History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300-2050

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Technology alone just doesn't cut it....
Concise overview of military revolutions
The Heart of Asymmetric Advantage is NOT Technology

The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300-2050

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 052180079X

Book Description

The Dynamics of Military Revolution bridges a major gap in the emerging literature on revolutions in military affairs. It suggests that two very different phenomena have been at work over the past centuries: "military revolutions," which are driven by vast social and political changes, and "revolutions in military affairs," which military institutions have directed, although usually with great difficulty and ambiguous results. MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray provide a conceptual framework and historical context for understanding the patterns of change, innovation, and adaptation that have marked war in the Western world since the fourteenth century--beginning with Edward III's revolution in medieval warfare, through the development of modern military institutions in seventeenth-century France, to the military impact of mass politics in the French Revolution, the cataclysmic military-industrial struggle of 1914-1918, and the German Blitzkrieg victories of 1940. Case studies and a conceptual overview offer an indispensible introduction to revolutionary military change,--which is as inevitable as it is difficult to predict. Macgregor Knox is the Stevenson Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of Common Destiny (Cambridge, 2000) and Hitler's Italian Allies (Cambridge, 2000). Knox and Murray are co-editors of Making of Strategy (Cambridge, 1996). Willamson Murray is Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analysis. He is the co-editor of Military Innovation in the Interwar Period (Cambridge, 1996) and author of A War to Be Won (Harvard University Press, 2000).

Customer Reviews:

Technology alone just doesn't cut it...........2003-04-22

This book contains an awful lot of wisdom for such a slim volume (it clocks in at just under 200 pages).

The authors examine the natures of military revolutions and RMA (a very hot topic that has arguably produced more hot air than substance) and provide a number of case studies examining the issues and testing the authors' views through history.

The case studies are;

- The English in the 14th century
- 17th century France
- The French Revolution
- The American Civil War
- The Prussian RMA, 1840-1871
- The Battlefleet Revolution
- The First World War
- Blitzkrieg 1940

The various case studies are backed up by an extremely satisfying introduction and a thorough, well argued conclusion which fires one or two shots across the bows of those residents of the Pentagon who may be suffering from technology-centric tunnel vision. The authors (very distinguished bunch, it should be said) warn against the idea that Clausewitzian truths regarding such issues as friction can be discounted thanks to the wonders of technology and indeed make clear that they are as important as ever.

The various case studies work extremely well as concise stand-alone works on their various historical periods, even if RMA is not your hot topic. Especially good are the chapters on the English in the 14th century and on the Battlefleet Revolution (and the inner workings of the Imperial German Navy and the Royal Navy during this period).

This is a well written, interesting book which should annoy all the right people.

Concise overview of military revolutions.......2002-03-11

This book is the volume one should buy if he or she is searching for the best, consise overvue of the history and processes involved in the military innovations of the Western world.

The Heart of Asymmetric Advantage is NOT Technology.......2001-10-28

This is the only serious book I have been able to find that addresses revolutions in military affairs with useful case studies, a specific focus on whether asymmetric advantages do or do not result, and a very satisfactory executive conclusion. This book is strongly recommended for both military professionals, and the executive and congressional authorities who persist in sharing the fiction that technology is of itself an asymmetric advantage.

It merits emphasis that the author's first conclusion, spanning a diversity of case studies, is that technology may be a catalyst but it rarely drives a revolution in military affairs--concepts are revolutionary, it is ideas that break out of the box.

Their second conclusion is both counter-intuitive (but based on case studies) and in perfect alignment with Peter Drucker's conclusions on successful entrepreneurship: the best revolutions are incremental (evolutionary) and based on solutions to actual opponents and actual conditions, rather than hypothetical and delusional scenarios of what we think the future will bring us. In this the authors mesh well with Andrew Gordon's masterpiece on the rules of the game and Jutland: we may be best drawing down on our investments in peacetime, emphasizing the education of our future warfighters, and then be prepared for massive rapid agile investments in scaling up experimental initiatives as they prove successful in actual battle.

The book is noteworthy for its assault on fictional scenarios and its emphasis on realism in planning--especially valuable is the authors' staunch insistence that only honesty, open discussion among all ranks, and the wide dissemination of lessons learned, will lead to improvements.

