Share <Embed>

Buy New

$14.49

List Price: $15.95
Save: $1.46 (9%)

Usually ships within 1 to 2 months.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

This item ships to France. Learn more

Deliver to France

Buy Used

$10.63

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

Deliver to France

Used: Good | Details

Sold by The Spud Nook

Fulfilled by Amazon

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism Paperback – January 17, 2000

by Richard Sennett (Author)

38 customer reviews

See all 11 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$10.41

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

—

$12.38

$2.86

Paperback

"Please retry"

$14.49

$7.99

$1.49

A Business Week Best Book of the Year.... "A devastating and wholly necessary book."―Studs Terkel, author of Working

In The Corrosion of Character, Richard Sennett, "among the country's most distinguished thinkers . . . has concentrated into 176 pages a profoundly affecting argument" (Business Week) that draws on interviews with dismissed IBM executives, bakers, a bartender turned advertising executive, and many others to call into question the terms of our new economy. In his 1972 classic, The Hidden Injuries of Class (written with Jonathan Cobb), Sennett interviewed a man he called Enrico, a hardworking janitor whose life was structured by a union pay schedule and given meaning by his sacrifices for the future. In this new book-a #1 bestseller in Germany-Sennett explores the contemporary scene characterized by Enrico's son, Rico, whose life is more materially successful, yet whose work lacks long-term commitments or loyalties. Distinguished by Sennett's "combination of broad historical and literary learning and a reporter's willingness to walk into a store or factory [and] strike up a conversation" (New York Times Book Review), this book "challenges the reader to decide whether the flexibility of modern capitalism . . . is merely a fresh form of oppression" (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Praise for The Corrosion of Character: "A benchmark for our time."―Daniel Bell "[A]n incredibly insightful book."―William Julius Wilson "[A] remarkable synthesis of acute empirical observation and serious moral reflection."―Richard Rorty "[Sennett] offers abundant fresh insights . . . illuminated by his concern with people's struggle to give meaning to their lives."―[Memphis] Commercial Appeal

Frequently bought together

Total price: $44.05

One of these items ships sooner than the other. Show details

Buy the selected items together

This item:The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism by Richard Sennett Paperback $14.49
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford Paperback $13.79
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs Terkel Paperback $15.77
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Studs Terkel

99

Paperback
$15.77
Max Weber

135

Paperback
$15.97
Matthew B. Crawford

461

in Philosophy Aesthetics
Paperback
$13.79
Karl Marx

84

Paperback
$29.79
Richard Sennett

9

Paperback
$16.00
Richard Sennett

40

Paperback
$18.05

Editorial Reviews

Review

A benchmark for our time. -- Daniel Bell

A devastating and wholly necessary book. -- Studs Terkel, author of Working

[A] remarkable synthesis of acute empirical observation and serious moral reflection. -- Richard Rorty

[A]n incredibly insightful book. -- William Julius Wilson

[Sennett] offers abundant fresh insights . . . illuminated by his concern with people's struggle to give meaning to their lives. -- Memphis Commercial Appeal

About the Author

Richard Sennett’s books include The Corrosion of Character, Flesh and Stone, and Respect. He was the founding director of the New York Institute for the Humanities and now teaches sociology at New York University and at the London School of Economics.

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (January 17, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393319873
ISBN-13: 978-0393319873
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 38 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,189 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #299 in Books > Business & Money > Economics > Labor & Industrial Relations
- #302 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Specific Topics > Labor & Industrial Relations
- #508 in Books > Business & Money > Business Culture > Ethics

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features:

See Kindle Edition

Customer reviews

Write a customer review

See all 38 customer reviews

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Karen with a Kindle

Dated but still relevant and true

February 17, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A great read, although a bit dated -- I hadn't realized when I ordered this that it was a 20-year old book. So rather than being a look at how the world of work is now, it really shows how it began, where loyalty, commitment, longevity and pride in being a part of something eroded. As the author says, "The qualities of good work are not the qualities of good character." And nothing much has changed for the worker in America since the book was published. "No long term commitment" is the norm now, on both sides, rather than just a few companies' way of doing business. "Flexible employment" often means no set schedules, no definite hours. So rather than a means to "work / life balance", workers have to keep their entire 24 hours open, with no set schedule, and little advance notice. Technology has reduced many trades to "button-pushing", as he uses the example of bakers in the book. Computer skills, or the ability to push the right button at the right time, has become more important than actually knowing how to create the product. It's a bit heavy on old studies and stats, but the author provides human examples to back them up.

