The Puritan Gift
Reclaiming the American Dream Amidst Global Financial Chaos
Published on 30. September 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
360 pages
978-1-84511-986-7 (ISBN)
Description
Where does the Protestant work ethic come from? And how did America achieve such dominance in management for so long? "The Puritan Gift" traces the origins and the characteristics of American managerial culture which, in the course of three centuries, turned a group of small colonies into the greatest economic and political power on earth. It argues that the drive, energy and acceptance of innovation, competition, growth and social mobility, all of which lie at the root of America's management culture, have their origins in the discipline and ethos of America's first wave of European immigrants: the Puritans.And, the authors warn, as Americans distance themselves from the core values which produced their business and economic successes during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, they put their future prosperity and security at risk. This is an original exploration of the dramatic and far-reaching consequences of the Puritans' 'gift' to America - the ethos which produced the early success of America and what came to be known as the American dream.
Reviews / Votes
"'A trenchant and much needed challenge to contemporary business culture...an enjoyable and stimulating book' Mark Tully 'A challenging, well-informed and powerfully-written book...It will have a long shelf-life.' Norman Stone 'Tremendously interesting and impressive.' Peter F. Drucker, America's foremost writer about management 'I would insist that every person enrolled in the study of technology should be required to read 'The Puritan Gift' before reading any other management book...A goldmine of information.' Myron Tribus, former Director of Advanced Engineering Study, MIT.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
15 integrated black and white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Weight
344 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84511-986-7 (9781845119867)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Kenneth Hopper | William Hopper
The Puritan Gift
Reclaiming the American Dream Amidst Global Financial Chaos
E-Book
01/2009
1st Edition
I.B. Tauris
€29.99
Available for download
Kenneth Hopper | William Hopper
The Puritan Gift
Reclaiming the American Dream Amidst Global Financial Chaos
E-Book
02/2007
1st Edition
I.B. Tauris
€29.99
Available for download
Previous edition
Kenneth Hopper | William Hopper
The Puritan Gift
Reclaiming the American Dream Amidst Global Financial Chaos
Book
02/2007
I.B. Tauris
€53.43
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Kenneth Hopper has been active throughout his professional life as a writer on industrial affairs and a consultant in both the U.S.A. and Europe. He was born in Scotland and is now a U.S. citizen living in New Jersey. William Hopper (his brother) lives in London and has spent his career in investment banking in New York and London. Their combined knowledge of manufacturing and finance gives this book its unique depth and perspective.
Content
THE PURITAN GIFT
CONSOLIDATED LIST OF CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS (as of 08/10/08)
Page Lines from top Changes
DEDICATION PAGE
v add the following poem towards the centre of the page:
One ship sails East and another West,
By the self-same winds that blow.
'Tis the set of the sails, and not the gales,
That tells the way we go.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Poems of Progress. 1911.>First Light of the True Dawn? >>
Do the same to the chapter heading on page 262 and to the page headings on pages 265, 267, 269, 271, 273, 275 & 277
PREFACE
xi 10 Italicise: >>Ecole Polytechnique>>
12 after >>France.>> add: >>Anderson's College is now the
University of Strathclyde.>>
15 replace: >>Systematic Organic Chemistry (1937),>> with: >>Systematic
Organic Chemistry: Modern Methods of Preparation and Estimation (1923, 1931, 1937, 1950), >>
33 add: >>to>> in front of: >>a Japan>>
37 add period after: >>.com.>>
xii 15 replace >>special>> with: >>specialist>>
37 insert >>(sic)>> after: >>technical>>
24 replace >>(see page 114)>> with: >>(see pages 114 and 115)>>
: 27 add >>the late>> in front of: >>George>>
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
xiv 05 insert >>Electronic>> in front of >>Network>>Mark Tully,>> add >>Roger Schenke, Executive Vice
President, the American College of Physician Executives; Professor
Peter Kawalek, Manchester Business School; David Howard,
Management-NewStyle Limited >>
12 replace >>Brinkman>> with: >>Brinkmann>>
14 replace >>Kenneth>> with: >>Kenton>>
15 omit >>David Howard>>
18 replace >>, as well as>> with: >> ; >>
20 insert comma after >>Jersey>>
20 replace >>as well as>> with >>and>>
17 add >>Gerald Shalet>> before >>Martin Shelley>>
17 add >>Anthony Tylecote,>> after >>Martin Shelly,>>
NOTE TO EDITOR: PLEASE ENSURE THAT NAMES IN THE SECOND PARA ON THIS PAGE ARE IN STRICT ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY SURNAME
PROLOGUE
xvi 19 replace >>in June 2006>> with >>in BusinessWeek in 2006>> [note:
BusinessWeek is one word.]