Finally, the authors are in whole-hearted agreement with Colin Gray, author of Modern Strategy, in stating out-right that revolutions in military affairs are not a substitute for strategy as so often assumed by utopian planners, but merely an operational or tactical means.

This is a brilliant, carefully documented work that should scare the daylights out of every taxpayer--it is nothing short of an indictment of our entire current approach to military spending and organization. As the author's quaintly note in their understated way, in the last paragraph of the book, "the present trend is far from promising, as the American government and armed forces procure enormous arsenals only distantly related to specific strategic needs and operational and tactical employment concepts, while continu[ing], in the immortal words of Kiffin Rockwell, a pilot in the legendary First World War Lafayette Escadrille, to 'fly along, blissfully ignorant, hoping for the best.'"

Lest the above be greeted with some skepticism, let us note the 26 October 2001 award of $200 billion to Lockheed for the new Joint Strike Fighter calls into serious question whether the leadership in the Pentagon understands the real world--the real world conflicts of today--all 282 of them (counting 178 internal conflicts) will require the Joint Strike Fighter only 10% of the time--the other 90% of our challenges demand capabilities and insights the Pentagon is not only not capable of fielding, it simply refuses to consider them to be "real war." Omar Bin Laden beat the Pentagon on 11 September 2001, and he (and others who follow in his footsteps) will continue to do so until we find a military leadership that can lead a real-world revolution in military affairs.... rather than a continuing fantasy in which the military-industrial complex lives on regardless of how many homeland attacks we suffer.

Book Description

Many historical processes are dynamic. Populations grow and decline. Empires expand and collapse. Religions spread and wither. Natural scientists have made great strides in understanding dynamical processes in the physical and biological worlds using a synthetic approach that combines mathematical modeling with statistical analyses. Taking up the problem of territorial dynamics--why some polities at certain times expand and at other times contract--this book shows that a similar research program can advance our understanding of dynamical processes in history.

Peter Turchin develops hypotheses from a wide range of social, political, economic, and demographic factors: geopolitics, factors affecting collective solidarity, dynamics of ethnic assimilation/religious conversion, and the interaction between population dynamics and sociopolitical stability. He then translates these into a spectrum of mathematical models, investigates the dynamics predicted by the models, and contrasts model predictions with empirical patterns. Turchin's highly instructive empirical tests demonstrate that certain models predict empirical patterns with a very high degree of accuracy. For instance, one model accounts for the recurrent waves of state breakdown in medieval and early modern Europe. And historical data confirm that ethno-nationalist solidarity produces an aggressively expansive state under certain conditions (such as in locations where imperial frontiers coincide with religious divides). The strength of Turchin's results suggests that the synthetic approach he advocates can significantly improve our understanding of historical dynamics.

Customer Reviews:

Great read!.......2006-12-30

This is a very good effort. The author goes through basic knowledge about complex systems and its basic math and then slowly brings historical trends and changes into the picture. This is a very good way to learn about history and a very easy way to remember historical events if the reader follows Turchin's approach.

Again a good read for those who want to learn history using the most natural approach.

This is not a review it is only Table of Contents to help those who are intrested,.......2006-12-27

Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
Ch. 1 Statement of the Problem 1
Ch. 2 Geopolitics 9
Ch. 3 Collective Solidarity 29
Ch. 4 The Metaethnic Frontier Theory 50
Ch. 5 An Empirical Test of the Metaethnic Frontier Theory 78
Ch. 6 Ethnokinetics 94
Ch. 7 The Demographic-Structural Theory 118
Ch. 8 Secular Cycles in Population Numbers 150
Ch. 9 Case Studies 170
Ch. 10 Conclusion 197
App. A: Mathematical Appendix 205
App. B Data Summaries for the Test of the Metaethnic Frontier Theory 214
Bibliography 226
Index 243

A new avenue for historical research.......2003-11-13

I remember that some years ago when I discovered
"Looking at History through Mathematics" by Nicolas Rashevsky
(published in 1968 by the MIT Press)
I was at first enthralled by the title but then fairly
disappointed by the book itself for in fact it contains very
little history: no solid statistical data, not even
qualitative historical trends that would illustrate some
of the theoretical curves. Instead of focusing on sharply
defined questions, Rashevsky raises broad issues such as for
instance (on p. 9 and 117)
why it took 10,000 years rather than a few hundred
for humanity to develop from its cultural state at the
beginning of early urban civilization to its present state.

