Our number one most influential book for 2011 is drum roll please john kay, obliquity. On the cover of obliquity, john kay s new book hardback edition, tim harford pronounces it persuasive. Towards an oblique strategy for dealing with the complex chapter. Mar 22, 2018 in obliquity, john kay argues against my naive fiveyear plan. Yet harfords subsequent column in the ft on march the 18 th, 2010, titled political ideas need proper testing suggested that he is far from persuaded by mr kay s argument. Obliquity by john kay, 9781846682896, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. John anderson kay, cbe, frse, fba, facss born 1948 is a british economist.
In 2010, john kay published a book called obliquity, which shows how in business, politics and many other areas of life, goals are often better achieved obliquely. There is a role for carrots and sticks, but to rely on carrots and sticks alone is effective only when we employ donkeys and when goals are simple. We do not maximise shareholder value or the length of our lives, our happiness or. Using a diverse range of examples, from the messenger spacecraft to french architecture, this essay explains why complex goals are best achieved when they are pursued indirectly. In fact, some clubs and organizations will kick you out if thats what they think is going on. Mervyn king, exgovernor of the bank of england mr kay is a brilliant writer. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly, profile books, london, 2010. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly by john. Feb 03, 2011 john kay is an admirable debunker of myths and false beliefs he can see substantial things others dont.
Wall street journal john kay is one of the most engaging and accessible writers on economics in britain today morning star not only is it a highly enjoyable read, but this is one of the most useful and. Apr 21, 2010 the return flight to zurich allowed me to power through john kays excellent book obliquity. On the 27th march, john spoke at an event hosted by policy exchange on the issues of obliquity, longterm decision making and the limitations. It takes on a very profound subject with admirable brevity 200 pages. Continuing with itv, he hosted vernon kay s gameshow marathon 2007, beat the star 20082009 and later cohosted the whole 19 yards 2010 and skating with the stars 2010. A bit repetitive sometimes but the main points are well worth repeating and are supported by industry. Short and easygoing, the book focuses on the idea that solving problems using direct methods based on logical deduction and algorithms often results in an imperfect solution. He cites many examples of success that happened obliquely, from military successes, to merck the old regime that was focused on medicine for the peoplenot for profits, louis pasteur, and jack welch at ge who thought that maximizing shareholder value as a priority was a dumb idea, and. This book effectively throws a monkey wrench into the gears of 99% of business selfimprovement management philosophies out there. All of johns books are available to purchase via this webpage.
His latest book, obliquity, was published by profile books in march 2010. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly by john kay. This book by the distinguished economist and writer john kay is an extended essay about an idea which is intuitively true. An asset is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If youre looking to find a book to understand some of the struggles you are going through, this book may be of help. John kay is an admirable debunker of myths and false beliefs he can see substantial things others dont.
Apr 24, 2020 john kays book, obliquity looks at why traditional share holder value is a by product. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly main by kay, john isbn. John kay born joachim fritz krauledat, 12 april 1944 is a germanborn canadian rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist known as the frontman of steppenwolf. Obliquity rests on the argument that the world is too complex, dynamic and ever changing to control in. This ties back to john kays concept of obliquity 3 john kay jan 2004, obliquity, the financial times. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read.
Obliquity by john kay obliquity refutes the idea that complex systems can be understood in enough detail to be actively managed no matter what the experts say. It is a multimedia presentation which tells my personal story, the history and career of steppenwolf and my transition to becoming a wildlife advocate. This is an example of what economist john kay discussed in his book obliquity. The most effective path up the hill is usually to weave our way up the slope, rather than directly attack the steepest path. Listen to books in audio format instead of reading. To see what he is getting at lets take a look at some examples of important goals best achieved indirectly.
Why our goals are best achieved indirectly is a book by economist john kay. The word profit provoked a wide range of issues and emotions among respondents, says jim heskett. The long and the short of it international edition, a guide. John kay is a leading economist and visiting professor of economics at. This book teaches the it architecture practitioner how to align the different.
John kay s new book obliquity supports this argument. The jamiroquai jay kay net worth and salary figures above have been reported from a number of credible sources and websites. Robert silverman, university at buffalo nonprofit management. All of john s books are available to purchase via this webpage. Wordery is one of the uks largest online independent book shops.
On average they were worth less than twothirds of their cost. In his book obliquity john kay points out that actually objectives are a waste of time, what do i mean. Whether overcoming geographical obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting sales targets, history shows us that oblique approaches are the most successful, especially in. Some excellent perspectives, and well worth reading. The book grew out of a 2004 financial times essay, which is still online and well worth reading. In 2011, kay presented million dollar mind game and the christmas show home for the holidays and a year later hosted lets get gold itv miniseries. Kay s book is well worth reading, but many of its ideas are captured in this extended essay. Its ants and bees who can lead us to the economic promised land peter millers debut book smart swarm says bees can help businesses run more efficiently. Our tenth post in a series counting down the 10 most influential books ive read this year 2011. According to john kay, a visiting professor at the london school of economics and a regular contributor to the financial times, the finance sector is too large and too powerful. Kay tells us that his publisher urged him to expand it to book length, which. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly kindle edition by kay, john. About bis the biss mission is to serve central banks in their pursuit of monetary and financial stability, to foster international cooperation in those areas and to act as a bank for central banks.
In many cases, he points out, an indirect or oblique method arrives at a better. Browsing at my local bookstore i picked up a copy of obliquity by british economist john kay, and was quickly taken in. Financing, and but the current investment banking modelwhether. It also launched debates, and many readers argued for other measures of success. At the moment we have a few values about net worth, income, the salary of john kay. He was the first dean of oxfords said business school and has held chairs at london business school, the university of oxford, and the london school of economics.
