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For almost 60 years, Peter Drucker has been writing about everything from management and economics to philosophy and politics with an unorthodox perspective on business and society that continues to attract followers. But in the autobiographical classic Adventures of a Bystander--considered the best of his 29 books by both readers and Drucker himself--the spotlight is turned around to illuminate those he met along the way, who best embody his envisioned ideals of pluralism and diversity. Among them: Sigmund Freud, Henry Luce, Buckminster Fuller, Marshall McLuhan, and Fritz Kraemer, "the man who invented Kissinger." --Howard Rothman
467 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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739 people want to read
About the author
Peter F. Drucker
594 books1,997 followersPeter Ferdinand Drucker was a writer, management consultant and university professor. His writing focused on management-related literature. Peter Drucker made famous the term knowledge worker and is thought to have unknowingly ushered in the knowledge economy, which effectively challenges Karl Marx's world-view of the political economy. George Orwell credits Peter Drucker as one of the only writers to predict the German-Soviet Pact of 1939.
The son of a high level civil servant in the Habsburg empire, Drucker was born in the chocolate capital of Austria, in a small village named Kaasgraben (now a suburb of Vienna, part of the 19th district, Döbling). Following the defeat of Austria-Hungary in World War I, there were few opportunities for employment in Vienna so after finishing school he went to Germany, first working in banking and then in journalism. While in Germany, he earned a doctorate in International Law. The rise of Nazism forced him to leave Germany in 1933. After spending four years in London, in 1937 he moved permanently to the United States, where he became a university professor as well as a freelance writer and business guru. In 1943 he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He taught at New York University as a Professor of Management from 1950 to 1971. From 1971 to his death he was the Clarke Professor of Social Science and Management at Claremont Graduate University.
The son of a high level civil servant in the Habsburg empire, Drucker was born in the chocolate capital of Austria, in a small village named Kaasgraben (now a suburb of Vienna, part of the 19th district, Döbling). Following the defeat of Austria-Hungary in World War I, there were few opportunities for employment in Vienna so after finishing school he went to Germany, first working in banking and then in journalism. While in Germany, he earned a doctorate in International Law. The rise of Nazism forced him to leave Germany in 1933. After spending four years in London, in 1937 he moved permanently to the United States, where he became a university professor as well as a freelance writer and business guru. In 1943 he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He taught at New York University as a Professor of Management from 1950 to 1971. From 1971 to his death he was the Clarke Professor of Social Science and Management at Claremont Graduate University.
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December 26, 2017
مسائلی که بخصوص در قسمت های آخر کتاب مطرح میشوند،دقیقا همان معضلاتی است که جامعه ی ما امروزه دچار آن شده است.
February 1, 2025
This book took me 1 month short of 3 years to read.
It’ll be 30 years until I forget it.
It’ll be 30 years until I forget it.
June 26, 2016
یکی از بهترین کتاب هایی که در سال های اخیر خوانده ام! قطعا به همه توصیه می کنم با حوصله این کتاب رو مطالعه کنند.
کتاب در مورد آدم هایی است که سیر عظیم تحولات تاریخی هر یک چون قطعه نازلی بزرگ کنار هم می نشینند تا فضای یکی از عجیب ترین دوره های تاریخ بشری رو شکل بدن
پیتر دراکر به درستی عنوان می کنه که برای مستند کردن و شناخت یک دوره تاریخی به جای زیاده گویی هایی در رابطه با رویداد ها و تفسیرهای آنها کافی ست بتوانیم مردمان آن دوره بشناسیم! همین! و کل کتاب بیان و توصیف آدم هایی ست که هر یک در ظاهر داستانی جدا دارند ولی در نهایت می فهمی که همه با هم و به طور هماهنگ همان هایی هستند که تاریخ را ساخته اند
و در انتها می فهمی که تاریخ چیزی نیست جز روایت سرنوشت آدمهایی که آن را زیسته اند ی
کتاب در مورد آدم هایی است که سیر عظیم تحولات تاریخی هر یک چون قطعه نازلی بزرگ کنار هم می نشینند تا فضای یکی از عجیب ترین دوره های تاریخ بشری رو شکل بدن
پیتر دراکر به درستی عنوان می کنه که برای مستند کردن و شناخت یک دوره تاریخی به جای زیاده گویی هایی در رابطه با رویداد ها و تفسیرهای آنها کافی ست بتوانیم مردمان آن دوره بشناسیم! همین! و کل کتاب بیان و توصیف آدم هایی ست که هر یک در ظاهر داستانی جدا دارند ولی در نهایت می فهمی که همه با هم و به طور هماهنگ همان هایی هستند که تاریخ را ساخته اند
و در انتها می فهمی که تاریخ چیزی نیست جز روایت سرنوشت آدمهایی که آن را زیسته اند ی
June 22, 2025
Wow! A marvelous series of encounters recounted in such well-written, thought-provoking prose! Peter Drucker, who I’ve ‘known’ only as the great “management” guru, in presenting his experiences and impressions of ‘great men (and women)’ in his various roles as consultant, journalist, writer and lecturer, provides a rich picture, too, of his own life and times.