This former experience explains why I read Peter Turchin's book
with so much pleasure. What a contrast indeed! In
every section stimulating models are blended with quantitative
historical data drawn from the best sources. From the rise of
Islam to the growth of the Mormon Church to Chinese dynastic
cycles "Historical Dynamics" offers a fascinating sample
of sharply defined problems for which models are able to provide
unified understanding.

Finally, I would like to express a wish or a hope.
It would be really great
if this book would attract the attention of a sample
of historians willing to collect additional field data on
the issues that are raised in the book. For instance,
regarding the growth of religious communities, there are
literally hundreds of cases which could be considered, from the
spread of Lutheranism or Calvinism to the growth of the
Amish, Mennonites, Jehovah's Witnesses and many other
religious movements. Needless to say, to be useful such a work
has do be carried out in a uniform and systematic way,
by which I mean
that the SAME data must be collected in each case-study.
This would be an ideal task for a team
of historians from different countries, much in the same way
as observational research in physics or astronomy
is carried out by international teams of researchers.

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Scale and Scope: The Dynamics of Industrial Capitalism

Scale and Scope: The Dynamics of Industrial Capitalism
Alfred D., Jr. Chandler
Manufacturer: Belknap Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution in American Business

Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the American Industrial Enterprise

Leviathans: Multinational Corporations and the New Global History

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ASIN: 0674789954

Customer Reviews:

Scale and Scope: The Dynamics of Industrial Capitalism.......2007-07-25

Based on an examination of 600 companies in Britain, Germany, and the United States, this economic history explains the emergence and development of large industrial enterprises from the late 19th century until World War II. The book also shows how differences in geography, demographics, and institutions influenced the development of industrial enterprises in these three countries.

Author Alfred Chandler, who won a Pulitzer prize for a previous book in this field, argues that large-scale industrial enterprises were an organizational response to newly integrated national markets and new technologies for production and distribution. Railroads and national telegraph networks brought nations together and created large-scale markets, the first prerequisite for these large companies. Railroads also made important organizational innovations, as the first companies to employ upper, middle, and lower management, and the first to separate headquarters offices from specialized departments. In the United States, the railroads' immense capital requirements also led to the rise of New York as the second finance center after London. The second prerequisite for development of large industrial enterprises was new technology. In contrast to older, more labor-intensive industries, where growth occurred by scaling up existing processes, giant industrial companies arose by radically increasing the capital employed, improving production processes, integrating production processes within a single plant, or making better use of energy. Giant companies developed in new industries like petroleum, chemicals, sugar, vegetable and animal oils, metals, food and tobacco, and machinery.

By investing massively in production, managerial, and distributional capabilities, these companies were able to achieve minimum efficient scale: that is, the level of production for a given state of technology that produces the lowest average unit cost. Since minimum efficient scale was large with respect to the total size of the market, the first companies to achieve minimum efficient scale acquired tremendous competitive advantages and made tremendous profits, while later entrants had to take business away from established companies to survive. After achieving minimum efficient scale, many companies began to integrate upstream to ensure reliable sources of supply. Companies integrated downstream most often to use their superior knowledge of their products to market them more effectively.

These organizational capabilities could then be leveraged to enter new geographical markets or new lines of business. Chandler identifies this drive to capture new markets through investments in production, managerial, and distributional capabilities as the key dynamic of large industrial companies. Rather than entering into price competition that would inevitably lead to the disappearance of profits, competition occurred mainly through strategic decisions (entering markets with more profit potential and exiting markets with less potential) and through product innovation.

An implication of this mode of competition is that countries that are late industrializers will face considerable barriers to achieving minimum efficient scale. However, changes in technology, markets, and relative prices create opportunities for new entrants, and poor strategic or managerial decisions by current market participants sometimes create opportunities as well. For example, the poor quality of U.S. cars and the first Arab oil embargo in 1973 created an opportunity for Japanese carmakers to capture market share in the United States by selling small, fuel-efficient cars. At that point, the Japanese carmakers took the lead in staking out their market positions and U.S. carmakers were suddenly trying to catch up, a situation that has persisted up until now.