PART I: ORIGINS
(no changes)
CHAPTER 1
03 epigraph Zeale is but a wilde-fire without knowledge.
Rev. John Cotton. Boston, Massachusetts. 1651.
04 add >>of the United States>> after: >>most citizens>>
10/11 remove >>intimately>> [word appears twice in para]
06 04/06 substitute: >>An anonymous source tells us that etc>> for: >>Captain Staughton...to England that etc>>
31 replace >>would do>> with >>did>>
10 04 replace >>expression>> with >>exposition>> [misquotation]
12 09 insert >>in mid-July:>> after >>Thames>>
13 03 Insert before >>For a century and a half...>> the following para:
>>
The settlers of the 1630s had modeled themselves on the people of the Old Testament, the Puritan values and practices which Tawney described so vividly being largely Jewish in inspiration. It is therefore not surprising that, when first German and then Russian Jews moved in large numbers to the New World in the nineteenth century, they should have found the established American mores to their liking and become successful in business. In so doing, the newcomers both perpetuated and enhanced the great tradition of good management inherited from the first settlers. (Interestingly, the prophet Mani is said to have formed his religious outlook while dwelling in an ascetic Jew
CONSOLIDATED LIST OF CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS (as of 08/10/08)
Page Lines from top Changes
DEDICATION PAGE
v add the following poem towards the centre of the page:
One ship sails East and another West,
By the self-same winds that blow.
'Tis the set of the sails, and not the gales,
That tells the way we go.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Poems of Progress. 1911.>First Light of the True Dawn? >>
Do the same to the chapter heading on page 262 and to the page headings on pages 265, 267, 269, 271, 273, 275 & 277
PREFACE
xi 10 Italicise: >>Ecole Polytechnique>>
12 after >>France.>> add: >>Anderson's College is now the
University of Strathclyde.>>
15 replace: >>Systematic Organic Chemistry (1937),>> with: >>Systematic
Organic Chemistry: Modern Methods of Preparation and Estimation (1923, 1931, 1937, 1950), >>
33 add: >>to>> in front of: >>a Japan>>
37 add period after: >>.com.>>
xii 15 replace >>special>> with: >>specialist>>
37 insert >>(sic)>> after: >>technical>>
24 replace >>(see page 114)>> with: >>(see pages 114 and 115)>>
: 27 add >>the late>> in front of: >>George>>
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
xiv 05 insert >>Electronic>> in front of >>Network>>Mark Tully,>> add >>Roger Schenke, Executive Vice
President, the American College of Physician Executives; Professor
Peter Kawalek, Manchester Business School; David Howard,
Management-NewStyle Limited >>
12 replace >>Brinkman>> with: >>Brinkmann>>
14 replace >>Kenneth>> with: >>Kenton>>
15 omit >>David Howard>>
18 replace >>, as well as>> with: >> ; >>
20 insert comma after >>Jersey>>
20 replace >>as well as>> with >>and>>
17 add >>Gerald Shalet>> before >>Martin Shelley>>
17 add >>Anthony Tylecote,>> after >>Martin Shelly,>>
NOTE TO EDITOR: PLEASE ENSURE THAT NAMES IN THE SECOND PARA ON THIS PAGE ARE IN STRICT ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY SURNAME
PROLOGUE
xvi 19 replace >>in June 2006>> with >>in BusinessWeek in 2006>> [note:
BusinessWeek is one word.]
PART I: ORIGINS
(no changes)
CHAPTER 1
03 epigraph Zeale is but a wilde-fire without knowledge.
Rev. John Cotton. Boston, Massachusetts. 1651.
04 add >>of the United States>> after: >>most citizens>>
10/11 remove >>intimately>> [word appears twice in para]
06 04/06 substitute: >>An anonymous source tells us that etc>> for: >>Captain Staughton...to England that etc>>
31 replace >>would do>> with >>did>>
10 04 replace >>expression>> with >>exposition>> [misquotation]
12 09 insert >>in mid-July:>> after >>Thames>>
13 03 Insert before >>For a century and a half...>> the following para:
>>
The settlers of the 1630s had modeled themselves on the people of the Old Testament, the Puritan values and practices which Tawney described so vividly being largely Jewish in inspiration. It is therefore not surprising that, when first German and then Russian Jews moved in large numbers to the New World in the nineteenth century, they should have found the established American mores to their liking and become successful in business. In so doing, the newcomers both perpetuated and enhanced the great tradition of good management inherited from the first settlers. (Interestingly, the prophet Mani is said to have formed his religious outlook while dwelling in an ascetic Jew