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The Flying Circus: Why We Love To Hate Our Airlines And Airports
Providing a whimsical but informed view on air travel by a leading management guru, this book supplies a much-needed outlet for the frustrations of the troubled traveler. Flying is an experience he defines as akin to cattle-car herding, which begins at depressingly generic and chaotic airports, and continues through agonizing hours in cramped, sardine-class seats where the passengers are served skimpy and unidentifiable meals and bombarded with "customer service" that amounts to constant interruptions while trying to sleep or read. Containing anecdotes about fellow passengers and stories of suffering, this witty rant is the author''s revenge on the airlines and the culture of commercialism that has reduced a once-enjoyable adventure to a loathsome farce.
136 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2001
2 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Henry Mintzberg
62 books210 followersProfessor Henry Mintzberg, OC , OQ , Ph.D. , D.h.c. , FRSC (born September 2, 1939) is an internationally renowned academic and author on business and management. He is currently the Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he has been teaching since 1968, after earning his Master's degree in Management and Ph.D. from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1965 and 1968 respectively.
Henry Mintzberg writes prolifically on the topics of management and business strategy, with more than 140 articles and thirteen books to his name. His seminal book, The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning, criticizes some of the practices of strategic planning today and is considered required reading for anyone who seriously wants to consider taking on a strategy-making role within their organization.
He recently published a book entitled Managers Not MBAs Managers Not MBAswhich outlines what he believes to be wrong with management education today and, rather controversially, singles out prestigious graduate management schools like Harvard Business School and the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania as examples of how obsession with numbers and an over-zealous attempt at making management into a science actually can damage the discipline of management. He also suggests that a new masters program, targeted at practicing managers (as opposed to younger students with little real world experience), and emphasizing practical issues, may be more suitable.
Ironically, although Professor Mintzberg is quite critical about the strategy consulting business, he has twice won the McKinsey Award for publishing the best article in the Harvard Business Review.
In 1997 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1998 he was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec. He is now a member of the Strategic Management Society.
Henry Mintzberg writes prolifically on the topics of management and business strategy, with more than 140 articles and thirteen books to his name. His seminal book, The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning, criticizes some of the practices of strategic planning today and is considered required reading for anyone who seriously wants to consider taking on a strategy-making role within their organization.
He recently published a book entitled Managers Not MBAs Managers Not MBAswhich outlines what he believes to be wrong with management education today and, rather controversially, singles out prestigious graduate management schools like Harvard Business School and the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania as examples of how obsession with numbers and an over-zealous attempt at making management into a science actually can damage the discipline of management. He also suggests that a new masters program, targeted at practicing managers (as opposed to younger students with little real world experience), and emphasizing practical issues, may be more suitable.
Ironically, although Professor Mintzberg is quite critical about the strategy consulting business, he has twice won the McKinsey Award for publishing the best article in the Harvard Business Review.
In 1997 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1998 he was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec. He is now a member of the Strategic Management Society.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 18, 2020
I liked the acknowledgments page, but we might have been better off if this hadn't been published. It offers no new insights; very observational and sarcastic without being funny or useful. It also includes interludes that were supposed to be direct experiences of him being awkward with female travelers that strongly reminded me of the admonishment that "just because something happened to you doesn't make it interesting".
June 2, 2019
Short book, more about the indignities of air travel than anything else. Has a few anecdotes that might amuse, but compared to Mintzberg’s other books it feels like so-so stand up comedy, though I think in her end that this volume has not aged well, and my expectations were unfairly and unrealistically high.
March 4, 2018
At the beginning of the book I found it very funny since a lot of references is relatable, later on I'm missing the fun on reading it. But nevertheless, it's still worth to read despite the fact that I'm not really enjoying latest chapters.
April 21, 2012
So funny, so sad, but still so true!
November 8, 2014
It starts off as being humorous even witty.. but along the way turns into an incessant and mostly aimless rant...
I spent the last third just coaxing myself to finish it..
I spent the last third just coaxing myself to finish it..
March 24, 2024
Beetje gedateerd en flauw maar ik heb wel erg hard gelachen.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews