An intelligent exploration of the psychology of the entrepreneur and the toxic effects of authoritarianism.
A financial book offers a distillation of the entrepreneurial mindset and a discussion of the ways in which it can be inspired in post-Soviet nations.
When Diehl moved to Armenia, he was struck by the lack of a robust entrepreneurial culture. Despite the freedom gained by the demise of the Soviet Union, the country had not yet established a general mindset that exploited it. In fact, the author avers, this was common among the post-Soviet nations—generations were brainwashed to believe not only that capitalistic pursuit was inherently evil, but also that their lots in life were beyond their control, and when in need, they should look reflexively to the government for assistance. Diehl refers to this as the “bureaucratic mentality” or “Post-Soviet Self-Defeatism”—the “pathological fear of stepping off the beaten and culturally condoned path in both the setting of goals and the devising of strategies to achieve them.” To this abdication of rational self-sufficiency, the author proposes the entrepreneurial worldview, which posits goals and then creatively and independently pursues them. Diehl explains the stultifying legacy of authoritarianism, the path out of it, and the worldview of the entrepreneur with admirable clarity and concision. Rather than a book about practical strategy—the author rightfully decries get-rich-quick schemes—this is a careful articulation of the mentality of the entrepreneur, both generally and as it applies to capital goods, commodities, money, marketing, and many of the technical elements of wealth creation. Diehl’s work is refreshingly hopeful without being unabashedly sanguine—he soberly realizes that tectonic cultural shifts only happen in generational time. Readers will wish that he had more to say about what precisely could be done to expedite the process—his recommendations are vague, calling for “unlocking the belief that it is within their power to take control of their own lives.” Still, this is an impressively perspicacious book, and one that should be invaluable for aspiring entrepreneurs from wherever they hail.
An intelligent exploration of the psychology of the entrepreneur and the toxic effects of authoritarianism.Pub Date: March 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-945884-68-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Identity Publications
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our...
A psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.
The author of several scholarly texts, Kahneman (Emeritus Psychology and Public Affairs/Princeton Univ.) now offers general readers not just the findings of psychological research but also a better understanding of how research questions arise and how scholars systematically frame and answer them. He begins with the distinction between System 1 and System 2 mental operations, the former referring to quick, automatic thought, the latter to more effortful, overt thinking. We rely heavily, writes, on System 1, resorting to the higher-energy System 2 only when we need or want to. Kahneman continually refers to System 2 as “lazy”: We don’t want to think rigorously about something. The author then explores the nuances of our two-system minds, showing how they perform in various situations. Psychological experiments have repeatedly revealed that our intuitions are generally wrong, that our assessments are based on biases and that our System 1 hates doubt and despises ambiguity. Kahneman largely avoids jargon; when he does use some (“heuristics,” for example), he argues that such terms really ought to join our everyday vocabulary. He reviews many fundamental concepts in psychology and statistics (regression to the mean, the narrative fallacy, the optimistic bias), showing how they relate to his overall concerns about how we think and why we make the decisions that we do. Some of the later chapters (dealing with risk-taking and statistics and probabilities) are denser than others (some readers may resent such demands on System 2!), but the passages that deal with the economic and political implications of the research are gripping.
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our minds.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-374-27563-1
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
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These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.
A helpful guide to working effectively with people from other cultures.
“The sad truth is that the vast majority of managers who conduct business internationally have little understanding about how culture is impacting their work,” writes Meyer, a professor at INSEAD, an international business school. Yet they face a wider array of work styles than ever before in dealing with clients, suppliers and colleagues from around the world. When is it best to speak or stay quiet? What is the role of the leader in the room? When working with foreign business people, failing to take cultural differences into account can lead to frustration, misunderstanding or worse. Based on research and her experiences teaching cross-cultural behaviors to executive students, the author examines a handful of key areas. Among others, they include communicating (Anglo-Saxons are explicit; Asians communicate implicitly, requiring listeners to read between the lines), developing a sense of trust (Brazilians do it over long lunches), and decision-making (Germans rely on consensus, Americans on one decider). In each area, the author provides a “culture map scale” that positions behaviors in more than 20 countries along a continuum, allowing readers to anticipate the preferences of individuals from a particular country: Do they like direct or indirect negative feedback? Are they rigid or flexible regarding deadlines? Do they favor verbal or written commitments? And so on. Meyer discusses managers who have faced perplexing situations, such as knowledgeable team members who fail to speak up in meetings or Indians who offer a puzzling half-shake, half-nod of the head. Cultural differences—not personality quirks—are the motivating factors behind many behavioral styles. Depending on our cultures, we understand the world in a particular way, find certain arguments persuasive or lacking merit, and consider some ways of making decisions or measuring time natural and others quite strange.
These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.Pub Date: May 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61039-250-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
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