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James Burnham

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The Managerial Revolution: What is Happening in the World

by James Burnham (Author)

4.4 222 ratings

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Burnham’s claim was that capitalism was dead, but that it was being replaced not by socialism, but a new economic system he called 'managerialism' - rule by managers.

Written in 1941, this is the book that theorised how the world was moving into the hands of the 'managers'. Burnham explains how Capitalism had virtually lost its control, and would be displaced not by labour, nor by socialism, but by the rule of administartors in business and in government.

This revolution, he posited, is as broad as the world and as comprehensive as human society, asking 'Why is "totalitarianism" not the issue?' 'Can civilization be destroyed?' And 'Why is the New Deal something bigger than Roosevelt can handle?'

In a volume extraordinary for its dispassionate handling of those and other fundamental questions, James Burnham explores fully the implications of the managerial revolution.

Praise for James Burnham:

'Burnham has real intellectual courage, and writes about real issues.' - George Orwell

'The stoic, detached, empirical, hard-boiled, penetrating, realist mind of James Burnham is something to behold, to admire, to emulate.' - National Review

'James Burnham was an astonishing writer. Subtle, passionate, and irritatingly well-read.' - New Criterion

'The immense significance of Burnham’s approach is potential. We can ignore it only at the risk of being disarmed by the future course of events.' - Irving Kristol

ISBN-10

0837156785
ISBN-13

978-0837156781
Publisher

Praeger
Publication date

April 24, 1972
Language

English
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.69 x 8.5 inches
Print length

285 pages
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Praeger (April 24, 1972)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 285 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0837156785
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0837156781
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.08 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.69 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,294,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #301 in Political Ideologies
- #1,220 in Theory of Economics
- #10,493 in Business Management (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 222 ratings

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4.4 out of 5

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Adam

The most important book you've probably never read.

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2023

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If you're looking for an intelligent breakdown of how societies became as totalitarian as they are today and in the unique form they took to get there, this is the book for you. It's purposefully ironic that the book opens with a review by George Orwell about why he thought the original release was lacking in predictive power because Burnham was bad at predicting the outcome of WW2, but after you read this book you'll realize its arguments served as the direct inspiration for 1984, which is basically Orwell's tacit admission that Burnham might've been right after all.

A must read for anyone who wants to step outside of the official narratives that'll tell you why it's just fine that you currently have less freedom, less opportunity, and less happiness than your great-grandfather did 100 years ago.

4 people found this helpful

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Dr. Janet Spitz

The Source of Business Contempt

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2007

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Burnham begins seemingly in a rational, fair, and balanced way. He explores the rise of managers as a group of skilled individuals, meeting the growing need for organization in a complex society as well as in increasingly complex businesses. It seems perfectly appropriate that people specially trained to organize business and government, should have access to information that lets them do the job well, and also should be paid enough to attract additional people to that difficult set of tasks: the tasks of guiding, administering, managing, directing and organizing the processes of production or service delivery.

Soon, however, Burnham's voice becomes more sincere: In the "drive for social dominance, for power and privilege, for the position of ruling class, by the social group or class of the managers.... This drive will be successful ... against the masses, who, obscurely, are a social force tending against oppression and class rule of any kind." [The mechanism is] "propaganda and ideologies, all under a bewildering variety of slogans and ostensible motivations" (Burnham, p. 166, 1941):

"The managers, the ruling class of the new society, will for their own purposes require at least a limited democracy. When the ruling group becomes more and more liable to miscalculate, a certain measure of democracy makes it easier for the ruling class to get more, and more accurate, information. Second, experience shows that a certain measure of democracy is an excellent way to enable opponents and the masses to let off steam without endangering the foundations of the social fabric. Democracy, freedom for public minority political expression within a class society, must be so limited as not to interfere with the basic social relations whereby the ruling class maintains its position of power and privilege.

"When the vote has been extended to wide sections of the population, including a majority that is not members of the ruling class, that problem is more difficult. In spite of the wider democracy, however, control by the ruling class can be assured ... when major social institutions upholding the position of the ruling class are firmly consolidated, when ideologies contributing to the maintenance of these institutions are generally accepted, when the instruments of education and propaganda are primarily available to the ruling class...." (Burnham, p. 168, 1941).