You would be well advised to buy it for your next transcontinental, transatlantic or transpacific flight. Jacinda barrett was born in brisbane, australia, and won her first. Decisions that are made iteratively, with trial and error, employing emotion or intuition, or from going for greatness and reaping a side benefit of profits these are all oblique according to kay. John kay, a leading british economist, and author of several books, began publishing writings about the concept of obliquity as early as 2004 but indicates the term came about earlier. How the net destroyed democracy lawrence lessig tedxberlinsalon duration. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly when he wrote that opportunities will occur as you. Principles and practice, the first comprehensive textbook written for the nonprofit management course, covers such topics as the scope and structure of the nonprofit sector, leadership of nonprofits. Gifts from friends and close family members did somewhat better. If we go back to 1940, prime minister churchill stood up in the uk parliament and said that the united kingdom would be victorious. Apr 17, 2019 from the hall of fame of past business book of the year awardwinners, rcd2010 picked liaquat ahameds lords of finance. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading obliquity. In obliquity, john kay argues against my naive fiveyear plan. Why obliquity leads to more impactful market research.
Milton friedman argues free markets and individual choices maximises welfare by seeking profit maximisation within the rules of the game. Turning civic philanthropy into new business capital group. John kays core thesis is that that in any setting, there are multiple, often conflicting, goals. Precept ministries international is rated 3 out of 4 stars by charity navigator. Obliquity, kay writes, describes the process of achieving complex objectives indirectly. Economics with style as well as substance stephen bayley, architecture and design correspondent, observer. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. When i stumbled over these two publications, i realised that i was using oblique strategies in my leadership training and coaching. Precept ministries international is a religious media and broadcasting charity located in chattanooga, tn. In this book obliquity john kay points out that actually objectives are a waste of time, what do i mean.
From a 2007 financial times article by john kay, who later wrote a book about the concept. Kay was born in tilsit, east prussia, german reich. Trying to approach nebulous targets like profit or happiness directly is a fools path. The process continued during john kay s subsequent journey of continuous discovery and adaptation, application and modification, etc. John kay tells a fastpaced detective story as he searches for the surprising secret to success. Mar 22, 2012 his latest book, obliquity, was published by profile books in march 2010.
Why our goals are best achieved indirectly, is relevant to many facets of our personal and professional lives everything from achieving happiness to running a successful business. John kay quotes author of other peoples money page 2 of 2. Mary kay place was born in tulsa, oklahoma in september 1947. On a recent flight across europe i read john kays recent book obliquity. Part one explains how the world abounds in obliquity. No brief commentary such as mine can possibly do full justice to the quality of information, insights, and counsel he provides but i hope that i have at least. John kay s point concentrates on the folly of control and the hubris of those who believe that they can directly architect, direct and dictate changes to achieve their goals. As a result, other approaches are typically more successful. If you want to go in one direction, the best route may involve going in another. Strange as it may seem, overcoming geographic obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting global business targets are the type of goals often best achieved when pursued indirectly. Use search by author, title or series to find more. Oblique approaches are most effective in difficult terrain, or where outcomes depend on interactions with other people.
Buy the business of economics 1st edition by kay, john a. He notes the story of seeing three stone masons working on a medieval cathedral, and one says i am cutting stones to shape, one says i am building a great cathedral, and one says i am working. Read books for free from anywhere and from any device. So boeings civil orderbook today lags that of airbus, the european. A leading economist charts the indirect road to happiness and wealth. Mar 01, 2010 in why people fail, siimon reynolds explains 16 obstacles to and dishes out antidotes for each obstacle. Browsing at my local bookstore i picked up a copy of obliquity by british economist john kay right, and was quickly taken in. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, tedx is a program of local, selforganized events that bring people together to. Jan 01, 2011 the process continued during john kay s subsequent journey of continuous discovery and adaptation, application and modification, etc. Buy books online, over 10 millions books available.
The most comprehensive and current textbook available on nonprofit management. In this revolutionary book, economist john kay proves a notion that feels at. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly when he wrote that opportunities will occur as you focus on things youre passionate about. A guide to finance and investment for normally intelligent people who arent in the industry main by kay, john isbn. He has been a fellow of st johns college, oxford, since 1970. The development of the concepts in this book followed an oblique path from drafts that resulted in an article published in the financial times january 17, 2004. However, there are several factors that affect a celebritys net worth, such as taxes, management fees, investment gains or losses, marriage, divorce, etc.
Why our goals are best achieved indirectlyby john kayprofile. It was inspired by an observation of the successful pharmaceutical researcher, sir james black. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, tedx is a program of local. We strive to offer the right books at the lowest price with the best service. Weve written from time to time about the concept of obliquity, that in a complex system that is affected by interactions with it, it is impossible to map out a simple path to a goal. Although the book title is rather negative in a sense, this is a wonderful book with very positive message for the readers. Which was a goal, but churchill had no idea how he would reach that goal. John kay of steppenwolf and his journey of transformation. This seemingly counterintuitive idea is the subject of john kay s very interesting book obliquity.
Why obliquity leads to more impactful market research the. It was inspired by an observation of the successful pharmaceutical. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly john kay on amazon. Oblique strategies for leaders palladio trusted advisers. It was inspired by an observation of the successful pharmaceutical researcher, sir james black i used to tell my colleagues that if they wanted to make money, there were many easier ways to do it than drug research. In leadership, useful approaches are highly contextual and occasional.
Equally, following the obliquity principle would speak against the idea of a deliberately churchy or hieratic tone. If you truly study the material, observe it and put it to use in your own life, you will be amazed by the results. Charity navigator rating for precept ministries international. Obliquity is the idea that goals are often best achieved when pursued indirectly. Obliquity is relevant whenever complex systems evolve in an uncertain environment, and whenever the effect of our actions depends on the ways in which others respond to them.
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