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The Stuff Americans Are Made of: The Seven Cultural Forces That Define Americans-A New Framework for Quality, Productivity and Profitability
 
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The Stuff Americans Are Made of: The Seven Cultural Forces That Define Americans-A New Framework for Quality, Productivity and Profitability [Hardcover]

Joshua Hammond (Author), James Morrison (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)


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Book Description

April 1996
A brilliant examination of the characteristics that make us uniquely American

What are the traits that define an American? What characteristics determine our cultural identity -- the core values that have brought us to the twentieth century -- and how will they sustain us into the next millennium? In The Stuff Americans Are Made Of, Joshua Hammond and James Morrison identify seven cultural forces that define us and determine the way we as Americans respond to everything from new ideas to products and services to public policy. These forces are the bloodline of the American experience: When we tap into them, we strike the emotional chords of our nation.

Using quintessentially American metaphors such as baseball, jazz, Westerns, and so on, Hammond and Morrison demonstrate how these seven forces shape both attitudes and preferences, how they are played out in business and personal dealings, and how they will distinguish us in the global marketplace. Finally, the authors offer dozens of examples and anecdotes to show how an understanding of the archetypes of each force can be practically applied.

Full of insight and understanding, The Stuff Americans Are Made Of is a compelling, even visionary look at a long-standing debate: what makes us who we are.


Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this work, business consultant Hammond and business writer Morrison have identified what they feel are the seven cultural forces that define our country's national character and determine how we (individually, organizationally, and nationally) respond to the opportunities and challenges we encounter. The seven forces are our insistence on choice, the pursuit of impossible dreams, an obsession with big and more, an impatience with time, an acceptance of mistakes, an urge to improvise, and a fascination with "what's new." As such, the forces "script our endeavors, chart our activities, plot our responses, explain our processes and, in the end, define us as Americans." The book is laced with numerous examples from a variety of settings that support the authors' arguments. Thought-provoking, persuasive, and entertaining, this work is also repetitious and at times tries too hard to prove its point. Recommended primarily for larger business and social science collections.?Robert L. Logsdon, Indiana State Univ. Lib., Indianapolis
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 324 pages
  • Publisher: Macmillan General Reference; First Printing edition (April 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0028608291
  • ISBN-13: 978-0028608297
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,886,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A different way of looking at business issues, April 11, 1999
This review is from: The Stuff Americans Are Made of: The Seven Cultural Forces That Define Americans-A New Framework for Quality, Productivity and Profitability (Hardcover)
At first I thought this was some type of BS sociological treatise on American culture, but as I skimmed through it in the bookstore, I saw lots of interesting business stories. The authors do a great job of identifying seven forces of American culture and relating them to business successes and failures. These seven forces are: 1. Insistence on choice 2. Pursuit of impossible dreams 3. Obsession with big and more 4. Impatience with time 5. Acceptance of mistakes 6. Urge to improvise 7. Fixation on "whatsnew" The authors make a convincing argument for each of forces shaping the American character and American business. Well worth reading. Found it on the remainder table.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Cultural Differences, October 25, 2003
This review is from: The Stuff Americans Are Made of: The Seven Cultural Forces That Define Americans-A New Framework for Quality, Productivity and Profitability (Hardcover)
This book was already out of print when I bought it the first time and I have since searched for other copies to give to colleagues. It is excellent on cultural differences, especially between European and U.S. attitudes on work, work product and business culture. The authors have seized on a few basic beliefs that Americans hold dear and then analyzed how those beliefs affect their attitudes towards quality, but also towards work itself. Great Book, if you can find a copy.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting synopsis -- often referred to others, August 19, 2009
This review is from: The Stuff Americans Are Made of: The Seven Cultural Forces That Define Americans-A New Framework for Quality, Productivity and Profitability (Hardcover)
Based on my international experience, this book is a very usefull distillation of what led Americans to be different from other cultures. I have used it in cross-cultural presentations and have given copies to Americans working with foreign business people. It's a great resource!
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