This is an important book to read and share because it reveals, plainly spoken, the contempt business managers have, and are taught to have, for the citizens of our nation and the world, as well as the strategies they use to control our actions and even our thoughts.

56 people found this helpful

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Michael Valdivielso

Capitalism was on the way out...

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2012

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The year is 1940. The USSR is under Stalin and a Third Reich seems to be absorbing Europe. China, rocked by inner conflict, looks like it may become just another enslaved region of the Empire of Japan. The New Deal in the USA is showing just how anti-business a government can be. Everywhere Burnham looks, even within the USA, Capitalism seems to be failing. But Socialism is NOT gaining any ground. It is not replacing Capitalism. Who is replacing the Capitalists? Bureaucrats and managers seem to be organizing, controlling, combining the factories, businesses, and nations into... what?
And that is what the book is about. Burnham was socialist who lost trust in his fellow Marxists but not in Marxism. He believed that Capitalism was on the way out but it seemed to him it was NOT going to be replaced by Socialism. As he watched and studied the very events happening in Europe, Asia, and within the USA, he came to the answer. Managers would become the next class. Neither owners nor producers, they would nevertheless, take reins in hand to control the nations, forming super-states and gaining power over the other classes.
He does a great job of tracing his logic, using history and current events (well, events that was current at the time), building up his predictions. In fact, some of the pages could be used, word for word, to describe events and movements happening now. For example, when talking about the youth of England, who no longer believe in the system they are living in and are showing a lack of willingness to support it, I could not help but think about the Occupy movement! On the other hand, he seems to have totally dismissed banks and other factors that we know would shape our future, for better or for worse.
Much of the events he talked about did not happen and may never happen, but his book did influence such authors as Orwell, who used Burnham's idea of three super-states always in conflict for the setting of Nineteen Eighty-Four. I plan to get The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom and read it to help understand more of his thoughts of political theory.

65 people found this helpful

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Cameron V.

Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2021

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James analysis and theory present amazing parallels especially in society as it stands today. I have no doubt that his theory of a managerial society for the most part, came true.

8 people found this helpful

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John W. Adams

Book Is an Adequate Reprint

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2021

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The quality of the book is ok for a reprint. This title is from 1940 and is quite interesting. This is my first experience with James Burnham. His prose is clear and his ideas are very well argued. Most polemics of this sort become quickly dated. Burnham's comments on the emerging managerial class are still of great interest. His arguments on the post industrial world turned out to be very prescient.

8 people found this helpful

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John Fennelly

Bureaucracy uber alles

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2014

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This book is an essential supplement to the theme in the road to serfdom. Extremely well written and insightful. I detected no weakness,. In fact , faced with the towering intellect exhibited in this book, I feel it would be a tad presumptuous to argue for one.

12 people found this helpful

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John A. Brooks

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2017

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The early book of a great author.

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Darrin Lusk

Prescient

Reviewed in Canada on March 29, 2023

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This book changed the way I look at the modern world. We are in the grip of managerialism.

Freya

Très bon état

Reviewed in France on April 7, 2023

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Très bon état

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Amazon Customer

Indispensable in understanding the future

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2021

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It’s baffling how this book and the social theory it contains have not become mainstream. The Managerial Revolution is what we’re living though. Begun through super-organisms like the European Union and United Nation, and expedited as of 2020 through the Covid pandemic. It’s important to remember that the author admits his personal opposition to this future, yet, as a true scientist which is also proclaims himself to be, he cannot but state what appears to be most in accordance with the current (1940s) facts, and the most probable theory against all others.

5 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

momentous of much importance or consequence

Reviewed in Canada on July 19, 2021

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it gives an accurate screenshot of the past 75 years would love if it would forecast the next 25 years....

John Lennie

Print Quality Sub Par

Reviewed in Canada on November 15, 2023

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Finding it hard to read due to the print quality. Disappointing for a fairly expensive hardcover.

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