Adventures of a Bystander is a memoir presented mostly in the form of fascinating stand-alone chapters each focused on a person or situation that contributed to Drucker's own development and understanding. His descriptions echo his grandmother's 'understanding' that "community is concern for the people" - an intimate knowledge of the relationships and concerns of each person encountered (p. 22). The portraits are all informative, engaging, so well-written. I was drawn in early through the story of Karl Polanyi (who I knew of through my own anthropology studies) and his family (pp. 127-140): Drucker summarizes - "The Polanyis themselves, however gifted, were very minor figures... But their failure [to find solutions to defining a desirable society blending the freedoms of liberal society, yet avoiding the failings of communist, collective society]...may signify the futility of the quest ... for the one absolute 'civic religion'; for the perfect - or at least the good - society." (p. 140)
Rather than continue a list of people portrayed, let me leave off with a few of Drucker's insights that struck me along the way. I'm certain you'll find your own if you take the worthwhile plunge into the book.
While discussing the passage from '19th century' managing to a more formalized 20th century management style based in symbolic logic and quantification, Drucker draws on Plato and Socrates to assert that 'experience without the test of logic is chitchat; logic without the test of experience is absurdity.' (p. 203)
While describing his experiences with General Motors and its leader, Alfred Sloan, (experiences leading to Drucker's book, Concept of the Corporation, and his own claim to have established "management" as a field of legitimate study), Drucker cites Sloan's insight in attempting to fight off extensions of the notion of "corporate responsibility" for "public" outcomes, arguing that with "responsibility" and accountability must come "authority." Drucker cautions that "anti-business" attempts to hold corporations responsible/accountable, "meant to deprive business of power ... are far more likely to make business and the other 'interests' our masters." (pp. 292-293)
Discussing his manager's insistence that Drucker colleague Lewis should be the ultimate determiner of the success of one of Drucker's proposals, Drucker cites his own response and his boss's rejoinder: "But, Mr. Freedburg, Lewis is the youngest clerk in bookkeeping and, as you observed only a few days ago, a near-moron." "Exactly," said Freedburg. "If he can understand your proposal, we'll do it. If he doesn't, it's too complicated to work. Everything has to be moron-proof, for work is always in the end done by morons." (pp. 193-194)
Describing the attempts of some to be "great men" and leaders by asserting one's own power, insight, and authority (the 'genius' theory of being a 'great man/leader'), Drucker responds: "[The truly great man and genuine leader] leads by hard work and dedication. He does not centralize everything in his hands but builds a team. He dominates through integrity, not through manipulation. He is not clever, but simple and honest." (p. 155)
There is so much more to chew on. A thought-provoking book and a great read! Wow, again!
Adventures of a Bystander is a memoir presented mostly in the form of fascinating stand-alone chapters each focused on a person or situation that contributed to Drucker's own development and understanding. His descriptions echo his grandmother's 'understanding' that "community is concern for the people" - an intimate knowledge of the relationships and concerns of each person encountered (p. 22). The portraits are all informative, engaging, so well-written. I was drawn in early through the story of Karl Polanyi (who I knew of through my own anthropology studies) and his family (pp. 127-140): Drucker summarizes - "The Polanyis themselves, however gifted, were very minor figures... But their failure [to find solutions to defining a desirable society blending the freedoms of liberal society, yet avoiding the failings of communist, collective society]...may signify the futility of the quest ... for the one absolute 'civic religion'; for the perfect - or at least the good - society." (p. 140)
Rather than continue a list of people portrayed, let me leave off with a few of Drucker's insights that struck me along the way. I'm certain you'll find your own if you take the worthwhile plunge into the book.
