Reviews
When More Is Not Better: Overcoming America's Obsession with Economic Efficiency by Roger L. Martin
lakecake's review against another edition
4.0
Clear and concise, with achievable action steps, this is a great read. Martin takes readers through the current American system, troubles and all, in an easy to understand way, and gives clear examples of places and people who are doing it differently and better. The second half of the book is taken up with action steps that seem reasonable and possible, and I feel optimistic about chances that they could make a difference. I think if this book became widespread reading for a lot of Americans in this post-election season, real change could at least get started and that would be welcome.
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways and am voluntarily leaving this review.
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways and am voluntarily leaving this review.
miguelf's review against another edition
4.0
The comparison between sought-after gaussian and generally undesirable pareto trending outcomes was interesting and resonated well. There’s nothing overly revelatory here but the earlier sections were more engaging for this reader.
joypouros's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
It's nice to see a balanced book that doesn't recommend overhauls, but focuses on smaller measures that seem much more attainable.
This book is about the balance between capitalism and democracy, but I find this to be a very good business book in general. It covers the pitfalls of models and the consequences of being overly focused on too few metrics. And the way it is done puts it in the top tier of business books for me, rather than books that are overly fluffy or somehow stretch a one paragraph metaphor or short list of principles into an entire book.
It was pretty dry, as most books of this type are, but it was broken up well and the examples made it more interesting and easier to read.
This book is about the balance between capitalism and democracy, but I find this to be a very good business book in general. It covers the pitfalls of models and the consequences of being overly focused on too few metrics. And the way it is done puts it in the top tier of business books for me, rather than books that are overly fluffy or somehow stretch a one paragraph metaphor or short list of principles into an entire book.
It was pretty dry, as most books of this type are, but it was broken up well and the examples made it more interesting and easier to read.
howardgo's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. Less than half the book is dedicated to the problem. The rest is describing solutions. And the solutions are not theoretical. They are all being done currently somewhere. They are proven.
The main premise here is that the economy should not be treated like a machine. It is more like a complex adaptive natural system. Also, optimizing for efficiency makes the system brittle instead of resilient.
The history of the US economy is one of a Gaussian or Bell curve. Historically we have been focused on moving that entire curve to the right, making everyone better off. Since the 1970s, that curve has become more and more a Pareto curve, increasing the wealth gap in our country. This book shows how we might move that back to a more natural Bell curve that better serves more people.
The main premise here is that the economy should not be treated like a machine. It is more like a complex adaptive natural system. Also, optimizing for efficiency makes the system brittle instead of resilient.
The history of the US economy is one of a Gaussian or Bell curve. Historically we have been focused on moving that entire curve to the right, making everyone better off. Since the 1970s, that curve has become more and more a Pareto curve, increasing the wealth gap in our country. This book shows how we might move that back to a more natural Bell curve that better serves more people.
nkspas's review against another edition
5.0
Do you feel like the whole system is rigged? Like there’s nothing you can do to really get ahead or help affect true change? This is the book to read. It masterfully zooms up into the stratosphere of the entire democratic capitalist system we live in and pulls back the curtain on all the junky, rusted-out parts inside. Roger Martin was Dean of the Rotman School of Management for a good decade and a half and named the world’s #1 management thinker by Thinkers50. I’ve followed his strategy books over the years (Playing To Win, The Opposable Mind) but I think this is his absolute best work. A clear call-to-arms calling shenanigans on, well, nearly everything, and then outlining remarkably refreshing approaches on how to fix it, all filtered into ideas for business execs, political leaders, educators, and citizens. His suggestions feel so ridiculously obvious but (of course) none of them are really happening right now. For example, for educators: Temper the inclination to teach certainty, stop teaching reductionism as if it’s a good thing (his epic takedown of MBAs here is worth the price of admission alone), help students appreciate the power of directly observable data, and elevate the appreciation of qualities (over quantities). Each point is backed by numbers and tightly screwed into lean and logical prose. Incredible.
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