The Puritan Gift: Reclaiming the American Dream Amidst Global Financial Chaos

(Paperback)

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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

'Superb' - Peter Day, BBC Business Correspondent; 'Essential' - Stefan Stern, Financial Times; 'Tremendously interesting and impressive' - Peter F. Drucker, bestselling author of The Practice of Management; 'A goldmine of information' - Myron Tribus, former Director of the Center for Advanced Engineering Study, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 'Very interesting, a fun read and a store of eye-opening anecdotes' - Robert Chote, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies; 'An important new contribution to the study of management' - Professor Peter Kawalek, Manchester Business School; 'bold, original and agreeably opinionated' - Simon Caulkin, Observer

Author Bio

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.