Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book with a slant towards a college crowd
Review: Being a political professor Reich presents the material in a clear and direct mannor. the book can be read in pieces while still getting the full intent of his ideas and perspective. I would reccomend this to anyone looking to get a foothold on the comming ecconomy.
Rating: 
Summary: Just Read It- You Won't Be Sorry
Review: Brilliantly conceived, researched and written. Wonderful new term coinage such as: "the age of the terrific deal", "stickiness", "geeks and shrinks", "the incredible shrinking family" and my favorite, "mass persuasion" (p.17). Reich devotes only a few pages to suggested solutions which are rather traditional to say the least.Why not attack the problem at the root? The author caught the idea but did not develope it. The information highway is clogged with "mass persuasion"-telling us what to think, how to act and apropos to Reich's book, what to want and what we must have. Let's curtail the mass persuaders and regain some personal, family and social autonomy and thus hopefully assure a brighter future for our success. Write again soon, Dr. Reich, and title your book, "Mass Persuasion: The End of an Era".
Rating:
Summary: Packed With Knowledge!
Review: Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich hasn't really unearthed any strikingly original discoveries in his look at the new economy, but the sheer power of his intellect allows him to follow well-documented trends to fresh conclusions. After restating the many economic benefits that technology has wrought in the past decade, Reich moves to the topic about which he's most passionate: the changing dynamics of the labor market and the implications of these changes on unskilled workers. Most interesting is his take on the diminished importance of the family and the undermining of social relationships, trends that he says have turned community into a kind of commodity that can be bought and sold. Although he prepared the book during the high-tech boom, he foreshadows the bursting bubble, using examples from familiar news stories in effective and novel ways to support his analysis. We [...] recommend this thoughtful book to anyone concerned about the future of workers, both skilled and unskilled.
Rating: 
Summary: Robert Reich Was Too Busy To Write This Book
Review: Having really enjoyed Robert Reich's regular commentaries on National Public Radio, I decided to try one of his books. The message of the book was good but the book wasn't punchy like his NPR stuff. You get the feeling he was just too busy to do a good job on this book.He criticizes "Bowling Alone," but Reich's reserach doesn't hold a candle to "Bowling Alone." Nor does his book provide any new insights. Reich relies on lists like "the marketer, the talent agent, the rainmaker, the trend spotter, the producer, the consultant, the hustler." He's got lists everywhere until you're monotonized by them. Personally, I don't think these read well and I don't find them helpful to understanding. It feels like the author's gushing at you with words to get the book done, rather than taking the time to understand his topic. His editor should have called him on this. It certainly does not appear Reich has fully understood the current literature on the impact of technology on modern society. He doesn't have the broader context for his topic in focus. Reich would have done us a favor to have taken another year to write this book. Perhaps then he would have produced something great. I've read great social science and this isn't it.
Rating:
Summary: Robert Reich Was Too Busy To Write This Book
Review: Having really enjoyed Robert Reich's regular commentaries on National Public Radio, I decided to try one of his books. The message of the book was good but the book wasn't punchy like his NPR stuff. You get the feeling he was just too busy to do a good job on this book. He criticizes "Bowling Alone," but Reich's reserach doesn't hold a candle to "Bowling Alone." Nor does his book provide any new insights. Reich relies on lists like "the marketer, the talent agent, the rainmaker, the trend spotter, the producer, the consultant, the hustler." He's got lists everywhere until you're monotonized by them. Personally, I don't think these read well and I don't find them helpful to understanding. It feels like the author's gushing at you with words to get the book done, rather than taking the time to understand his topic. His editor should have called him on this. It certainly does not appear Reich has fully understood the current literature on the impact of technology on modern society. He doesn't have the broader context for his topic in focus. Reich would have done us a favor to have taken another year to write this book. Perhaps then he would have produced something great. I've read great social science and this isn't it.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing New But More Socialist Solutions
Review: I have never doubted Robert Reich's sincerity or intelligence. I have; however, always opposed his proposals. This book is no exception. Reich's points about not having enough time for family in this busy day an age are accurate, but nothing new. There's no easy solution and it's tough to complain when the economy is booming and you're successful. Reich's solutions for solving things are pure socialist dribble. For example, does anybody think we can afford to give every eighteen year old in America $60K for their education? Reich claims we can raise the money ($240 billion per year) by taxing the wealthiest Americans. Another tired example of the government manipulating the private sector and trying to redistribute income. Nice try, Mr. Reich, but no thank you.