2 people found this helpful3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

J. Edgar Mihelic, MBA

Sadly, more true now than ever.

September 30, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Sennett's evocation of the nature of work in postmodern capitalism is spot-on in recognizing and explaining the alienating factors at play in a de-centered, job-based not career-based working world. In fact the book, a long essay, was in places hard to read because he evoked some memories of my own encounters with this world. It was harder to read also knowing that the research and the ideas driving the work were in place during the time of writing. Much has changed in ways that only amplify the alienation felt by workers. If, as Sennett claims, that the breakdown of the corporate structure is bad news psychologically for the worker -- where there is no clear antagonist in the workplace -- then the alienation is exponentially more evident in a world with ten percent unemployment. This essay was true when he was writing and the US economy was creating over a million jobs a year. The issues he explores are only more true now.

2 people found this helpful3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Gustavo Kuhn Andriotti

Must read for understanding new management strategy around teams

November 10, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Despite the title it is a must read to understand the shift in management strategy and how is the current "leader" culture (instead of the boss culture) mostly benefit your leaders and not you.

2 people found this helpful3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

P.N.Ramondt

a human vision of modern times

April 21, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Written in a very relatable manner, it poses questions to modern developments and how human these are. It gives very good and developed insights into these. for myself as a product designer/innovator and teacher, these are very valid and meaningful questions, I highly recommend it.

One person found this helpful2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Ronald E. Purser

In Praise of Human Experience

May 12, 1999

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I am struck by the visceral and reactive comments in some of the reviews, but this only demonstrates that Sennett has touched a vulnerable nerve among those who have a vested interest in the juggernaut of globalization and commercial frenzy of the Internet. Isn't it interesting that the most volatile reviews come from those in the heart of Silicon Valley? Sennett has succeeeded in illuminating the universal in the particular, yes, through what his critics denigrates as "just anecdotes"? But anecdotes are grounded in human experience, not rarefied abstractions of traditional positivist sociology. His critics ought to go back to read C. Wright Mills' classic The Sociological Imagination, who takes these posivist parasites to task. Sennett also does a stellar job of stripping away the corporate speak and propaganda about "change, teams, reengineering" --the stuff that has made management gurus and their parrot of consultant-followers rich, while the ordinary Joe is the mere anecdotal recipient of such social engineering schemes. Sennett also succeeds in showing how the superficiality of corporate life is bleeding over to the family, eroding away depth and character..this is a sore spot that most managers would rather ignore. As C. Wright Mills, the great sociologist taught, "the political task of the sociologist...is to translate personal troubles into public issues, and public issues into the terms of their human meaning for a variety of indivdiuals" The public isn't moved by barren statistics, it is moved by real stories of real human beings.

12 people found this helpful13 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Peter Lydon

Sennett not at the top of his game

April 2, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Sennett grapples here with serious and deep problems in modern American culture and economy, but does not really get a grip on them. Given that he sees the problems, but doesn't really offer new thoughts on their causal structures or solutions, too much of the book deteriorates into repetitious whining. Should have been an essay, not stretched into a book.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

David Eberle

Five Stars

May 25, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Great

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Paul Jonker

Enduring thoughts for our current era

September 12, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Very insightful long essay. Contains many interesting thoughts - I wonder what Sennett makes of the period after this book first appeared?

One person found this helpful2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Richard Sennett

40

Paperback
$18.05
Matthew B. Crawford

461

in Philosophy Aesthetics
Paperback
$13.79
Richard Sennett

11

Paperback
$20.00
Richard Sennett

9

Paperback
$16.00
Richard Sennett
Hardcover
$19.49
Richard Sennett
Paperback
$17.06

Pages with related products. See and discover other items: labor relations

Buy New

$14.49

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Buy Used

$10.63

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism Paperback – January 17, 2000

Frequently bought together

Customers who bought this item also bought

Sponsored products related to this item

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Sponsored products related to this item

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features:

Customer reviews

Read reviews that mention

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Most recent customer reviews

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Buy New $14.49

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Buy Used $10.63

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism Paperback – January 17, 2000

Frequently bought together

Customers who bought this item also bought

Sponsored products related to this item

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Sponsored products related to this item

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features:

Customer reviews

Read reviews that mention

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Most recent customer reviews

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Buy New

$14.49

Buy Used

$10.63