Amazon Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review to be helpful:
The Pebble and Social Science, December 6, 2005
By Linda Freedman
I thought that without an engineering or business background that I might not "get" this book. Wrong! Dr. Yudkowsky writes as a master teacher. He reviews concepts and outlines chapters to make this most intelligible and provides clear, entertaining examples. As a family systems therapist, I found it a brilliant treatment of systems, the ultimate metaphor for what happens to all of us as we grow up and move on in life. That complex organism we call the family naturally disaggregates and evolves as children leave home, evolve, raise children, and inevitably modify the culture of the family of origin, or "parent company". This should be required reading for all sociologists and mental health professionals, and obviously for anyone who intends to go corporate in the business world.
6 of 8 people found the following review to be helpful:
Really eye-opening book about people and technology!, November 9, 2005
By Lin L. Chase
I loved this book...the ideas Yudkowsky presents really got me thinking about how social and organizational decisions can have such a serious impact on how technologies succeed or fail,and what impact technology has on the quality of our lives. The topics in some of the chapters have also sparked some very interesting conversations at the office (I work in the technology lab of a big management consulting firm)...which is always fun!
2 of 3 people found the following review to be helpful:
Breaking things down to build them anew works!, February 3, 2006
By Roxanne King
Moshe Yudkowsky proposes a thought-provoking premise: Breaking entities apart causes more progress and development than building them does. As this is the opposite of conventional thought, it is remarkable how well he is able to illustrate and defend the view in these few chapters. Using the breakup of AT&T as a primary - but far from the only - example, he shows how increased competition foments innovation.
This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in business management, government or history. It should probably be a must-read for students of all of those disciplines.
3 of 5 people found the following review to be helpful:
Fascinating read, even without interest in business, November 30, 2005
By Shimon Unterman
This is a really wonderful read. The book manages to pack a rather impressive amount of material backing up a solid thesis into a relatively short, readable, and *enjoyable* form. Even though I never expect to do anything from the management/business side of managing disaggregation, the paradigm Yudkowsky presents provides an excellent framework for assessing changes in technology and society. Furthermore, in just a few days I've already come up with dozens of possible applications to my own interests and work, and I'm currently using the ideas in the book to sort through how I can apply these ideas.
A highly recommended read.
3 of 5 people found the following review to be helpful:
Fantastic Book!!!, November 24, 2005
By Vivian Blech
This is a book well worth reading. it's written clearly and concisely and gives the reader plenty of food for thought. How do things happen the way they do? Read the book!!!
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