Rating: 
Summary: Robert Reich and The Future of Success
Review: I have not finished reading "The Future of Success" but am compelled to comment at this point after viewing Saturday, March 9th on C-span, Professor Reich's speech about his book at the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. I have read other books by the author, but this one could be re-titled "Confessions of a Boomer Intellectual." I do give Professor Reich credit for the confessions (long overdue), but find little new or revealing about the "Boomer" busines or career mindset. Those who I have come in contact with in both the business and non-business worlds have been waiting for the rest of the Planet to wake up to the most destructive generation in the 20th Century (perhaps the 21st Century as well) to impact all our lives, cultural, business and political worlds because of its excesses, lack of balance, civility, taste, manners, self-discipline, tolerance, respect for others, not to mention its propensity for greed, ambition, narcisism....etc, etc, etc. No wonder our workpalaces lack trust, loyalty, real customer service, real valuing of customer, vendor, shareholder and other steakholder relationships. Peter F. Drucker said it well that our country and society will feel the unfortunate, negative impacts from the "Boomer Generation" for years. It will take years to correct the excesses of the Boomers, especially in the workplace. The Generation of "Xers" and the "Echo-Boomers" will hopefully discard much of the "Boomer" values and unbalanced view of the World of Business, Politics, Culture and Family. Reich's confessions about his Generation may redeem him, but let's hope his book shames his other generational collegues guilty of thos execesses etc to once again, using a Boomer term, reinvent themselves into more useful, positive citizens and members of this great Country of ours. For all who have endured the injustices, inequities and biases of the Boomer Generation existent in the workplace, let us rejoice at the prospect of more Boomers like Professor Reich coming out of closet and facing up to their gregious excesses. That in itself, will obviate the need for more government oriented programs, policies etc, that Professor Reich feels are needed to correct his Generation's unbalanced mindset and ways. It is time for this Country to move beyond the "American Beauty" and "American Psycho" Generation to a more humane, cross-generational one that rebuilds the bridge between the WWII, Silent, X and Echo Generations and lets the "Lost Generation" of Boomers continue to implode or rejoin our "cross-generational" community. In that regard, our new President seems to be heading in the direction of the latter, while his predecessor continues his "self-destructive ways" along with his apologists. Professor Reich definitely deserves credit for waking up to some sef-evident truths as well as some traditional values and balanced lifestyles that serve our Country well, as in the past, without closing out the opportunities presented by an ever-changing and evolving economy and society.
Rating:
Summary: What a blend of the sciences!
Review: I saw Mr. Reich at a reading at the Phoenix library and came away a fan. All that I want to do in life is be able to combine history, sociology, psycology, economics and the ability to tell a good story, and that is what this book is all about. See what you need to do to make it in your career as labor markets change. Listen to it on CD from your local library first(as I did) and you will have a great deal of anticipation when you read it that will make you want to highlight it for future reference.
Rating:
Summary: What a blend of the sciences!
Review: I saw Mr. Reich at a reading at the Phoenix library and came away a fan. All that I want to do in life is be able to combine history, sociology, psycology, economics and the ability to tell a good story, and that is what this book is all about. See what you need to do to make it in your career as labor markets change. Listen to it on CD from your local library first(as I did) and you will have a great deal of anticipation when you read it that will make you want to highlight it for future reference.
Rating:
Summary: Why am I working so many hours?
Review: If you have been working more and enjoying it less, or even if you've been enjoying it more, this book can explain why. Well documented and reasonably argued positions on why the "new economy" is going in the direction it is provides insights into the phenomena we are likely all to be experiencing at work, but have not been able to figure out ourselves. Robert Reich takes us through the history of how we got here as well as the common misconceptions of our times. He points out, for example, that contrary to popular belief today's innovators are not necessarily particularly adept at using new information technology. He points out that they are creative workers. He then breaks the creative workers into two groups defined as "Geeks," and "Shrinks." The Geeks provide the creative innovations from a technology point of view, but the Shrink provides the marketing intelligence as to what people really want for the product or service. Reich's thesis is that technology is speeding and broadening access to "terrific deals." That is driving everything including worker mobility since they are selling their own services. The look for the best deal as an employee much as the employer looks for the best deal in materials as well employees. One of the difficulties facing workers in this new age is that they will not be able to predict their "bottom line" income. Because payment is based on value added at almost all levels of the economy, your annual income will depend on a great many changing parameters. To put it in his terms, "the fabulous new deals of the fabulous new economy carry a steep price: more frenzied lives, less security, more economic and social stratification, the loss of time and energy for family, friendship, community and self." We must all be aware of this change and manage the high touch part of our high tech lives.
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