While discussing the passage from '19th century' managing to a more formalized 20th century management style based in symbolic logic and quantification, Drucker draws on Plato and Socrates to assert that 'experience without the test of logic is chitchat; logic without the test of experience is absurdity.' (p. 203)
While describing his experiences with General Motors and its leader, Alfred Sloan, (experiences leading to Drucker's book, Concept of the Corporation, and his own claim to have established "management" as a field of legitimate study), Drucker cites Sloan's insight in attempting to fight off extensions of the notion of "corporate responsibility" for "public" outcomes, arguing that with "responsibility" and accountability must come "authority." Drucker cautions that "anti-business" attempts to hold corporations responsible/accountable, "meant to deprive business of power ... are far more likely to make business and the other 'interests' our masters." (pp. 292-293)
Discussing his manager's insistence that Drucker colleague Lewis should be the ultimate determiner of the success of one of Drucker's proposals, Drucker cites his own response and his boss's rejoinder: "But, Mr. Freedburg, Lewis is the youngest clerk in bookkeeping and, as you observed only a few days ago, a near-moron." "Exactly," said Freedburg. "If he can understand your proposal, we'll do it. If he doesn't, it's too complicated to work. Everything has to be moron-proof, for work is always in the end done by morons." (pp. 193-194)
Describing the attempts of some to be "great men" and leaders by asserting one's own power, insight, and authority (the 'genius' theory of being a 'great man/leader'), Drucker responds: "[The truly great man and genuine leader] leads by hard work and dedication. He does not centralize everything in his hands but builds a team. He dominates through integrity, not through manipulation. He is not clever, but simple and honest." (p. 155)
There is so much more to chew on. A thought-provoking book and a great read! Wow, again!
December 22, 2013
Adventures of Bystander was not a book I would have selected to be read myself, but when I got the book from my sister's husband when they moved abroad, I decided to read it. Author Peter F. Drucker was somewhat familiar to me, but this book was not.
Peter Drucker is famous management thinker, so I had expectations that this book would have had more about management. It really didn't. It's a book about Mr Drucker's life and interesting people he had known.
And he really had known many important persons from 20th century.
Book tells about interesting people, but also about life during and after World War II. Drucker is originally from Vienna and left Austria bit before nazis conquered the city. He lived in London and New York and worked with many magazines, universities and interesting companies.
Some people introduced in the book are genuinely interesting, others seem to mentioned because them being famous. The interesting people were interesting to read, the famous people not that much.
Book is divided to the stories going Mr Drucker's life through quite chronologically. Of course people are followed through their lifetime, but stories start from Drucker's order of knowing the people.
History is important and quite often interesting. Sometimes it's just plain boring with lots of names and happenings on politics. Time to time I was really keen on reading and sometimes I couldn't cared less to read. That summaries my thinking about the book. Half of it is really good, half quite boring.
It's difficult to recommend this book. If you are fan of Peter Drucker it's a must book to read. If you like history of Europe and US after 1930, this is a good book. If you like biographies, it's a different one and you might like it. For me, it wasn't that good.
This review was originally published in my blog - here
Peter Drucker is famous management thinker, so I had expectations that this book would have had more about management. It really didn't. It's a book about Mr Drucker's life and interesting people he had known.
And he really had known many important persons from 20th century.
Book tells about interesting people, but also about life during and after World War II. Drucker is originally from Vienna and left Austria bit before nazis conquered the city. He lived in London and New York and worked with many magazines, universities and interesting companies.
Some people introduced in the book are genuinely interesting, others seem to mentioned because them being famous. The interesting people were interesting to read, the famous people not that much.
