The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of Social Order

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Francis Fukuyama cements his reputation as a wide-ranging public intellectual with this big-think book on social order and human nature. Following his earlier successes (The End of History and the Last Man and Trust), Fukuyama argues that civilization is in the midst of a revolution on a par with hunter-gatherers learning how to farm or agricultural societies turning industrial. He finds much to celebrate in this cultural, economic, and technological transformation, but "with all the blessings that flow from a more complex, information-based economy, certain bad things also happened to our social and moral life." Individualism, for example, fuels innovation and prosperity, but has also "corroded virtually all forms of authority and weakened the bonds holding families, neighborhoods, and nations together." Yet this is not a pessimistic book: "Social order, once disrupted, tends to get remade again" because humans are built for life in a civil society governed by moral rules.

We're on the tail end of the "great disruption," says Fukuyama, and signs suggest a coming era of much-needed social reordering. He handles complex ideas from diverse fields with ease (this is certainly the first book whose acknowledgments thank both science fiction novelist Neal Stephenson and social critic James Q. Wilson), and he writes with laser-sharp clarity. Fans of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel and David Landes's The Wealth and Poverty of Nations will appreciate The Great Disruption, as will just about any reader curious about what the new millennium may bring. This is simply one of the best nonfiction books of 1999. --John J. Miller

Book Description

In the past thirty years, the United States has undergone a profound transformation in its social structure: Crime has increased, trust has declined, families have broken down, and individualism has triumphed over community. Has the Great Disruption of recent decades rent the fabric of American society irreparably? In this brilliant and sweeping work of social, economic, and moral analysis, Francis Fukuyama shows that even as the old order has broken apart, a new social order is already taking its place. The Great Disruption forges a new model for understanding the Great Reconstruction that is under way.

Customer Reviews:

Very interesting, but a little lacking in coherence.......2006-11-20

The subject matter is really quite interesting and his thesis is convincing. The big problem I have with this book is in its structure. It starts out with a big section of statistics, then a big section of interpretation of the statistics, with "the big picture" never really materializing.

Party ideologue on an off-day. .......2005-05-02

When the End of History appeared, one did not know exactly what to think of it, nowadays we know who Fukuyama is: the US Republican party ideologue. While the end of history tried to prove the US Republican ideology as the philosophical nec plus ultra, the goal of history, in an Hegelian way, the great disruption tries to prove it as a biological-sociological necessity, to be human is to be a Republican.
Although it is a flawed book, it makes interesting reading to discern fact and fiction in this book, the places where the conclusions and facts just disconnect, it is like unravelling the Da Vinci code. The danger of the book is the indiscriminate use of academic bits and pieces, it gives a veneer of credibility to the whole were it is not always warranted.
The basic premise of the book, namely the importance of social capital and the decline thereof since the mid 60's, is something I take as credible, although even Fukuyama admits he cannot really prove it very well. From the dip in social capital, Fukuyama delves into the fundamentals of human nature to prove that we are moral and will ultimately reconstitute some moral order along conservative party lines, the invisible hand of morality will cause an upward cycle after every downward cycle, hardly a convincing story line.
What is, however funny about the book is that the academic material presented can just as easily be construed to disprove the republican dogmas. E.g. accepting the importance of social capital in healthy economies makes mince-meat of the Bush-bubble economic policy of indiscriminate deficit spending. I do think social capital deserves its own capital letter in the Cobb-Douglass function, it would probably de-emphasize the worship of productivity a little bit in economic thought and make economic theory a bit more relevant to the economy.
Other blind spots for Fukuyama include the role of inequality in the break-down of social capital (e;g; in the false statement that it is pride, not injustice, why test persons reject unequal outcomes in 2-player distribution games). Another blind spot for Fukuyama is that he sees only a causal relation one-way between the loss of social capital and demographic decline, not the other way around, from demographic decline to loss of social capital.
Fukuyama writes with ideological blinders but still puts the main social problem of the 90's and early 21st century on the table, that is why I grant a 2 star to the book.

