Corporate Irresponsibility: America's Newest Export

Book Description

Corporations are often so focused on making short-term profits for their stockholders that they behave in ways that adversely affect their employees, the environment, consumers, American politics, and even the long-term well-being of the corporation, says Lawrence Mitchell in this provocative book. This is a significant issue not only in the United States but also in the world, for many countries are beginning to emulate the American model of corporate governance. Mitchell criticizes this emphasis on profit maximization and the corporate legal structure that encourages it, and he offers concrete proposals to bring about more socially responsible corporate behavior. Mitchell declares that managers should be freed from the legal and structural constraints that make it difficult for them to exercise ordinary moral judgment and be held accountable for their actions. He suggests, for example, that earnings reports be required annually rather than quarterly, that the capital gains tax be increased on stocks held for fewer than thirty days, and that elections of corporate boards of directors be held every five years rather than every year. Mitchell places the problem of corporate irresponsibility within the broader context of American life and demonstrates the extent to which contemporary corporate behavior represents a corruption of our cherished liberal values of personal freedom and individuality.

Customer Reviews:

Suggestive But Too Theoretical.......2003-07-10

This fascinating and suggestive book makes a strong argument that an undue emphasis on financial performance has caused American corporations to shirk their responsibilities to workers, creditors, communities, or any other group except stockholders. To prove his point, author Mitchell, a business law professor at George Washington University, tackles a vast range of topics, from industrial sociology and shareholders' derivative suits, to Enlightenment individualism and comparative corporate governance. This makes for fascinating reading, and is designed to show that capital markets force corporate managers to focus on short-term financial results. However, it also left me with the sense that Mitchell's theoretical stretch exceeds his empirical grasp: none of the issues is really developed in any depth.

In particular, Mitchell fails to systematically compare the behavior of public and non-public corporations in the U.S., or to compare American corporations with corporations operating in less-individualistic legal and cultural environments abroad. Yet such comparisons would be crucial to testing his points about the harmful impact of financial markets on American corporate management. In reading the book, I also wondered whether the pressures to maximize short-term returns are less the result of "American individualism" and more the result of a business environment where hostile takeovers are easy and executive compensation is tied to stock prices. In any event, these issues can't be resolved by theorizing. Mitchell needed to interview some managers to find out what really makes corporations tick.

This is a pity since Mitchell writes well, has common sense, and cares about ordinary Americans who spend most of their working lives in large business organizations. His concerns about warped corporate priorities were entirely vindicated by the scandals at Enron (where shareholders as well as workers were screwed by corporate managers bent on boosting short-term share values), which were exposed only AFTER his book appeared in 2001. We need more books pointing out that American-style capitalism isn't the last word on business and can take a heavy toll on humane values. I just wish that Mitchell had crossed his T's and dotted his I's.

Learned but heavy.......2002-03-14

I found myself being frustrated by the convoluted nature of his arguments to prove - IMO - unnecessarily academic and esoteric points. The writing style, while reasonably light, does labour on some issues to justify and support his arguments to a degree that is a little too involved. While I fully appreciate that Mitchell needs to properly formulate and support his arguments (and he is right in most of what he says I must add) - the shear "readability" suffers from the overly-academic rigour present. I would happily accept less rigour for have more anecdotes of misbehaviour for a more "easy read". Nevertheless what he says is very important, solid and I agree wholeheartedly with it.

Superb........2002-03-06

The way Mitchell breaks down the corporate system in America today is outstanding. The way it practically predicts Enron is eventfully precise. His view for the future is one that is intricately complex, but at the same time simply logical. Great reading for those who are already knowledgeable about the subject or those newly acquainted with it.

Lawyer-Author-Reformist: Double Oxymoron Overturned.......2002-02-27

I just realized this is the third book by a lawyer I have absorbed in this month's reading, and that is somehow a scary thought. If lawyers are starting to write popular reformist tracts against unfettered capitalism and the export of the flawed U.S. approach to capitalism, something very interesting must be happening in the dark recesses of our national mind.