Book is divided to the stories going Mr Drucker's life through quite chronologically. Of course people are followed through their lifetime, but stories start from Drucker's order of knowing the people.
History is important and quite often interesting. Sometimes it's just plain boring with lots of names and happenings on politics. Time to time I was really keen on reading and sometimes I couldn't cared less to read. That summaries my thinking about the book. Half of it is really good, half quite boring.
It's difficult to recommend this book. If you are fan of Peter Drucker it's a must book to read. If you like history of Europe and US after 1930, this is a good book. If you like biographies, it's a different one and you might like it. For me, it wasn't that good.
This review was originally published in my blog - here
May 30, 2019
彼得杜拉克是現代管理學教父級的人物，這本書是他類似自傳的作品，以一生中遇見的人物為基礎，講述他們的故事，加上自己的觀察和啟發，完成了一本獨特的回憶錄。我以前只讀過杜拉克幾篇發表在HBR上的文章，那時讀得很仔細，細細品味這位被人高度推崇的大師的文筆，當時覺得他對於人的見解真的很細緻，很想找機會進一步研究一下他的著作。
有時候呀，我覺得讀大師們的回憶錄或自傳，比起鑽研他們學術著作，能獲得更多的啟發，除了內容比較有趣以外，我們能夠從他們的人生經歷中更深層的認識他們，每個人的思想都是源於過往的經驗，透過他們的追憶，我們有幸從深具人性的視角體會大師們的思想。另一個想法是這樣~杜拉克的經營理論是如此的影響巨大，其實我們都已經"理解"了，當年他提出了工業社會、知識經濟、企業組織架構...這些劃時代的概念改變人類的看待商業的思維，不過隔了半個世紀，這些想法已經成為今日我們熟悉的一切，這麼一說，一般人好像也不必再花過多心力去研讀當年的那些經典了。有點像我們都深知達爾文演化論的觀點，卻不會刻意去讀"物種起源"一書。總之，我想傳達的是閱讀大師的回憶錄，搞不好更"接地氣"，相對平易近人。
這本書從杜拉克的小時候談起，時間差不多橫跨20世紀前葉至中葉。杜拉克出生於1909年，活了95年，大師真的厲害，連生命力都如此旺盛。杜拉克一生中有幾個重要的分水嶺，小時候在奧匈帝國末期的維也納成長，大約15歲離開家鄉去德國念大學，21歲就獲得博士學位(真的很好奇怎麼可以那麼厲害)，接著去英國倫敦的金融界待了幾年，1937年左右移居美國，往後就在美國待下來了。書中大致上依照他的人生時間表，一一講述每個階段令他印象的人物。從小時候啟蒙他的小學老師，家族的長輩，形形色色的鄰居...等等小人物；到中後期一些影響世界歷史的巨擘，這本書提供了一個萬花筒般的絢麗視角，讓讀者從不一樣的角度認識20世紀的世界。
杜拉克最為人讚賞的是他對於人性的敏銳觀察。我還記得讀傑克威爾許的自傳時，他也有稱讚杜拉克是他遇過最懂得管理的人物，因為他對人的觀察是如此的渾然天成，無人能出其右。讀完這本書，讀者應該能深刻的同意威爾許的意思了。杜拉克實在很會說故事，每個人都栩栩如生，精彩呈現了20世紀每一個時空片段的時代縮影。這種感覺不容易形容，要讀者親自閱讀才能感受。我很喜歡這本書的原因正是如此，它除了讓我認識一代管理大師，更讓我對於整個世界的形成有了更多的瞭解。
當今世界是西方文明主宰，例如每個人都嚮往去美國追求美國夢，美國到底如何偉大? 一般人都知道美國是在第一、二次世界大戰後躍昇為超級強權，至今依然是Pax Americana美國治下的和平，歐洲的式微如何影響世界秩序的平衡? 20世紀前半期，有大量歐洲的移民湧入美國，有些人是被迫(例如猶太人)，有些是希望追求更好的生活(愛爾蘭和義大利人，天主教徒)，有些是菁英，像杜拉克本人，美國是一塊沃土，象徵著自由美好。那段時期美國本身經濟也快速發展，當然期間有遭遇經濟大蕭條，但整體來說國力蒸蒸日上。我很喜歡讀杜拉克這種大師的回憶錄，因為在某種程度上，他們的故事顯示了歷史的發展，尤其與杜拉克往來的都是鼎鼎大名的政治家、科學家、企業家...，透過他們的追憶，我能從中了解世界的脈絡。