It's Hard to Know What to Think!.......2004-08-25

It is quite difficult to me to feel anything but a benign "that's interesting" type of indifference to this book. On some things, Fukuyama does rather well. On others, I could not resist the urge to rhetorically ask myself: "Did he really get this published?"

First, the good stuff. As others have noted, Fukuyama provides decent factual documentation and analysis to support part 1 of his argument - that the social bonds common to the days of yore have dissipated through time (aside from a few contradictions that I'll get to later). He also provides a quite lively, if a tad oversimplified and/or overeager, section on the life sciences' recent findings that we are social creatures after all.

So that accounts for the two extant stars. What accounts for the three I decided to withhold? First, and most devestatingly, Fukuyama never makes it clear how this dissipation of 'social capital' can be attributed to the 'information revolution' - the transition from an industrial-based to information-based economy or culture. It seems his only strategy is to rule out, curtly and unconvincingly, other variables only to tell us: "Well it couldn't be those, and since the timing is right, so it must be the information revolution." I don't buy it (yet), and don't see how Fukuyama expects me to.

Second, there are an embarassing number of out-and-out contradictions in this book. First, there is the biggie: Fukuyama spends a lot of time telling us that via human nature, the rebuilding of social bonds is endemic and inevitable to humankind. Then, in the next section, he tells us that we must work dilligently to bring about what he just told us was endemic and inevitable. (This is reminiscent of Marx telling us that the revolution was inevitable and that therefore, the workers must be dillegent in ensuring that it comes about).

There are other contradictions: Fukuyama tells us in the book that crime is and has been on the rise for some time. A bit later, though, he tells us that the vast majority of American neighborhoods are safe and that it is only people's perception of rising crime via the media tht seems to be the problem. He also tells us that marriages dissolving in their first few years is a new frightening trend, while later in the book teling us that it is "not uncommon" for marriages to dissipate only after the kids are raised. I just don't understand!

Anyhow, I could go on, but I'd rather get to my main point: although this book may have a few eye opening moments (generally those moments where Fukuyama is reinforcing things we already know), all in all, it is not worth your time. If you want to explore the weakening of the 'social fabric' try Etzionni's "The Spirit of Community" or Callahan's "The Cheating Culture." If you are interested in the life sciences' research on the sociality of humans, try Ridley's "The Origin of Virtue," or Axelrod's 'Evolution of Cooperation.' Both do a better job than this book.

Good food for thought.......2004-06-06

The one thing with Francis Fukuyama is that he can't be faulted for not speaking his mind. From his essential "End of History" he has drawn further conclusions on the demise of Western society. On the one hand, it is an interesting read, while, on the other hand it is a bit weak in many ways. Fukuyama uses broad statistics and generalisations to make stunning conculsions about society in general, and people in particular. While I don't personally agree with much of what he writes, it provides an excellent forum for discussion and a welcome point of view to some narrow assumptions in sociology. I wouldn't recommend it for an introduction, but rather for a good supplement if you're already interested.

Are we naturally social people?.......2003-06-23

As a third world citizen this book impressed me with one of its main idea that says that no matter the storms of selfishness and individualism, sooner or later, we will come back to be social and reliable to each other again. That trend to be social to other people would be, under Fukuyama's point of view, based on physiological features of our human constitution. The references Mr. Fukuyama cites, for instance, to relate the human brain's functioning and language to our "natural" trend to be social should be reviewed by the readers interested in deeper understanding.

Mr. Fukuyama would not be the first scholar who believes that is human culture what makes more intensive our "hidden" trends to be social (or, the reverse, what makes us violent to each other and intolerant). Reading "Trust", another book of him, oneself realizes how important is the society's culture towards the role of family and work and school to build up social capital. The very essential difference between one society and the rest, in the race for competitiveness, under the ideas from "Trust" would be human created: culture, related to social capital and his formation. But now, in "The Great Disruption" appears our physiology as an important source of explanations of our collective and cultural creations (like language, attitudes towards work,and our social capital too).