This is not an easy book to read but on balance it is a very important book and one that would appear to be essential to any discussion of how we might reform the relationship between the federal government with its 1950's concepts and regulations, corporations with their secularist and short-term profit and liquidation notions, and the people who ultimately are both the foundation and the beneficiaries (or losers) within the political economy of the nation and the world.

The author lays out, from a business law perspective, all the legal and financial reasons why our corporate practices today sacrifice the long-term perspective and the creation of aggregate value, in favor of short-term profit-taking. He makes a number of suggestions for improvement.

Toward the end of the book, citing Lipsett but adding his own observations, he digs deep and summarizes our corporate culture as one that threatens traditional forms of community and morality (Lipsett), while increasingly dominating--undermining--foreign governments and cultures. Elsewhere in the book the stunning failure of our form of capitalism in selected countries is explored.

Although there are adequate notes, there is no bibliography and the index is extraordinarily mediocre--not containing, for example, the references in the book to oversight, political, or regulation. One star is deducted for this failure by the publisher to treat the book's content seriously.

Average customer rating:
Reclaiming an ethic of corporate responsibility
Lyman P Johnson
Manufacturer: National Law Center of the George Washington University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006S66ZY

Average customer rating:
Why is corporate management obsessed with quarterly earnings and what should be done about it?
David K Millon
Manufacturer: National Law Center of the George Washington University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Stocks | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006S66UE

Book Description

Detailed statistics on life between 1850 and 1880 cover how many "milch" cows, working oxen, bushels of wheat and Indian corn, pounds of tobacco, bales of ginned cotton, value of orchard products, pounds of butter and beeswax, gallons of win, dozens of eggs, total farm acreage, dollar value of farm livestock, wages. Names, ages and occupations are listed for residents.

Book Description

Professor Gerald W. Esch, one of the world's leading ecological parasitologists, presents a series of essays on classic examples of field parasitology. The essays focus on the significance of the work and its contribution to the field but also on the people and, particularly, the sites at which the work took place. Taken together, they represent a beautifully written account of the development of an entire field of scientific endeavor spanning a period of 50 years or more. While the essays are not meant to be academic in a scientific sense, they contain a great deal of science. The book will be of great value to all parasitologists and ecologists, but also to anyone interested in how biological field work is carried out and how it contributes to greater understanding of the natural world.

Book Description

The Vomeronasal Organ is an olfactory structure in the nose, originally described in 1813 by the Danish court veterinarian Ludwig Jacobson. After some 150 years interest in it was reawakened, following the discovery of its key role in social and sexual responses. The organ serves to alert the emotional brain to the presence of specific semiochemicals, or signal molecules, which identify sex or status. Typically, such scents elicit responses at a non-conscious level - altering internal chemistry (hormones) in reaction to odours from the social environment (pheromones). The importance of vomerolfaction has recently been confirmed by findings on the genetic basis of smell.

This book surveys the biology of the "Organ of Jacobson" from toads to tamarins. It provides an analysis of the neural pathway which processes pheromonal information delivered by the 'second nose' to the brain. Vomeronasal olfaction is examined in its evolutionary perspective, from molecular capture of scents to the consequent changes in reproductive activity.

The treatment integrates structural and functional aspects with the system's development, and considers the implications of its unique genome. The student or researcher is lead up to the edge of contemporary thinking by an overview of vomerolfactory contributions to individual survival and to population dynamics. The issues raised by recent research are evaluated in relation to the properties of primary olfaction. Questions posed by the persistence of vomerolfaction as a distinct sense are explored for man and other higher primates.

Average customer rating:

Good info for San Soo students and any martial arts fans.

Brian P. from PA.

Practical Assessment of Traditional Methods...

What the Hell?

FANTASTIC BOOK!! But please don't buy it

Sudden Violence: The Art Of San Soo
Greg Jones
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Self-Esteem | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Martial Arts | Individual Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Predator Training: The Inner Beast Of San Soo

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Principles, Analysis, and Application of Effortless Combat Throws

ASIN: 0873644654

Book Description

The best way to survive a streetfight is to end it before it starts, and that is the essence of san soo kung fu Â- to brutally take your opponent out before he gets a chance to attack! When some street thug intends to do you bodily harm, it is not the time to pull punches. So be sudden! Be violent! And win.