我只舉一個例子，麻省理工學院的商學院叫Sloan School of Management，一般人不會特意去思考到底誰是Sloan?杜拉克有一本很有名的著作The concept of corporation，以通用汽車為研究對象，書中有一篇故事的主角是Alfred Sloan，就是赫赫有名的通用汽車領導人。通用汽車在當年是類似今日蘋果和Google的全球代表性企業，Sloan最大的貢獻是將專業管理人這個概念應用於企業經營，他也著重於教育的養成，提倡企業給予員工持續的培訓，才能基業長青。杜拉克在書中也有討論了當今美國高等教育的形成，你有沒有想過為什麼大家汲汲營營要去讀MBA? 這個學位的源頭到底是什麼? 在20世紀早期，學歷並沒太大的價值，有些人甚至還要刻意隱藏自己"博士"的頭銜。最開始的企業領導人都是"黑手"出身，從實務工作一步一步往上爬。因此有一個令人好奇的問題是[為什麼今天高等教育如此重要呢?] 當然一部份的原因是世界日趨複雜，高等教育可以訓練人們更高階的技能，不過這種倡議有時會矯枉過正，變成學歷至上，結果讀完碩士發現跟現實脫節了。杜拉克在本書中就有探討整個高等教育的演變和擔憂。
正如書名所言，杜拉克是一位偉大的旁觀者，他對於人這個主體的觀察極為深刻，書中的人物也生動有趣，如果想認識一代管理大師的生平，以及認識20世紀的歷史，本書值得推薦。
有時候呀，我覺得讀大師們的回憶錄或自傳，比起鑽研他們學術著作，能獲得更多的啟發，除了內容比較有趣以外，我們能夠從他們的人生經歷中更深層的認識他們，每個人的思想都是源於過往的經驗，透過他們的追憶，我們有幸從深具人性的視角體會大師們的思想。另一個想法是這樣~杜拉克的經營理論是如此的影響巨大，其實我們都已經"理解"了，當年他提出了工業社會、知識經濟、企業組織架構...這些劃時代的概念改變人類的看待商業的思維，不過隔了半個世紀，這些想法已經成為今日我們熟悉的一切，這麼一說，一般人好像也不必再花過多心力去研讀當年的那些經典了。有點像我們都深知達爾文演化論的觀點，卻不會刻意去讀"物種起源"一書。總之，我想傳達的是閱讀大師的回憶錄，搞不好更"接地氣"，相對平易近人。
這本書從杜拉克的小時候談起，時間差不多橫跨20世紀前葉至中葉。杜拉克出生於1909年，活了95年，大師真的厲害，連生命力都如此旺盛。杜拉克一生中有幾個重要的分水嶺，小時候在奧匈帝國末期的維也納成長，大約15歲離開家鄉去德國念大學，21歲就獲得博士學位(真的很好奇怎麼可以那麼厲害)，接著去英國倫敦的金融界待了幾年，1937年左右移居美國，往後就在美國待下來了。書中大致上依照他的人生時間表，一一講述每個階段令他印象的人物。從小時候啟蒙他的小學老師，家族的長輩，形形色色的鄰居...等等小人物；到中後期一些影響世界歷史的巨擘，這本書提供了一個萬花筒般的絢麗視角，讓讀者從不一樣的角度認識20世紀的世界。
杜拉克最為人讚賞的是他對於人性的敏銳觀察。我還記得讀傑克威爾許的自傳時，他也有稱讚杜拉克是他遇過最懂得管理的人物，因為他對人的觀察是如此的渾然天成，無人能出其右。讀完這本書，讀者應該能深刻的同意威爾許的意思了。杜拉克實在很會說故事，每個人都栩栩如生，精彩呈現了20世紀每一個時空片段的時代縮影。這種感覺不容易形容，要讀者親自閱讀才能感受。我很喜歡這本書的原因正是如此，它除了讓我認識一代管理大師，更讓我對於整個世界的形成有了更多的瞭解。
當今世界是西方文明主宰，例如每個人都嚮往去美國追求美國夢，美國到底如何偉大? 一般人都知道美國是在第一、二次世界大戰後躍昇為超級強權，至今依然是Pax Americana美國治下的和平，歐洲的式微如何影響世界秩序的平衡? 20世紀前半期，有大量歐洲的移民湧入美國，有些人是被迫(例如猶太人)，有些是希望追求更好的生活(愛爾蘭和義大利人，天主教徒)，有些是菁英，像杜拉克本人，美國是一塊沃土，象徵著自由美好。那段時期美國本身經濟也快速發展，當然期間有遭遇經濟大蕭條，但整體來說國力蒸蒸日上。我很喜歡讀杜拉克這種大師的回憶錄，因為在某種程度上，他們的故事顯示了歷史的發展，尤其與杜拉克往來的都是鼎鼎大名的政治家、科學家、企業家...，透過他們的追憶，我能從中了解世界的脈絡。
我只舉一個例子，麻省理工學院的商學院叫Sloan School of Management，一般人不會特意去思考到底誰是Sloan?杜拉克有一本很有名的著作The concept of corporation，以通用汽車為研究對象，書中有一篇故事的主角是Alfred Sloan，就是赫赫有名的通用汽車領導人。通用汽車在當年是類似今日蘋果和Google的全球代表性企業，Sloan最大的貢獻是將專業管理人這個概念應用於企業經營，他也著重於教育的養成，提倡企業給予員工持續的培訓，才能基業長青。杜拉克在書中也有討論了當今美國高等教育的形成，你有沒有想過為什麼大家汲汲營營要去讀MBA? 這個學位的源頭到底是什麼? 在20世紀早期，學歷並沒太大的價值，有些人甚至還要刻意隱藏自己"博士"的頭銜。最開始的企業領導人都是"黑手"出身，從實務工作一步一步往上爬。因此有一個令人好奇的問題是[為什麼今天高等教育如此重要呢?] 當然一部份的原因是世界日趨複雜，高等教育可以訓練人們更高階的技能，不過這種倡議有時會矯枉過正，變成學歷至上，結果讀完碩士發現跟現實脫節了。杜拉克在本書中就有探討整個高等教育的演變和擔憂。