What i can comment from my knowledge of peruvian history is that the social capital is a cultural product, made by people in history, with all our rational and non-rational choices, made individually and colectively. Being together in the same territory, under the same national state, and tolerate each other group, even though among different groups of peruvians we don't trust, could be explained by some physiologicals fundamentals. But this is not the same of building up social capital.Our biology,probably, makes harder having some behaviors along the time, but nothing else. So, was our human physiology an important explanation of what made less harder troublesome times in peruvian history, making us at least "just a little" tolerant to each other groupe, despite of all our differences?. May be. But the solutions of our pending challenge, of building up more social capital, will come from choices, determined by culture and social motives, not from physiology.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Institute on Religion and Public Life on October 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1336 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The article discusses the philosophy of Francis Fukuyama as expressed in his books "The End of History" and "The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of Social Order." Topics include scientific materialism, and Fukuyama's thoughts are approached through the writings of Walker Percy and E.O. Wilson.

Citation Details
Title: THE (DEAD) END OF DETERMINISM.
Author: Richard Neuhaus
Publication: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 1999
Publisher: Institute on Religion and Public Life
Page: 85

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Disruption & Redemption.(Review): An article from: Policy Review

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Disruption & Redemption.(Review): An article from: Policy Review
David Brooks
Manufacturer: Hoover Institution Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Policy Review, published by Hoover Institution Press on June 1, 1999. The length of the article is 2813 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Disruption & Redemption.(Review)
Author: David Brooks
Publication: Policy Review (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 1999
Publisher: Hoover Institution Press
Page: NA

Article Type: Book Review

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THE GREAT DISRUPTION: HUMAN NATURE AND THE RECONSTITUTION OF SOCIAL ORDER.(Review) (book review): An article from: Journal of Economic Issues

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THE GREAT DISRUPTION: HUMAN NATURE AND THE RECONSTITUTION OF SOCIAL ORDER.(Review) (book review): An article from: Journal of Economic Issues
Geoffrey E. Schneider , Winston H. Griffith , and Janet T. Knoedler
Manufacturer: Association for Evolutionary Economics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008JAKFS
Release Date: 2005-07-28

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This digital document is an article from Journal of Economic Issues, published by Association for Evolutionary Economics on December 1, 2000. The length of the article is 2782 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: THE GREAT DISRUPTION: HUMAN NATURE AND THE RECONSTITUTION OF SOCIAL ORDER.(Review) (book review)
Author: Geoffrey E. Schneider
Publication: Journal of Economic Issues (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2000
Publisher: Association for Evolutionary Economics
Volume: 34 Issue: 4 Page: 997

Article Type: Book Review

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The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of Social Order.(Review): An article from: Arena Magazine

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The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of Social Order.(Review): An article from: Arena Magazine
Paul Gillen
Manufacturer: Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Arena Magazine, published by Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd. on December 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1978 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of Social Order.(Review)
Author: Paul Gillen
Publication: Arena Magazine (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1999
Publisher: Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd.
Page: 49

Article Type: Book Review

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The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of the Social Order.(Review): An article from: The Review of Metaphysics

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The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of the Social Order.(Review): An article from: The Review of Metaphysics
Stephen Schneck
Manufacturer: Philosophy Education Society, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Review of Metaphysics, published by Philosophy Education Society, Inc. on September 1, 2000. The length of the article is 837 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of the Social Order.(Review)
Author: Stephen Schneck
Publication: The Review of Metaphysics (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2000
Publisher: Philosophy Education Society, Inc.
Volume: 54 Issue: 1 Page: 139

Article Type: Book Review

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Executive Report on Strategies in Netherlands, 2000 edition (Strategic Planning Series)
The Netherlands Research Group , and The Netherlands Research Group
Manufacturer: Icon Group International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0741829177

Book Description

Netherlands has recently come to the attention to global strategic planners. This report puts these executives on the fast track. Ten chapters provide: an overview of how to strategically access this important market, a discussion on economic fundamentals, marketing & distribution options, export and direct investment options, and full risk assessments (political, cultural, legal, human resources). Ample statistical benchmarks and comparative graphs are given.

