Jeffrey Lee Funk on Unicorns, Hype, and Bubbles

The book describes the 100 years following 1870 as the 'Special Century,' a period of revolutionary growth and prosperity driven by innovations such as electric lighting, indoor plumbing, motor vehicles, air travel, and television. Gordon argues that this era of growth has been flatlining since 1970, marked by growing inequality, stagnating education, an aging population, and rising debt. He contends that the productivity growth of the past cannot be repeated and identifies several 'headwinds' that will continue to slow American economic growth. The book is divided into two main parts, covering the period from 1870 to 1940 and from 1940 to 2010, and includes detailed statistical analysis and historical anecdotes to support its arguments.

In 'Bullshit Jobs: A Theory', David Graeber argues that a significant portion of jobs in modern society are meaningless and contribute little to no value. He categorizes these jobs into five types: flunkies, goons, duct tapers, box tickers, and taskmasters. Graeber contends that these jobs are not only inefficient but also psychologically destructive, leading to chronic misery and social divisions. The book is based on his 2013 essay 'On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs' and includes testimonials from workers who feel their jobs are pointless. Graeber suggests solutions such as unions and universal basic income to address the issue of meaningless work.

In this book, Jerry Z. Muller argues against the over-reliance on metrics, which he terms 'metric fixation'. He contends that this fixation can lead to the corruption of social processes, gaming of statistics, and a hyper-focus on trends that do not accurately reflect reality. Muller provides examples from education, healthcare, business, and public policy to illustrate how blindly following metrics can result in unintended and harmful consequences. The book emphasizes the importance of balancing metrics with human judgment and experience to ensure more accurate and beneficial decision-making.

This book, written by Michael Hammer and James Champy, is a landmark in the field of management. It focuses on the concept of business process reengineering, which involves the comprehensive reevaluation and radical transformation of business processes to achieve significant enhancements in cost efficiency, quality, service, and speed. The authors provide practical guidance and real-life examples from companies like Ford, Motorola, and IBM, emphasizing the importance of measurement, accountability, and cross-functional teams. Despite some criticisms regarding its impact on employees, the book remains a seminal work in organizational change and business management.