正如書名所言，杜拉克是一位偉大的旁觀者，他對於人這個主體的觀察極為深刻，書中的人物也生動有趣，如果想認識一代管理大師的生平，以及認識20世紀的歷史，本書值得推薦。
June 23, 2019
Peter Drucker, an Austrian emigrant in the great European intellectual migration of the 1930s, was a founder of the study of American business. “Adventures of a Bystander” is a sparkling, insightful collection of essays that bears some resemblance to a memoir, as all the essays begin with personal reminiscences. He explains, “This is a book of short stories, each standing by itself. But it is also an attempt at a social portrait—an attempt to capture and convey the essence, the flavor, the feel of what very few people now alive can possibly imagine: interwar Europe, the New Deal years, and America right after World War II.”
Read more at bookmanreader.blogspot.com
Read more at bookmanreader.blogspot.com
August 13, 2017
Peter F. Drucker is primarily known as a journalist and author of books on management. This is a different beast - a collection of memories (not a memoir per se) of people Drucker encountered in the Depression and WWII eras. He encountered pre-fame Buckmister Fuller and Mashall McLuhan in the early 1940s, among others. The subject matter is fascinating and Drucker is a great writing stylist.
May 7, 2018
This book started slow, but Drucker had a fascinating life. He weaves his life's story through history and is a keen observer of the people he came into contact with. I'll have a much greater appreciation for the name I most often see associated with business management principles.
February 28, 2019
I haven't heard of Peter Drucker until I finished this book. He is a very gifted observer and thinker. From what he documented, I can picture all those characters from history settings. I believe that is one of key factors contributing to his success.
April 23, 2024
a little too much for me in terms of technical concepts raised but generally a wonderful glimpse into the past that fed my own interests in econs & business & its intersections with society & governance
August 3, 2017
Wonderful! Essential reading.