Customer Reviews:

Good info for San Soo students and any martial arts fans........2007-01-10

I am currently a Green Belt studying San Soo Kung Fu in Huntsville, Texas. This book is an amplified version of everything I have learned so far, and then some. The insight and techniques given in this book can be directly applied to any self defense situation.
I highly recommend both books by this author,though they are not the type of books to be left lying around for just anyone to read.

Brian P. from PA........2006-02-25

Anyone who wants to learn how to protect themselves should seriously buy this book! It has alot of material to go through and pictures that aid as well, buy this book you wont be sorry!

Practical Assessment of Traditional Methods..........2002-12-22

Author Greg Jones presents the style of Jimmy Woo (not to be confused with James Wing Woo) in a practical and complete light. A brief history of Jimmy Woo's San Soo Kung Fu is offered, with indepth handling of topics such as striking, leverage, balance, etc. There is a lot of writing in this book, it is not a picture how-to book. You will find a detailed explanation of how to understand why these methods work. Jones offers detailed reasoning behind all of the major theories of San Soo, and professionally shot photos give examples which help explain concepts. Jimmy Woo's San Soo is a descendent of Choi Li Fut kung fu, stripped down to its most practical elements. Woo was a strong believer in using what was effective and winning the battle without delay. Jones does an excellent job of explaining that message to those of us who haven't studied Woo's San Soo Kung Fu but would like to understand the concepts of the art and gain an insight into how a fighter and survivor like Jimmy Woo thought.

What the Hell?.......2002-01-01

It is a book that is barbaric Judo. It does not get intermediate or advanced, it is a bigginer Judo book with no technique. Little can be learned from this except how to injure a groin or poke out eyes.

FANTASTIC BOOK!! But please don't buy it.......2001-03-24

Wow, this book is awesome. If you want to learn how to injure someone fast and efficient then buy this book. I'm glad that not a lot of people know about this style of kung-fu because then everybody on the streets would be deadly. So please don't buy this book and leave me, and me alone, with this priceless knowledge of how to inflict excruciating pain with minimal force.

Average customer rating:

Not the best, but good.

Great Adjunct to Berlitz Courses

Bravissimo, Berlitz!

Fantastic and Charming!

Best Self Study Book For The Italian Language !!

Berlitz Self-Teacher: Italian (Berlitz Self-Teachers)
Berlitz Editors
Manufacturer: Perigee Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Italian | Foreign Language | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0399513256

Customer Reviews:

Not the best, but good........2005-05-23

I rate this book the highest out of my books on teaching yourself a language. There are two big problems with it however. It does not go into irregular verb usage and adjective placement, you just have to sort of figure it out on your own. Also, Berlitz often throws in vocabulary and concepts that are not defined in either the lesson, glossary, or index.

Obviously this is not an all in one sort of book.

Great Adjunct to Berlitz Courses.......2004-11-28

I speak German fluently, thanks to getting my start from the Berlitz Self-Teacher in German, but I've always had trouble learning Italian, even though I studied it for two semesters in the late 1980s in college.

Nonetheless, I took Italian courses at the Berlitz school in Princeton, NJ, last year to refresh my knowledge of the language. Although the course had a companion book (written in the 1970s), I found this older volume to be more helpful with keeping up with my teacher, who was quite a taskmaster.

Now that I am back in Texas, and no longer taking Italian at Berlitz, I am still working my way through the book. It keeps you entertained, and I like the "little professor" illustrations, particulaly those of Italian celebrities of the day, such as Arturo Toscanini and Joe DiMaggio. Fun book!

Bravissimo, Berlitz!.......2003-06-23

Learning a foreign language can be a nightmare, but the Berlitz book takes you slowly, step by step, through the Italian language. It made a very complex language simple to learn.
I'll never speak as fluently as Marcello Mastroianni but if and when I go to Italy it will make my stay there a lot more fun.

