TECHNOLOGY, MANAGEMENT, AND SOCIETY

Drucker has assembled twelve essays from his substantial backlog of conference papers and magazine articles of the past dozen years to convey the shape and substance of his thought on "how Man works." The tie that binds the pieces is a sustaining vision of the interrelationship of "material civilization" and "culture": man's tools and materials, his institutions and organizations, the way he works and makes his living are all part and parcel of man's personality, expressions of "his basic ideals, his dreams, his aspirations, and his values." The three longest essays discuss the manager and his function in this broad social context. Three other essays focus more narrowly upon management's basic approaches and techniques. The remaining pieces deal with technology over the centuries, its impact on man and the quality of life. Drucker's stance has been characterized as conservative optimism: he's a true believer in the free-enterprise system and its capacity for innovation, growth, and expansion. Profit motive and social conscience are an unbeatable combination; collectivism is only an undesirable necessity for underdeveloped nations with too little business talent to go around. Neatly argued, with points enumerated, expanded, illustrated, and tucked away, this is an accessible sampling of Drucker's insights on technological trends, their management, and their social implications.