April 13, 2020
The chapter about Alfred Sloan and the GM philosophy and management team is fascinating. Drucker was a keen observer and seemed to know everybody!
July 30, 2020
I'd give it 10 stars. It's a huge treasure!! 现实可以比小说更__ 。Peter Drucker is a great reporter 本当に
August 11, 2020
大陆版里关于马克思主义，斯大林，共产党的部分，删了好多。全书平均每10页一处翻译错误。也有一些不通顺的地方。最后一章好难啊。
英文版非常流畅。杜拉克真是会写。
英文版非常流畅。杜拉克真是会写。
September 7, 2023
Interesting life-well written
November 5, 2011
Peter F. Druckers' biography is vicegeral for all those biographies of Viennese talents, movers & shakers to be, that left Europe before and during WWII and found fertile ground for there talents in the United States. Drucker, well educated in a classical "Gymnasium" with compulsory Greek and Latin among physics, mathematics and chemistry, had the chance of discovering his true talents in the US and "invented" the discipline "management". His interest lay not in "micro-economics", pricing theory or resources, but in organisation, structure, the development of managers (where they get their "offspring" from) and the role of hierarchies. Companies as political and social institutions. (p.262) Such he sat in between the chairs of classical economics and the social sciences with neither one of them taking him and his ideas too serious. He is a very clear and thorough thinker with original insights & unusual perceptions on every page. Interested in the relationship of technology to society and culture.
In the chapter about Buckminster Fuller and Marshall McLuhan, whom he both befriended long before they became popular, he describes them as very diverse characters: Bucky fostering an idea of transcendence through "hard" technology - while McLuhan is described as being more prosaic, pragmatic; "man shaping himself through his tools." What both shared though was their awareness for the impact of technology upon society.
One of the best chapters is where Drucker describes his passion for teaching. He uses many examples of different teaching styles and methods from his youth in Vienna. Often these are hilariously funny and entertaining. In retrospect he analyses and compares them to his own style and those of colleagues.
In another chapter Drucker describes three myths that Sigmund Freud constructed for himself:
1. Antisemitism. This was not true. He was offered the most prestigious jobs and rejected them. At the same time 60% of the Viennese surgeons, neurologists etc. were of Jewish decent. Most of them rejected Freud for changing the jewish, altruistic and idealistic profession of a healer through psychoanalysis into a "affordable" commodity of exploitation.
2. Poverty. Also not true. Freud came from a well to do family and himself was a professor at the end of 40. He at least was affluent.
3. Rejection of his theses by the Viennese population. Freud was talk of the day for an entire generation in educated homes. He was notorious in Vienna.
Altogether Drucker wrote over 30 books.
Most of these pertain to Management. If they are as well, clear, warm and intelligently written as this, they must be well worth reading!
In the chapter about Buckminster Fuller and Marshall McLuhan, whom he both befriended long before they became popular, he describes them as very diverse characters: Bucky fostering an idea of transcendence through "hard" technology - while McLuhan is described as being more prosaic, pragmatic; "man shaping himself through his tools." What both shared though was their awareness for the impact of technology upon society.
One of the best chapters is where Drucker describes his passion for teaching. He uses many examples of different teaching styles and methods from his youth in Vienna. Often these are hilariously funny and entertaining. In retrospect he analyses and compares them to his own style and those of colleagues.
In another chapter Drucker describes three myths that Sigmund Freud constructed for himself:
1. Antisemitism. This was not true. He was offered the most prestigious jobs and rejected them. At the same time 60% of the Viennese surgeons, neurologists etc. were of Jewish decent. Most of them rejected Freud for changing the jewish, altruistic and idealistic profession of a healer through psychoanalysis into a "affordable" commodity of exploitation.
2. Poverty. Also not true. Freud came from a well to do family and himself was a professor at the end of 40. He at least was affluent.
3. Rejection of his theses by the Viennese population. Freud was talk of the day for an entire generation in educated homes. He was notorious in Vienna.
Altogether Drucker wrote over 30 books.
Most of these pertain to Management. If they are as well, clear, warm and intelligently written as this, they must be well worth reading!
