Hi folks
I'll start by saying that I am in no way affiliated with the authors/producers of this book. One of my uncles is a (now retired) engineer and avid book fan, and told me this was an absolute must read for me being a young engineer.
The book is called "THE PURITAN GIFT" and traces the roots of american managerial culture throughout the three centuries since the puritan migration started in the 1600's to what it is today.
The authors are two British brothers now well into their 80's, Will Hopper who is an investment banker in london and Kenneth Hopper an industrial engineer who worked at proctor and gamble and created their just-in-time production control method in the 1950's.
Both brothers contend that the puritans had a specific moral outlook that shaped american business and led to its meteoric rise. The fundamental mission that puritans lived by was, however conceived, to create the kingdom of heaven on earth. Using this as the guiding principle the puritans focused on these principles to get there
1. A moral outlook that subordinated the interests of the individual to those of the group
2. An aptitude for the exercise of mechanical skills, which followed a profound respect for engineers and technologists
3. An ability to galvanize and marshal financial, material and human resources to a single purpose on massive, or a lesser scale
This made america the greatest nation the world had ever seen. The americans then transplanted this "gift" during the american occupation of japan post WW2. Under the allied command general macarthur ordered a team of american engineering managers, homer sarasohn, frank polkinghorn and W Edwards Deming (some of you will have heard of deming before) to rebuild the country and teach the japanese American managerial practice, which they then took and enjoyed their own post war miracle and whose quality products became the envy of the world.
In the 1970's, however, the american business landscape changed with the rise of the "business school". With it came the notion that management is a profession, a theoretical practice that could be applied to anything. They are scathing of the what the business school and its poster child degree, the MBA, has done to american industry and their arguments eloquent yet profound. They argue that companies are best run when they are run by engineers, or whatever domain that company may be in, it is best run by people who have requisite technical ability. They call this the craft of management, which will hopper talks about in this short clip
Anyhow, what was meant to be a short run down has turned into a full synopsis! The book was awarded top ten business books of the year in 2008 by financial times (who subsequently called it top ten business book of the decade) and praised by many top business folks. Ironically, harvard business review praised it despite being viewed in a negative light in the book. I found it an absolutely fascinating book, and felt compelled to recommend it to other Engineers out there, hence this thread. Easy read and lots of stuff regarding the profession.
Cheers
Sam
I'll start by saying that I am in no way affiliated with the authors/producers of this book. One of my uncles is a (now retired) engineer and avid book fan, and told me this was an absolute must read for me being a young engineer.
The book is called "THE PURITAN GIFT" and traces the roots of american managerial culture throughout the three centuries since the puritan migration started in the 1600's to what it is today.
The authors are two British brothers now well into their 80's, Will Hopper who is an investment banker in london and Kenneth Hopper an industrial engineer who worked at proctor and gamble and created their just-in-time production control method in the 1950's.
Both brothers contend that the puritans had a specific moral outlook that shaped american business and led to its meteoric rise. The fundamental mission that puritans lived by was, however conceived, to create the kingdom of heaven on earth. Using this as the guiding principle the puritans focused on these principles to get there
1. A moral outlook that subordinated the interests of the individual to those of the group
2. An aptitude for the exercise of mechanical skills, which followed a profound respect for engineers and technologists
3. An ability to galvanize and marshal financial, material and human resources to a single purpose on massive, or a lesser scale
This made america the greatest nation the world had ever seen. The americans then transplanted this "gift" during the american occupation of japan post WW2. Under the allied command general macarthur ordered a team of american engineering managers, homer sarasohn, frank polkinghorn and W Edwards Deming (some of you will have heard of deming before) to rebuild the country and teach the japanese American managerial practice, which they then took and enjoyed their own post war miracle and whose quality products became the envy of the world.
In the 1970's, however, the american business landscape changed with the rise of the "business school". With it came the notion that management is a profession, a theoretical practice that could be applied to anything. They are scathing of the what the business school and its poster child degree, the MBA, has done to american industry and their arguments eloquent yet profound. They argue that companies are best run when they are run by engineers, or whatever domain that company may be in, it is best run by people who have requisite technical ability. They call this the craft of management, which will hopper talks about in this short clip
Anyhow, what was meant to be a short run down has turned into a full synopsis! The book was awarded top ten business books of the year in 2008 by financial times (who subsequently called it top ten business book of the decade) and praised by many top business folks. Ironically, harvard business review praised it despite being viewed in a negative light in the book. I found it an absolutely fascinating book, and felt compelled to recommend it to other Engineers out there, hence this thread. Easy read and lots of stuff regarding the profession.
Cheers
Sam