Fantastic and Charming!.......2002-07-09

An interesting thing about this book is it is just fun to pick and look at the inside of the book. It was first published in the late 40s and has kept the same format. This style of learning, which is 50 years old is better than any style to date. I recommend it over software, tapes, anything! It is unfortunate although, that some of the older languages such as Hebrew, Russian, and Portuguese are no longer published. If you want to learn a language a very charming way this is it! Thank you Berlitz!

Best Self Study Book For The Italian Language !!.......2000-09-25

I cannot say enough about this book! I have tried so many tapes, books, techniques, you name it! I became overwhelmed by numerous rules to learn, conjugations to memorize, and the like until I grew discouraged! This book is simple. Each lesson builds on the previous one. There are minor notes to guide you, to remind you- and you will practice real conversation in the exercises. Each and every word has an English phonetic guide so that you instantly pronounce Italian words correctly. Not only is the technique used (almost no grammer rules to memorize, which is how you learned your 1st language) incredible, but it is extremely fun! The format is friendly, youthful, energetic, charming in style, and extremely user friendly. I could go on and on! This book is the best thing to happen to Italian language aquisition, ever!

Average customer rating:

Berlitz Self Teacher: Italian
Robert and Charles F Berlitz and Staff of Berlitz Schools of Language Strumpen-Darrie
Manufacturer: Grosset and Dunlap Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HF8YUQ

Average customer rating:

THE BERLITZ SELF-TEACHER ITALIAN
The Berlitz School of Languages in America
Manufacturer: G. P. Putnam's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RAHS9O

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THE BERLITZ SELF-TEACHER: ITALIAN
Berlitz
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LCCMCQ

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The Berlitz Self-teacher: Italian

Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000C0MZRY

Product Description

very thick lt.green&black-text linen hardcover w/tiny male-teacher design,1971 printing,by the editorial staff of The Berlitz Schools of Languages of America Inc,Grosset & Dunlap Publ NY,illus,fine presentation for learning italian,316pages

The Berlitz Self-Teacher: Italian (Berlitz Self-Teachers)

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The Berlitz Self-Teacher: Italian (Berlitz Self-Teachers)
Berlitz Staff
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K0862O

Average customer rating:

The Berlitz Self-Teacher: Italian
Charles; Strumpen-Darrie, Robert Berlitz
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap, Pub.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E66A40

Product Description

This book is designed primarily for the student working alone. He must do exactly what pairs or groups do, covering each operation for himself. The authors have enjoyed preparing the BERLITZ SELF-TEACHER, because they are confident that, properly used, it can provide you with a flying start toward a working knowledge of Italian-and an extra dividend of good, clean fun.

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THE BERLITZ SELF TEACHER - ITALIAN

Manufacturer: Perigee
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HDSO6M

Average customer rating:

Helpful
Not what I expected, and NOT for new students of the language
Besser gibt's nicht!
Sehr Gut!
The Best for What it Does

Berlitz Self-Teacher: German
Berlitz Guides
Manufacturer: William A. Thomas Braille Bookstore
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 1569561931

Customer Reviews:

Helpful.......2007-08-28

This is a good book as long as you have someone that you can work with. I had a partner but no longer and my friends can tell I haven't gotten much better since then, can't hear out loud.

Not what I expected, and NOT for new students of the language.......2007-03-20

I recently jumped head-first into learning German, and purchased this book along with the Pimsleur Conversational German 16-CD set. I cannot get enough of the CD's, but this book is really poor in my opinion. I was hoping the book would be a good reference companion to the CD's in order to help clarify some things, but no dice. It should be noted that the copyright date on this book is 1950, which becomes very evident within the first few pages. Much of the phrases and words are very outdated and are barely used in Germany anymore. Some of the phrases presented in this book didn't even make sense to my German friend who lived in Germany most of her life! For instance, WHY would I need to learn "I shall get up early, so to speak with the chickens"? or "In the department store, you ask for the department store you are looking for"? I'm not kidding, this and other useless, outdated phrases are liberally strewn throughout this book. If you want to take a trip back in time, and already know German, this book 'may' be refreshing. If you're trying to learn the language on your own, and want to actually understand how to speak German like someone born within the last 40 years, I would look for something else. (I'd HIGHLY recommend audio tapes or CD's where you can HEAR someone speaking the language and practice with them. It worked wonders for me!)

