All around us, the world seems to be coming unglued. We remain in the midst of a deep and vexing recession. Our domestic auto industry, once a proud symbol of America's manufacturing prowess, has run out of gas. The financial sector is in terrible disarray. And the key to our long-term prosperity--a well-educated workforce--is being undermined by the failure of our public schools. Nobody has easy answers to these immense problems. But it is fair to say that we'd be in much better shape right now had our leaders, whether in the corporate arena or the public sector, listened more closely to one man: Peter F. Drucker. Widely considered the father of modern management, Drucker understood that over the last 150 years we have become a society of large institutions. And unless those institutions are effectively managed and ethically led--unless they balance their individual roles with the common good--we're in for a heap of trouble. Drucker laid out his ideas and ideals in 39 books and countless articles penned from the late 1930s through the early years of the 21st century. But some of his savviest insights came from behind the lectern--in lectures that Drucker delivered in the classroom and myriad other forums. The Drucker Lectures will feature 15 to 20 talks, drawn from the Drucker archive at Claremont Graduate University and showcasing Drucker's wisdom and wit, his profundity and prescience. Rick Wartzman, himself an award-winning author and executive director of the Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University, will choose the lectures, edit each address for clarity and continuity, and provide an introduction for the book.
less »