January 6, 2021
This book is a collections of essays in chronology of important historic phases across Europe and North America. The writing style is too dry and the aesthetic planning of the book is demotivating in that font selection, font spacing, and print quality are poor. The book starts very slowly and drily and becomes interesting only toward the last third. Read only if you can read dry books, long narratives / overtly descriptive essays, or if you are an ardent fan of Peter Drucker.
July 26, 2014
A fantastic memoir, written in 1994 by a great journalist and management consultant.
Born and raised in The Vienna of the WWI era,and of a well-placed family, he was part of the top level of Viennese society.
Easily mastering school with almost no work, after gaining a doctorate he became a journalist and came to America to tell Europeans what was going on.
And he met lots of interesting folks:
Sigmund Freud, Henry Luce, Alfred Sloan,John L Lewis, Marshall McLuhan,and the man who invented Henry Kissinger: Fritz Kraener.
Along the way, we see European and American culture though a very penetrating lens!
Born and raised in The Vienna of the WWI era,and of a well-placed family, he was part of the top level of Viennese society.
Easily mastering school with almost no work, after gaining a doctorate he became a journalist and came to America to tell Europeans what was going on.
And he met lots of interesting folks:
Sigmund Freud, Henry Luce, Alfred Sloan,John L Lewis, Marshall McLuhan,and the man who invented Henry Kissinger: Fritz Kraener.
Along the way, we see European and American culture though a very penetrating lens!
July 7, 2017
Some side snippets of Peter F Drucker's life. Neither good nor bad. No real direction in the book other than to outline some of the (possibly amazing) events that occurred; the story did not lead to any real outcome or revelation.
Some snippets were better than others, some adventure throughout.
Some snippets were better than others, some adventure throughout.
September 15, 2013
Drucker is an amazing thinker and writer. It is a pleasure to view his mind in action, as he constructs his narrative. Here is an author who has clearly taken the time, and probably does so continuously, to set aside time specifically for thinking. Your average, run-of-the-mill author just spews out the top level of his brain. Drucker, on the other hand, digs deep. You will marvel at the breadth and scope of his mental process.
Want to read
December 13, 2013His comments about Freud are enough to make me want to read this book.
'Freud was deeply hurt by any hint that his theory was poetry and not science ... [yet] Freud was a very great artist, probably the greatest writer of German prose in this century.' Drucker also quotes novelist Thomas Mann, who on Freud's 80th birthday called psychoanalysis 'the greatest contribution to the art of the novel.' (all on Page 91)
'Freud was deeply hurt by any hint that his theory was poetry and not science ... [yet] Freud was a very great artist, probably the greatest writer of German prose in this century.' Drucker also quotes novelist Thomas Mann, who on Freud's 80th birthday called psychoanalysis 'the greatest contribution to the art of the novel.' (all on Page 91)
January 13, 2025
It’s a great book to describe every single person who is important to the era Peter lived. The way to characterize them is quite good and totally the viewpoint of a “bystander “ . Peter wrote them as the main character in the story of the era and he only gave few comments on them. But it is absolutely the most interesting book he has ever written.
December 10, 2007
Unlike his other management books, this is a collection of autobiographical stories of his encounters with interesting people he's known through the years. He gives sharp and wise insights on why people do things a certain way. I would want to read this book again.
June 29, 2008
everything but most importantly,keep it all simple, because at the end of the day, it's the unlearned people down the chain that do everything to move your comapny forward,if they don't get it, you are in deep shit...
October 18, 2016
Unlike any of Drucker's other books and not your regular biography. He writes of important people in his life from a bystander perspective and the significance of these people in the world and his thinking. Very good read.
February 9, 2007
Society is, after all, made up of individuals and their stories.
Peter F. Drucker
Claremont, California
Fall 1997
Peter F. Drucker
Claremont, California
Fall 1997
September 28, 2008
Learn who Kissinger's mentor was. How Alfred Sloan thought to market Cadillacs to affluent black Americans. And many more fascinating things.
March 13, 2009
The most interesting Drucker book I've ever read.
January 31, 2012
Loved this book about all of the very interesting people who made Drucker's life so interesting.
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