Book Description

This book brings together a number of research studies, all of which examine the behavior of foreign exchange rates. The main focus of the collection is on empirical characterization of high-frequency exchange rate data. The pioneering studies demonstrate and explain, among other things, the regular patterns in intra-day foreign exchange rate activity and the effects of macroeconomic news on rates and analyze the profitability of technical trading rules in these markets.

Book Description

Ideas are like buses, you wait forever and then 500 come along at once. The Big Idea Book is 500 novel, ingenious and downright crazy ideas designed to inspire, amuse and divert. Developed by the team behind the innovative website, Idea-a-Day at www.idea-a-day.com, it covers everything from business to travel, politics to money and everything in between.

Idea-a-Day has a vast network of followers and contributors - some famous, some infamous, some revered, some reviled – who post ideas to be read, enjoyed, used or abused. Seth Godin, Malcolm Maclaren and Wayne Hemmingway are just a few of its fans. In The Big Idea Book all this creative energy is mixed together with unpublished ideas, quotes, cartoons, illustrations and thought-pieces to give creatives and cool office types a visual and intellectual treat guaranteed to kickstart the imagination and creative flair!

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Ideas are like buses, you wait forever and then 500 come along at once. The Big Idea Book is 500 novel, ingenious and downright crazy ideas designed to inspire, amuse and divert.

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Essential for any professional assisting a Family Business

A valuable book for understanding family business dynamics -

A must read for the non-family member of a family business!

Practical guidelines for family owned/operated businesses.

A work well done

You Can't Fire Me I'm Your Father: What Every Family Business Should Know
Neil N. Koenig
Manufacturer: Hillsboro Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1577361202

Book Description

This book addresses issues that matter to families in business together. The author has thirty years' experience in dealing with family business owners. He presents fifty-five best practices for family businesses, including how to get along with family members at work, how to handle sibling rivalry, how to honor one's parents, how to give helpful performance feedback and more.

Customer Reviews:

Essential for any professional assisting a Family Business.......1999-08-14

Outstanding work and an easy read. Understanding the many dynamics that can and often do take place in a family business is very critical. The family members as well as the advisers need to be familiar with the challenges and issues they are sure to face. This work should be required reading for any professional that assists family businesses. I will give a copy of this enlightening work to all my family business clients.

A valuable book for understanding family business dynamics -.......1999-08-03

In my practice, as a management consultant who specializes in assisting financially troubled companies through times of crisis, I have frequently encountered business decisions that are made on the basis of family considerations having little to do with sound business practices. Koenig's practical advise and code of conduct for family businesses should be required reading for anyone involved in guiding a family enterprise

A must read for the non-family member of a family business!.......1999-07-10

In a former life I was a non-family member of senior management for a family owned and operated business. If I would have had access too and read the material Dr. Koenig presents in this book then, I would look much younger now! This book makes me see how much more effective I could have been by simply understanding the impact that family decisions had on business decisions. I couldn't understand then that simple issues like Thanksgiving Dinner Plans can have a great impact on things like Strategic Plans. The common sense displayed in dealing with such a huge volume of material made for easy reading and more important, easy application. I recommend this book for anyone trying to assist a family in making their company what they want it to be. G Ransdell President/CEO AEI Environmental, Inc.

Practical guidelines for family owned/operated businesses........1999-07-07

I am currently a small business owner/operator. I have also had some 30 plus years in international development. Dr. Koenig's book offers some first rate, common sense guidelines to private, family owned and operated business entrepreneures. In that context, the book transcends international bounderies. I'd recommend the book to anyone, not just American readers. I would particularly recommend the book to heads of family busnesses that are about to retire and turn over management. New entrepreneurs in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union will find this book particularly helpful.

