The Age of Heretics [Hardcover]

"An inspiring and enlightening reading for any business person who fears their ideas may face initial rejection." (The Midwest Book Review, October 2008)

Voted a "Best Business Book of 2008" by the Miami Herald --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

In this second edition of his bestselling book, author Art Kleiner explores the nature of effective leadership in times of change and defines its importance to the corporation of the future. He describes a heretic as a visionary who creates change in large–scale companies, balancing the contrary truths they can’t deny against their loyalty to their organizations. The Age of Heretics reveals how managers can get stuck in counterproductive ways of doing things and shows why it takes a heretical point of view to get past the deadlock and move forward. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

The Age of Heretics

When the first edition of The Age of Heretics was published to wide critical acclaim in 1996, it was considered the definitive account of the revolution in management from the 1940s to the current time.

In this second edition of his bestselling book, author Art Kleiner explores the nature of effective leadership in times of change and defines its importance to the corporation of the future. He describes a heretic as a visionary who creates change in large–scale companies, balancing the contrary truths they can′t deny against their loyalty to their organizations. The Age of Heretics reveals how managers can get stuck in counterproductive ways of doing things and shows why it takes a heretical point of view to get past the deadlock and move forward.

This engrossing history lesson for business change agents and reformers is filled with groundbreaking management thought and compelling stories of the heretics of our time. Some of the figures, such as W. Edwards Deming, Kurt Lewin, Amory Lovins, and Saul Alinsky, are familiar to many, while others may be less widely known but influential behind the scenes. While these heretics were underappreciated in their time—and often demoted for their radical ideas—the ideals they fought for live on in the everchanging American corporation.

For today′s leaders, The Age of Heretics reveals how to make transformative strategic changes while simultaneously running a company. This new edition explores the roots of today′s most prevalent management ideas: lean production, organization development, the balanced scorecard, and reengineering, as well as other key areas of change such as group dynamics, scenario planning, shareholder activism, sociotechnical systems, and corporate environmentalism. This is the guidebook for progressive thinkers who want to transform their corporations and the entire business landscape. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Praise for The Age of Heretics

"A remarkable job of showing how revolutionary change in management originated. These are no mere ′currents of change,′ but rather a thundering waterfall of intellectual and moral forces reshaping business."
—Peter Senge, author, The Fifth Discipline and coauthor, The Necessary Revolution

"Any twenty–first–century leader interested in creating the organizations of the future will find this book compelling. Art Kleiner lays out the evolution of the most significant management tools, theories, and concepts in a very accessible manner."
—Ram Charan, advisor to CEOs and author, Leaders at All Levels and The Game Changer

"The extensively revised and updated edition of The Age of Heretics is long overdue. Kleiner offers a brilliant synthesis of business history, thought leadership, and power politics."
—Robert Morris, management consultant and business book reviewer for Amazon, Borders, and others

"Art Kleiner has uncovered a kind of secret history that links the medieval monastic orders, the counterculture of the sixties, and the key agents of corporate change in the modern world. I think it′s a landmark for people inside and outside the most influential institution of the modern age—the corporation."
—Howard Rheingold, author, Virtual Reality, Virtual Communities, and Tools for Thought

"Corporate change continues to accelerate these days unaware of its own history. Art Kleiner′s lucid account shows how the revolution began in the ideas and passions of a handful of revolutionaries."
—Stewart Brand, founder, Whole Earth Catalog and Long Now Foundation

"The Age of Heretics is a primer of great interest, one that will move people within organizations to widen their sense of the possible."
—Doug Carlston, founder of Broderbund Software and chairman, Public Radio International --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Art Kleiner is the editor–in–chief of the quarterly magazine strategy+business (http://www.strategy–business.com). He is the author or coauthor of several acclaimed business books, and is a faculty member at New York University′s Interactive Telecommunications Program. His articles have been published in a variety of places, including Wired, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and The New York Times Magazine. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.