About two-thirds of the book is devoted to exploring the specific patterns of industrial development in Britain, Germany, and the United States. In Britain, where the domestic market was affluent, urbanized, and compact, industry focused on producing consumer goods and companies quickly acquired exporting expertise. In Germany, institutional factors like the high quality of German universities in scientific fields, the participation of banks on the boards of the companies they financed, laws that explicitly supported inter-firm cooperation, and the high relatively importance placed on labor welfare issues supported the development of a style of "organized capitalism" or "cooperative managerial capitalism" that focused on producer goods like chemicals, industrial machinery, and electrical equipment. Among the three countries covered by the book, companies in the United States were favored by the fastest population growth and the fastest increases in per capita income. Antitrust legislation became a factor in the early 20th century, making cooperation between companies illegal but recognizing the societal benefits that could be achieved by exploiting economies of scale and scope.

Chandler writes like a historian, not like an economist, and non-technical readers with an interest in the subject matter will have a pleasant time with this book.

Blackness and Race Mixture: The Dynamics of Racial Identity in Colombia (Johns Hopkins Studies in Atlantic History and Culture)

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Blackness and Race Mixture: The Dynamics of Racial Identity in Colombia (Johns Hopkins Studies in Atlantic History and Culture)
Peter Wade
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 080185251X

Book Description

Drawing on extensive anthropological fieldwork, Peter Wade shows how the concept of "blackness" and discrimination are deeply embedded in different social levels and contexts--from region to neighborhood, and from politics and economics to housing, marriage, music, and personal identity.

Worlds of Flow: A History of Hydrodynamics from the Bernoullis to Prandtl

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Worlds of Flow: A History of Hydrodynamics from the Bernoullis to Prandtl
Olivier Darrigol
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0198568436

Book Description

The first of its kind, this book is an in-depth history of hydrodynamics from its eighteenth-century foundations to its first major successes in twentieth-century hydraulics and aeronautics. It documents the foundational role of fluid mechanics in developing a new mathematical physics. It gives full and clear accounts of the conceptual breakthroughs of physicists and engineers who tried to meet challenges in the practical worlds of hydraulics, navigation, blood circulation, meteorology, and aeronautics, and it shows how hydrodynamics at last began to fulfill its early promise to unify the different worlds of flow. Richly illustrated, technically thorough, and sensitive to cross-cultural effects, this history should attract a broad range of historians, scientists, engineers, and philosophers and be a standard reference for anyone interested in fluid mechanics.

Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the Uae: Challenges of Security (Csis Middle East Dynamic Net Assessment)

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A dry, technical, but thorough treatment

Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the Uae: Challenges of Security (Csis Middle East Dynamic Net Assessment)
Anthony H. Cordesman
Manufacturer: Westview Press
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Binding: Paperback

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Oil and Politics in the Gulf: Rulers and Merchants in Kuwait and Qatar (Cambridge Middle East Library)

ASIN: 0813332400

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A dry, technical, but thorough treatment.......1999-08-16

This book is part of a series, all by the same author, which altogether covers the military situation of the Arabian peninsula (excluding Yemen). This particular volume is divided in sections by country, and covers history, the current military situation, and internal security issues (i.e., police, internal intelligence agencies, and likelihood of domestic unrest). It's in the style of a technical report; few people would find it to be "fun reading," nor was it intended to be. I was disappointed that on the topic of UAE internal security, the seven emirates of the UAE were lumped together; it would have been interesting to learn more about the differences in policing and internal security among the various UAE jurisdictions. Nevertheless, this volume covers the minor countries of the Gulf Region with a thoroughness and degree of detail that is not equaled by anything else that's in print.

