I occasionally teach a seminar on the history of the liberal arts, and one of my primary research areas is in decision-making and governance within small-world networked organizations. So Veblen\u2019s study of American institutions of higher education really hits on many issues of interest to me. This book was a pioneering study of organizational behavior in 1918, but what makes it especially interesting is just how relevant it remains today. Our current hand-wringing about the crisis of the liberal arts, lack of student engagement, and the corruption of educational goals by the institutional pursuit of wealth and status were lively concerns 100 years ago. It isn\u2019t a text for the faint of heart, however. Veblen has a cutting sense of humor throughout his writing, and he does little to disguise his anger or disgust. The original subtitle Veblen gave to the book was \u201cA Study in Total Depravity,\u201d so that gives you a sense of what you are in store for. Nonetheless, I give it two thumbs up. It\u2019s an illuminating and thought-provoking book, and I think anybody who is interested in higher education should read it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I occasionally teach a seminar on the history of the liberal arts, and one of my primary research areas is in decision-making and governance within small-world networked organizations. So Veblen\u2019s study of American institutions of higher education really hits on many issues of interest to me. This book was a pioneering study of organizational behavior … <\/p>\n