Customer Reviews

Tyranny of the Bottom Line: Why Corporations Make Good People Do Bad Things (BK Currents (Hardcover))

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I have been using this book with great success in a senior-level management class for several semesters now. Students' eyes are really opened by Estes' arguments and examples. It's truly sad how little they know about this alternative perspective. I highly recommend it to anyone who works in or is affected by corporations (which means ALL of us!). I encourage everyone to join Estes' "Stakeholder Alliance" mentioned in the last chapter.

Are you in the mood for some top-notch, well-documented corporation bashing? Ralph W, Estes' powerful work is widely considered one of the most important books written on American corporations and their vast power, and he has nothing kind to say. Compelling and clearly written, his book shines a bright light into some very dark, creepy corners. And although he overstates, over-generalizes and tends to blame corporations for every evil in society, there's no debating that the concept of stakeholder accountability that Estes sets forth has moved to center-stage. Estes' book specifically covers United States-based corporations, but we [...] recommend this book to anyone who is subject to corporate influence, and - from the rainforest hunter-gatherer to you - that's everybody.

It's not that the reader can argue with most of what Estes brings up. His diatribes against the bottom-line mentatility at the expense of all else are logically presented. It is depressing to read how single-minded many corporations have become and how they have strayed from the original idea of incorporating so as to serve the community as well as the industry or shareholders. But Estes basically repeats the same theme chapter after chapter after chapter. He innundates the reader with multiple examples of the same thing, and repeatedly hints: "What is needed is a 'new scorecard' that will judge corporations on more than just profit margins. But we'll get to that later. Let me devote yet another chapter to more examples."

I first became interested in reading this book after reading his fascinating Op-Ed piece in the Washington Post last year. I finally bought the book expecting a more meaty discussion of the issues that he brought up in the article. I wound up feeling like I read that Op-Ed piece 20 times over. This was potentially an excellent book, mired in repetition.

It's not that the reader can argue with most of what Estes brings up. His diatribes against the bottom-line mentatility at the expense of all else are logically presented. It is depressing to read how single-minded many corporations have become and how they have strayed from the original idea of incorporating so as to serve the community as well as the industry or shareholders. But Estes basically repeats the same theme chapter after chapter after chapter. He innundates the reader with multiple examples of the same thing, and repeatedly hints: "What is needed is a 'new scorecard' that will judge corporations on more than just profit margins. But we'll get to that later. Let me devote yet another chapter to more examples."

I first became interested in reading this book after reading his fascinating Op-Ed piece in the Washington Post last year. I finally bought the book expecting a more meaty discussion of the issues that he brought up in the article. I wound up feeling like I read that Op-Ed piece 20 times over. This was potentially an excellent book, mired in repetition.