Besser gibt's nicht!.......2005-06-25

I have lived in Germany about 10 years now and this is without a doubt THE best book I have found. As a person still learning (aren't we all?) and a German instructor the format used in the book is very fitting. You learn German like a young child would. The horrible grammer is slowly interjected as you progress. Certainly a two-thumbs-up book!

Sehr Gut!.......2005-04-23

This book is very good. I am currently learning German with a friend and am a complete beginner. This starts off well, teching you feminine, neuter, and masculine tenses and throwing in vocabulary, and 5 new numbers a lesson. All the lessons are formatted around a theme. However, the pronunciation guide in the beginning is a little lacking and, if you are teaching yourself, you will need to get a couple other books. I also recommend Joseph Rosenburg's German: How to Speak and Write it, German in 10 minutes a day by Kristine Kershul, and a good dictionary.

The Best for What it Does.......2004-11-28

About 20 years ago, I was stationed with the Army at Redstone Arsenal, AL, and was issued orders to go to Germany. Not wanting to show up there a total ignoramus (like the man said, "When in Rome..."), so I bought this book and devoured it. When I showed up at my duty station in Heilbronn, I was able to get by pretty well, and after another couple weeks, I found my accent getting better. The German phonetic pronunciations are very good, and I was able to be understood by Schwabians and Ostfriesians alike.

After I was there a few weeks, I was required to enroll in the Army's German Headstart program, a one-week class to learn common German phrases, such as asking traffic directions and how to order from a German menu. There was not one question I did not know the answer to, and when called upon, I was able to answer intuitively. The teacher asked me how I learned German so well, and I told her that I had been studying the Berlitz Self-Teacher for a couple months. She remarked that she had run across many soldiers who learned to speak conversational German by studying this excellent book.

What makes the Berlitz Self-Teacher the best primer for learning German I ever had is that it is methodical and deals with everyday conversation. It was never meant to be a fully comprehensive volume on the German language or a grammar guide, but it is the best springboard I know for launching one into the language, and I've used at least a dozen similar books.

It's one alleged drawback is that it teaches many antiquated words and phrases, but that is also its charm: I had no problem being understood by older or educated people. (Do people make the complaint about Hemingway that its English is 50 years out of vogue, or is he recognized still as the great wordsmith and scribe that he was?)

Further, the Berlitz method gives you enough basic vocabulary to understand the language and once you get halfway through it, the rest will come to you by assimilating words and phrases you are now able to understand from being among the people, watching TV (or, "Telewision" or "Tee Wee" as some Germans call it) or reading the newspapers.

I also like that it teaches in the formal ("Sie") rather than the familiar ("Du") sense. It made a very nice impression on my girlfriend's parents, that I had learned all the social niceties, and was more respectful than most German youth my own age. Some of today's German phrase and "learn German in 15 minutes a day" type traveller's books dispense too readily with the formal, which I think is a big mistake, particularly for American speakers. It is bad enough that too many misinformed Europeans think of us as "ugly Americans," that is, informal and ill-mannered, but we don't need our language instruction to aid in this disinformation campaign!

Starting with this book is both a good icebreaker for getting acquainted with the good-natured German and for staying out of hot water with the occasional more stuffy Germans, who haven't any sense of humor.

From my experience, and from the experiences of friends and acquaintances, I've found that the best way to warm up to the Germans is to show respect for their language, by putting forth an honest attempt to communicate in it. This book is the best place to begin because it is well-mannered and polite.

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THE BERLITZ SELF-TEACHER: ITALIAN.
The Berlitz Schools of Languages.
Manufacturer: NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 1950.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KIHROO

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