The Age of Unreason (Paperback)

~ Charles Handy (Author) "THE SCENE was the General Synod of the Church of England in the 1980s..." (more)
Key Phrases: proper selfishness, contractual fringe, shamrock organization, Third Age, West Germany, Peruvian Indians (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Handy, a British specialist in organizational management, predicts that the 21st century will be the Age of Unreason. In an era when changes in business and society will be "discontinuous" or patternless, he suggests that our thinking must become discontinuous or "unreasonable" in order to use such changes to our advantage. While his thesis is generally in line with strategists like Tom Peters ( In Search of Excellence, LJ 2/15/83), Handy focuses more on the philosophy, rather than the mechanics, of adaptive change in society. His examples from the business world are interestingly extended to social institutions like marriage and family. Nicely written, this should be popular with open-minded management types. A good addition to management collections.
-Mark L. Shelton, Columbus, Ohio
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

Named one of the ten best business books of 1990 by Business Week, The Age of Unreason is now available in paperback. Charles Handy maintains that in an era of random change, it is necessary to break out of old ways of thinking in order to use change to one's advantage.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business Press; 1 edition (February 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875843018
• ISBN-13: 978-0875843018
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,499 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life-changing, July 25, 2000

By	Mr. Ian Pring (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this book as part of an MBA programme, but it's far, far more than a business book. In a series of self-examination exercises, Handy teaches how we can all reassess our lives and change the way we live and work. All this is achieved in a slim, matter-of-fact volume that puts many other business and management books (as well as the slew of self-help literature) to shame, with its erudition and the well-read eclecticism of its author. Maybe half a dozen books in a lifetime make you change the way you think. If this isn't one of them, there's no hope for you.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration for the soul, April 22, 1997

By A Customer

Handy's reasonable tome unveils an argument for becoming questioning, seeking, unreasonable individuals. Written several years ago, Handy's ability to forecast the direction in which businesses are moving (adopting 'cores' and contracting out much of the work) is fascinating. I wonder what I would have thought of this book 8 years ago when it was first published. 'Is he for real?' Charles Handy is very real and so is the future about which he writes

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great inspiration for the self-employed, December 30, 1996

By A Customer

When considering the jump to independent consulting, this book inspired me to leave the comfort (and confinement) of corporate life. Handy makes it clear how the business and social trends of today are affecting each of us personally and professionally. Anytime someone asks me for career advice, I recommend this book!