests the key to understanding how to understand Peter Drucker's approach to life, indeed to understanding how any of us can improve the quality of life, is to recognize the importance of diversifying the nature and extent of daily existence, to sharpen a sense of curiosity while remaining open to new ideas, and to learn as much as possible from as many different sources as possible. As Drucker's own life suggests, she observes, "It is to be introspective when needed, but to remember that the most important things happen in the outside world." There is an implicit obligation to share time, talents, and expertise with others, "to leave something of value behind to others." She notes that in this book, Bruce Rosenstein provides many suggestions and strategies to achieve that worthy objective but also reminds us that we must be fully and continuously "aware of pitfalls in our diversification, including finding the time to do everything we want to do. Answers will emerge, but not because we have taken shortcuts." This book is an endorsement of reflection but also a call to action, and that can also be said of every book that Drucker wrote.
According to Rosenstein, "The organizing theme of this book is creating and living a `total life' that includes your work, friends, family, professional colleagues, and affiliation groups. In this way, you can consider all of the elements of your life together and think of how each affects the others, now and in the future." This indicates to me that Rosenstein sees his role as being that of a travel agent to help each reader plan the itinerary and then, once the reader has embarked upon a journey of personal discovery, serve as her or his guide. That said, I do not want to suggest that Peter Drucker is not essential to the success of the journey. On the contrary, his life can be both a guide and an inspiration. Seven moths to the day before he died at the age of ninety-five (on April 11, 2005), he told Rosenstein, "The - I wouldn't say happy people but satisfied, contented - people I knew were people that lived in more than one world. Those single-minded people - you meet them most in politics - in the end are very unhappy people."
Throughout his narrative, Rosenstein addresses issues such as these:
How to design a "total life"
How to develop core competencies
How to "create" a desired future
How to exercise generosity in relationships with others
How to sustain lifelong teaching and learning
In the final chapter, "Conclusions," Rosenstein urges his reader to consider initiating a new beginning in his or her life. He provides a brief recap that gives an overview of what a multi-dimensional life might consist of. He also reviews some of the main areas and key concepts that were covered in the preceding chapters. I especially appreciate Rosenstein's skillful use of several reader-friendly devices throughout his narrative, notably the "Total Life List," and "Question Summaries, and "Recap and Next Steps" sections at the end of each chapter. They reflect and amplify each of the themes covered. I also appreciate the periodic insertion of exercises to be completed. They comprise what serves as a sequential and comprehensive self-audit while reading the book.
Frankly, I envy the extensive contact Rosenstein had with Peter Drucker for more than ten years. He had been studying him and his work for more than 20 years, conducted in-person interviews of him between 2001 and 2005, and obviously learned a great deal of value from extended conversations with someone who hated the term "business guru" and preferred to identify himself as a "bystander" or "student." Throughout his life, Drucker was involved in all manner of professional activities (e.g. classroom teacher, author, lecturer, consultant) even as he actively pursued a number of personal interests such as studying Japanese art and culture, philosophy, and religion as well as attending Los Angeles Dodgers games and concerts performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
There is much of substantial value to be learned from Drucker's life and work, and from Rosenstein's explanation of how Drucker's wisdom can inspire and transform the lives of those who are both willing and able to consider themselves, the work they do, and their relationships with others "in a new light." I agree with Bruce Rosenstein: "We all will live in a better world if enough people act on the principles described in this book. We'll see benefits as friends, family members, and colleagues if people make the most of their talents, learn as much as possible and share that knowledge, and extend their generosity in many different settings...Be patient, but persistent. Good luck on your continued journey!" Peter Drucker could not have said it better.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to Apply the Essence of Drucker's Wisdom to Your Life, August 1, 2009
This review is from: Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker's Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life (Hardcover)
In "Living in more than one world," author Bruce Rosenstein has summarized the essence of Peter Drucker's wisdom as it relates to individuals and knowledge workers in particular. Drucker had extraordinary insights about topics such as developing parallel and second careers, understanding one's core competencies and values, continuous learning, etc. Anyone will benefit by taking time to read, reflect and discuss the ideas in this book. Rosenstein has made this easy to do by presenting Drucker's ideas in a manner and format that is extremely approachable and pragmatic. The chapters are easy to read, there are summaries and questions for self reflection.
Individuals who are not big readers and have little time or energy to read Drucker's books will enjoy and benefit from reading this book. Others like myself who have read a considerable amount of Drucker's work will also benefit from revisiting the essence of Drucker and, I suspect, most will discover a few nuggets of wisdom they had not run across before. I did.
I have benefitted from reading "Living in more than one world." After reflecting on what I learned, I may eliminate some of my current activities that have not been working well and try new ones that are more in line with my core competencies. Anytime a book has such a life changing and practical effect on me, I inevitably end up recommending it to others.
Highly recommended.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended!, July 28, 2009
This review is from: Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker's Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life (Hardcover)
This new book by Bruce Rosenstein (who was on staff at USA Today for over 20 years) is a perfect introduction to the life, work, and philosophy of Peter Drucker. Drucker was a teacher, consultant, and management expert, but his visionary ideas are applicable to nearly any creative pursuit. Rosenstein has done a great job of encapsulating the teachings of the remarkable Drucker, and he has done so in a lively, very readable style that you will find immediately accessible. [Full disclosure: I have known Bruce for over 30 years, but I aver that my association with him does not in any way lessen or prejudice my enthusiasm for this book.]
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