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I found Disciplined Minds while planning a course that will deal with the social role and moral responsibility of intellectuals, and after I finished reading it I whooped with joy. It is the perfect book to engage students on these issues well researched, powerfully argued, and clearly written. Even conservative students with politics at odds with Schmidt's find the book valuable because of its (sometimes painful) honesty and clarity. In addition to using it in my course, I wish I could make Disciplined Minds required reading for my faculty colleagues.--Robert Jensen, School of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin
Product Description
'This book is stolen. Written in part on stolen time, that is. Because like millions of others who work for a living, I was giving most of my prime time to my employer...' So begins Jeff Schmidt in this riveting book about the world of professional work. Schmidt demonstrates that the workplace is a battleground for the very identity of the individual, as is graduate school, where professionals are trained. He shows that professional work is inherently political, and that professionals are hired to maintain strict 'ideological discipline.' The hidden root of much career dissatisfaction, argues Schmidt, is the professional's lack of control over the political component of his or her creative work. Many professionals set out to make a contribution to society and add meaning to their lives. Yet our system of professional education and employment abusively inculcates an acceptance of politically subordinate roles in which professionals typically do not make a significant difference, undermining the creative potential of individuals, organizations, and even democracy. Schmidt details the battle one must fight to be an independent thinker, showing how an honest reassessment of what it means to be a professional in today's corporate society can be remarkably liberating. After reading this book, no one who works for a living will ever think the same way about his or her job.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I have been recommendingit to people ever since.
Geoff sheds light on why professional training and work is the way it is. The book is enlightening, extremely challenging and ultimately encoragingas Geoff provides practical ways in which we can work as a professionalwhilst holding on the our beliefs and independent thought.
The book goes through each aspect of professional training and work, fromthe selection process to salaries. The analysis is thorough, and you maywant to skip some of the sections that are less relevant, but theconclusions and suggestions are too valuable to miss.
This is not another patronising "how to" book. It provides uncannyinsight and thoughtful analysis, giving the reader credit to be able tothink for themselves.
I think that every professional, and anyone thinking of becoming aprofessional, should read this book. It will help you approach yourtraining and work with your eyes open, and give you hope that you are notthe only one who finds it hard to do what you are told.
There is no-one who wouldn't be callenged by this book
Geoff sheds light on why professional training and work is the way it is. The book is enlightening, extremely challenging and ultimately encoragingas Geoff provides practical ways in which we can work as a professionalwhilst holding on the our beliefs and independent thought.
The book goes through each aspect of professional training and work, fromthe selection process to salaries. The analysis is thorough, and you maywant to skip some of the sections that are less relevant, but theconclusions and suggestions are too valuable to miss.
This is not another patronising "how to" book. It provides uncannyinsight and thoughtful analysis, giving the reader credit to be able tothink for themselves.
I think that every professional, and anyone thinking of becoming aprofessional, should read this book. It will help you approach yourtraining and work with your eyes open, and give you hope that you are notthe only one who finds it hard to do what you are told.
There is no-one who wouldn't be callenged by this book
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If your trying to choose a career or are wondering why your present one is unfulfilling or isn't quite what you thought it would be, read this. Though it's quite detailed which is necessary for the author to properly back up his points there is much very useful information here to consider as to why the majority of people in surveys say they don't enjoy their work.
Format:Paperback
I had the misfortune of being recommended this book by someone I respected. Given the other reviews on Amazon etc., I decided to overlook the dramatic sub-title with its superstitious references. I should have been forewarned so the fault for disappointment is mine.
As a physicist, and a professional in an industry outside academia, I feel that the good doctor has completely missed what being professional, and what being a professional, is all about. What is the point in railing about constraints? Anybody can find a solution when there are none. I would suggest that a professional demonstrates their skills and abilities, and so gains satisfaction, from finding and implementing the solution that works within the proscribed boundaries, even more so when that means identifying what the real limits are and how they can be manipulated.
Is politics a part of being professional? Duh, of course it is! Politics is people, and if people aren't involved in any solution you are devising, you have to ask if the problem is worth solving?
As a physicist, and a professional in an industry outside academia, I feel that the good doctor has completely missed what being professional, and what being a professional, is all about. What is the point in railing about constraints? Anybody can find a solution when there are none. I would suggest that a professional demonstrates their skills and abilities, and so gains satisfaction, from finding and implementing the solution that works within the proscribed boundaries, even more so when that means identifying what the real limits are and how they can be manipulated.
Is politics a part of being professional? Duh, of course it is! Politics is people, and if people aren't involved in any solution you are devising, you have to ask if the problem is worth solving?
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