Myself and Other More Important Matters

by Charles B. Handy

The author of The Age of Unreason , The Empty Raincoat , and The Elephant and the Flea shares more of his bestselling brand of wisdom concerning the big choices we have to make in life.

In Charles Handy’s most ambitious book yet, the well-known business guru draws on the lessons of his own life to help us map out the main stages of our lives, and shows us how to navigate through the tough decisions we have to make at every phase. He gives us his personal thoughts on life’s big questions and turning points, mining his own experience to tell us what he’s learned along the way.

From lessons his father taught him at the Vicarage in Kildare where he grew up, to what he learned in Borneo in his days working for Royal Dutch Shell, and later, in America, where corporate scandals have shaken our understanding of what is ethical and what is acceptable in business, and finally in Italy, where on a whim he decided to buy and fix up an old house in Tuscany.

Throughout the book, he asks us to look at what we value — is it money? Family? Time? What is the role of work in our life? What do we find fulfilling? As our working lives blend ever more into the rest of who we are, Charles Handy has emerged as an invaluable social thinker. It is hard to imagine a better or wiser guide to life’s big questions.

Genres: Management, Business, Biography, Autobiography, Nonfiction, Memoir

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Charles Brian Handy was an Irish author and philosopher who specialised in organizational behavior and management. Among the ideas he advanced are the "portfolio career" and the "shamrock organization" (in which professional core workers, freelance workers and part-time/temporary routine workers each form one leaf of the "shamrock").
Handy was rated among the Thinkers 50, a private list of the most influential living management thinkers. In 2001, he was second on this list, behind Peter Drucker, and in 2005, he was tenth. When the Harvard Business Review had a special issue to mark the publication's 50th anniversary Handy, Peter Drucker, and Henry Mintzberg were asked to write special articles.
In July 2006, Handy was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Law by Trinity College Dublin.

Reviews

[Jan-Maat]

It's interesting to read this autobiography after Understanding Organisations as you get to see some the actual events and conflicts in his working life that are discussed in the abstract in that book.

What also struck me, comparing idly those two above books, was that much if not all of his insights on the world of corporate work were abstractions from his own experience perhaps this is always the case only the absence of autobiographical writing preventing us from seeing the Emperor or Empress as they are whether you want to see more naked writers and pundits I don't know.

Anyhow Handy was born into a Protestant family in Ireland got a junior pen-pushing role in a multinational, left as a middle ranking pen pusher, got a curious sinecure, some sort of Church fellowship for faith and business and society his birth religion providing the opportunity for a turning point in his life, which led him into business writing at which point this review swallows its own tail.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

An introspective and reflective Handy offers an analysis of his life and works, giving subtle pointers to where he thinks he might have been right and where he thinks perhaps he was less so. Unassuming and avuncular and therefore somewhat boring, I began to yearn for a tale about his unbridled lust for African male prostitutes while he worked for Shell in the Congo, but there are no such Important Matters as these compared to constructing and living the Portfolio Career. Like an intellectual warm bath, I'd read five pages before bed to lull me off to sleep, and I was disappointed that this was less interesting than I'd hoped.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so enjoying this book. Charles Handy has been one of my favourite people on the planet since I read his book, The Hungry Spirit. This autobiography is both honest and humble. I can't wait to read more....

[Avril Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, inciteful and food for thought on how to make the most of life and the opportunities that present themselves. One to dip into from time to time, rather than progressing through it every day.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half was great, second half not so great.

[Peter Mello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in the middle of a career change and found it to be inspiring. An interesting look back at the life of a very interesting man.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Great book from a man who has spent most of his life explaining to us that organizations are made up of people like you and me. Interesting read on how he came to his insights."

[Peter Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-inspired me regarding management reading

[Şevket Doğan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Handy nin kariyerini anlatması, öğütleri güzel. Ama karmaşıklık içinde verilmiş. Ben bununda çeviriden-çevirenden kaynaklandığını düşünüyorum.

[Aslı Yıldız İnal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dogru zaman degildi belki de, kitabin icine hic giremedim ...