Ackoff's Best : His Classic Writings on Management

Rating:
Summary: Ackoffs 2nd Best - right after Re-creating the Corporation
Review: The only book by Ackoff that I would recommend more highly is Re-creating the Corporation. These two books summarize much of his thought and philosophy of business design. If you are looking for a better understanding on systems thinking and its implications for organization design and peformance, and did not find it in Senge's The Fifth Discipline, then here is a great place to go. Put on your thinking cap and delve into Ackoff's Best.

Rating:
Summary: Ackoffs 2nd Best - right after Re-creating the Corporation
Review: The only book by Ackoff that I would recommend more highly is Re-creating the Corporation. These two books summarize much of his thought and philosophy of business design. If you are looking for a better understanding on systems thinking and its implications for organization design and peformance, and did not find it in Senge's The Fifth Discipline, then here is a great place to go. Put on your thinking cap and delve into Ackoff's Best.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: This book collects provocative, insightful essays by Russell L. Ackoff, architect turned city planner turned behavioral scientist turned professor. True to his convictions about systems thinking, his pieces form a coherent whole. Like a successful system, the whole of this book is greater than the sum of its parts. And what parts: the roots of systems thinking; a properly irreverent approach to bureaucracy; the role of planning; a standard for mission statements; effective advertising advice. Ackoff is a voice in the wilderness as he fondly remembers his bureaucracy-bucking, folly-filled, smart-as-heck past. Although this book tends to veer toward the academic, managers and students of management will find it useful. We [...] recommend it to anyone seeking insight on creativity, education, and science. Tear into this book a little at a time; you won't be disappointed.


Rating:
Summary: Great collection of essays
Review: This book is a great colection of essays by a brilliant thinker. In essays ranging from topics such as crime, education, psychology, and management, Ackoff manages to outline what systems thinking is truly about. Though I often did not agree with his prescriptions, the creative nature of his solutions very unique, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a thought provoking experience.

Rating:
Summary: Great collection of essays
Review: This book is a great colection of essays by a brilliant thinker. In essays ranging from topics such as crime, education, psychology, and management, Ackoff manages to outline what systems thinking is truly about. Though I often did not agree with his prescriptions, the creative nature of his solutions very unique, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a thought provoking experience.