Peter Drunker is the godfather of management studies and literature. He coined the term “knowledge worker” and that is exactly where this book was headed. He compared the Information Revolution of today with other pivotal revolutions throughout time, such as the Industrial Revolution. Just as the steam engine was the start of the Industrial Revolution, the computer is the start of our current Information Revolution. These inventions that started the revolutions changed so much more that just business; they in turn changed society itself. How people got jobs, and how the jobs affected the people and society.
Drunker noted that the “next society” of workers is in the knowledge business. Everyone is a professional in their own area, and the formal boss mentality if fading. I also found it interesting that he noted the society is getting older through various stats. Being that worldwide birthrates are at a low, the scales are tipped to the older generations. People will be working till they die. People will begin to out live companies they work for. A trend of second careers will be more relevant in the near future.
This book was an interesting take on where business is going. It was an informative articulation of what we are experiencing right now. The style was a bit bland, but the facts and bold assertions were revealing. Social impacts of the Information Revolution will determine where business is going. Not the other way around. This book is good for insight, but not for any entertainment value. It is also almost stating the obvious. Maybe in 2002 when this book came out it was news. But now we are living it and society is finding out the truths of the Information Revolution.
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