A work well done.......1999-07-03

It was a delightful experience to purchase a copy of your book and read it this last weekend during my travels back and forth to Canada. Your style of writing and the selection of personal situational venues gave me the feeling that I was there with you. I could just see you interacting with the different family members in the personal, cordial style for which you are well known. I even got a little bit of personal encouragement from different sections of the book. A work well done and a work needed by families doing business together.

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Excellent resource for small businesses

A survey tool-box essential

A "must have" reference guide.

A "must have" reference guide.

Employee Surveys and Employee Survey Question Guidebook Package
Paul M. Connolly , and Kathleen Groll Connolly
Manufacturer: Performance Programs, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound

General | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Human Resources & Personnel Management | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Organizational Behavior | Business Management | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0972494723

Book Description

If you are responsible for your organization's next employee survey, what would 15 years of experience be worth to you? These new publications give you the benefit of those years. "Employee Surveys: Practical and Proven Methods, Samples, Examples" and its companion, "Employee Survey Question Guidebook" will save you thousands of dollars. "Employee Surveys: Practical and Proven Methods" is filled with examples from real-world surveys done by organizations of all sizes and types. It contains sample forms, agendas, letters and more, all of them from actual employee survey situations. This book is organized to follow the process from start to finish. It covers the unexpected moments you may not know how to manage. Whether you plan to "do it yourself" or you work with an outside vendor, this book will help you get the information, understand the results, communicate them effectively, and take meaningful action. In summary, it will help you make the most out of your survey efforts. The second volume, "Employee Survey Question Guidebook," is unique in its field. It brings you 650 tried-and-true questionnaire items from employee surveys developed by Performance Programs, Inc., a human resources survey firm since 1987. Using the instructions supplied in the book, you can select questionnaire items, or create your own items, and develop an employee survey.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource for small businesses.......2003-12-22

Our medical practice wanted to implement a comprehensive employee survey, and previous surveys done by practice management consultants seemed to create more bad than good. The survey book and guidebook by Connolly and Connolly provided good advice and a ton of sample questions. I was able to prepare a 100 question survey from scratch in about six hours. The Connollys' advice about pre-screening the survey with employees was also helpful; it helped me weed out some poor questions, add some better ones, and created a starting point for employee support of the survey. We will launch the survey in a few weeks to our 110 employees. If you don't have thousands of dollars to spend on a survey firm and want to make a first try in-house, this seems like the resource you need to have.

A survey tool-box essential.......2003-10-03

PPI's employee survey package is excellent! Period. First and foremost, it provided what was most important to us.. a reliable and valid instrument. The rest is pure gravy. It's easy to use, easy to follow, and has useful real-life examples. Our team confidently put together a 24 question survey,in a relatively short period of time, and used the feedback method recommended to deliver results. We'll use it again for our follow-up survey. I highly recommend it.

A "must have" reference guide........2003-03-06

The guidebook is written in user friendly language and is very comprehensive. It gives you all the tools you need to conduct an employee opinion survey.

A "must have" reference guide........2003-03-06

The guidebook is written in user friendly language and is very comprehensive. It gives you all the tools you need to conduct an employee opinion survey.

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The 10 Deadly Sales Sins: The 80/20 Rule in Sales (80/20 Rules in Sales)
Connie Johnson
Manufacturer: Authorhouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Techniques | Sales & Selling | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1403369070

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Consumer Credit and Investment Advertising
J. Boddewyn
Manufacturer: Intl Advertising Assn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Credit Ratings & Repair | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0318173883

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Consumer credit and investment advertising: Regulation and self-regulation in 28 countries
J. J Boddewyn
Manufacturer: International Advertising Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Advertising | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Credit Ratings & Repair | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Consumer Law | Business | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006Y9DXU

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