The Dynamics of Global Dominance: European Overseas Empires, 1415-1980

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Excellent Overveiw of Fundamental Topic
Impartial and excellent analysis of the matter

The Dynamics of Global Dominance: European Overseas Empires, 1415-1980
David B. Abernethy
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0300093144

Book Description

This magisterial survey of the rise and decline of European overseas empires asks how and why these empires were formed, persisted, and eventually fell. In a discussion that encompasses European and non-European actors as well as the economic, social, cultural and political dimensions of empire, David B. Abernethy explains Europe's long occupation of global center stage and throws new light on today's postcolonial world and the legacies of empire.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Overveiw of Fundamental Topic.......2007-10-12

Professor Abernethy's massive summary of European imperialism spans over 500 years and encompasses every major Empire. Its genius is its specific approach: it boils an almost unmanagably large topic down to concise and clear patterns. In all its detail and variation and intricacy, imperialism did have broad and distinct phases. The discipline of history deals with the former, bottom-up approach- individual stories, specific locations, small incidents- and sruggles to create an overall framework of imperialism. But as a political scientist- somebody who deals with models and theories- Abernethy has the adacity to organize colonialism into a coherent phenomenon. The reader is greatly rewarded by this approach: he or she gains a broad overview of how modernity came to be.

Impartial and excellent analysis of the matter.......2001-12-02

This book covers the whole period of European overseas empires, i.e., from the beginning of the XV century up to the end of the XX century.

Perhaps its flaw, if any, is the lack of an explanation of why or how the Europeans were able to conquer said empires. This issue is linked to one of the most controversial issues nowadays on long-term and comparative history: why Western countries have dominated the world during the last few centuries. To put it in a nutshell (quoting from J.M. Blaut, "Eight eurocentric historians"): "Europe acquired incalculable riches from the Americas after 1492. This led to the rise to political power of the merchant-capitalist class and its allies, and in many others ways led, directly and indirectly, to the awakening of Europeans to the rest of the world and the transformation of Europe's society and economy". Also on this line, "The Great Divergence", by Kennetz Pomeranz, and [according to one review I have read], Clive Ponting's world history [but I warm that I have not read this last book yet].

Apart from that, the book is excellent. By means of comparative analysis, it tries (and, as far as I am concerned, he achieves his goal) to provide a global explanations of the phases of imperial expansion and contraction, the factors accounting for imperial expansion, and then contraction, and also sets up rational criteria that may lead on the future to the moral evaluation of colonialism [he gives his own and nuanced opinion on this matter].

Perhaps, as a Spaniard myself, I would have appreciated some more analysis on the Spanish empire. It would have been very useful if Mr. Abernethy had examined and passed judgment on the Spanish Empire in America and its "Black Legend". I bet it would have been worth reading that.

I have rated it four starts. Considering its content, I think it should be five; considering its readability, three. In any event, I do recommend it to read it.

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The Challenges of the Future.

Excellent analysis of the 21st century organization

Tomorrow's Organization: Crafting Winning Capabilities in a Dynamic World (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series)
Susan Albers, Ed. Mohrman
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
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From The Ground Up: Six Principles for Building the New Logic Corporation (Jossey-Bass Business & Management)

Built to Change: How to Achieve Sustained Organizational Effectiveness

Designing Organizations: An Executive Briefing on Strategy, Structure, and Process (Jossey-Bass Management Series)

Designing Dynamic Organizations: A Hands-On Guide for Leaders at All Levels

Designing the Global Corporation

ASIN: 0787940046

Book Description

Create a more flexible, responsive, and competitive business

A Publication of The Center for Effective Organizations

Picking up where the successful Organizing for the Future left off, this work from the Center for Effective Organizations presents a coherent set of principles and hands-on guidance for creating the successful organization of tomorrow. Celebrated contributors such as Jay Conger, David Finegold, and Tora Bikson--not to mention the editors themselves--empower a book that captures the latest thinking and new practices regarding the design of complex organizations. The emerging forms and contexts of organizations, enablers of continuous performance improvement, and change implementation processes are among the many cutting-edge topics discussed.

Customer Reviews:

The Challenges of the Future........2000-07-31

"Tomorrow's Organization focuses on the new organizational designs and management approaches that are emerging as organizations transform themselves to face the challenges of continuous and relentless global competition. The book is based on two premises. The first is that the nature and intensity of competition have changed, and so organizations are now required to be simultaneously more effective and more flexible in their ability to reconfigure themselves, carry out their dynamic strategies, and make sure they are delivering value to their customers faster and better than their competitors. The second is that strategy and organization are not enough: organizations must also create new approaches to the human issues that accompany change" (from the Preface).

In this context, editors divide this invaluable study into four parts:

Part I- Designing Competitive Organizations. In this part (Chapters 1-4):

* E. E. Lawler III, D. Finegold, and J. A. Conger focus on the development of a framework for understanding the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of corporate boards, and specific principles and practices that can contribute to board effectiveness.

* J. R. Galbraith describes customer-product structures, and focuses on three questions concerning this kind of structures: (1). What are hybrid structures? What do they like? (2). Why are companies choosing to organize in this way? (3). How do we make hybrid structures work effectively?

* J. R. Galbraith argues that "the new information technology facilitates the networked organization by allowing independent firms to join together in networks". And then he describes the various design issues that have to be addressed in networked organizations.

* J. R. Galbraith examines the factors on which companies organize their global operations, and considers the major approaches to organizing, as well as where those approaches fit.

Part II- Enabling Competitive Performance. In this part (Chapters 5-7):

* D. Finegold, E. E. Lawler III, and G. E. Ledford Jr. ask that 'Is attention to competencies another management fad, or is it a more fundamental and lasting change in the theory and practice of managing organizations and individuals? Then, answering this question, they examine three distinct competency approaches as well as tensions among them.

* S. G. Cohen and D. Mankin argue that "New information technologies, combined with the global competitive pressures, have fundamentally changed the nature of work". Then they examine this impact of information technology on the nature of work.

* E. E. Lawler III and S. A. Mohrman review employee involvement, total quality management, and reengineering approaches with an eye to assessing both how they unfolded and their long-term implications for the field of management.

Part III- Managing People in the Competitive Organizations. In this part (Chapters 8-11):

* S. A. Mohrman and E. E. Lawler III outline the specifications of new human resources management, and argue that "the human resources function not only must become a true business partner but also must be a microcosm of the organizations in which it is embedded".

* D. Finegold, after describing the main elements of new learning paradigm for building competencies, reviews the steps that firms can take to identify a clear set of priorities for development and to evaluate the make-or-buy decisions regarding training.

* J. A. Conger and K. R. Xin describe changes in the nature of executive education, changes that include an increased focus on developing executives for the new competitive environment and the new, more lateral organizational forms.

* E. E. Lawler III focuses on how pay systems can be designed to support particular strategies, and argues that "the challenge for organizations is to integrate their pay systems with business strategy and with overall organizational design. This challenge must be met if organizations are to compete effectively in rapidly changing global markets".

Part IV- Transforming the Organization. In this part (Chapters 12-14):

* D. Mankin, S. G. Cohen, and T. K. Bikson provide frameworks for creating high-performing organizations through the design and implementation of new information technologies and the team-based organizations that employ them , and describe the change processes needed to create the new organization.

* R. V. Tenkasi, S. A. Mohrman, and A. M. Mohrman Jr. study organizations as they have gone through a fundamental transformation in their organizational model and the factors that contribute to accelerated learning during transitions, and then describe the dynamics that characterize organizational learning as organizations change their underlying architectures.

* A. M. Mohrman Jr. and S. A. Mohrman argue that "performance management is central to managing the business, defining the individual's relationship with the organization, and providing a mechanism for feedback and control". Thus, they describe some of their research and experience to show how and why this happens.

I highly recommend this study to all executives.

Excellent analysis of the 21st century organization.......1999-02-16

This book is a comprehensive examination of the changing nature of work and the changing character of the workplace. The text analyzes trends such as reengineering and TQM and whether these trends are likely to continue as is, evolve, or disappear.

The role of human resources management is depicted in an expanded role that assumes a cross-functional position in the modern organization. Training is seen as a process of continuous learning rather than a preparation process. Teamwork is shown as an essential facet of technology as projects are too complex to be assigned to individuals. The authors describe an organizational architecture that combines market, social, and technical skills. The individual is described in a nested position within a group, within a business unit, within an organization.

Book Description

This book creates a new framework for the political and intellectual relations between Britain and America in a momentous period that witnessed the formation of modern states on both sides of the Atlantic and the extinction of an Anglican, aristocratic and monarchical order. It stands as part of a project aimed at revising the map of early modern English-speaking societies, which includes Dr. Clark's previous books English Society, 1688SH1832 (1985) and Revolution and Rebellion (1986). This important revisionary study will be essential reading for historians, social scientists and students of literature of the period.

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