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Summary: HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
Review: It is with a sad twist of irony that I find myself reading this book while living in the United States at this moment in history. All my life, I never would have thought to be witness to such an event as the current war on Iraq. I hope this sentiment piques your curiosity to read this book and try to understand the mounting dread I find growing in the pit of my stomach as I compare the actions of our current government against those mentioned in this book. Once again Santayana is proven correct:"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" I hope I am proven wrong by history.
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Summary: Timely and Insightful
Review: It is with a sad twist of irony that I find myself reading this book while living in the United States at this moment in history. All my life, I never would have thought to be witness to such an event as the current war on Iraq. I hope this sentiment piques your curiosity to read this book and try to understand the mounting dread I find growing in the pit of my stomach as I compare the actions of our current government against those mentioned in this book. Once again Santayana is proven correct: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" I hope I am proven wrong by history.
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Summary: Oh! I enjoyed this book.
Review: It's worth reading purely for Tuchman's definition of folly. In her patented personal-to-political style, she illuminates examples of governmental self-sabotage. Her illustrations lack a certain depth, but you finish the book thinking about current events you'd like to add. .
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: Starts out a bit slow with Troy which is perhaps a bit too far back for valid comparisons. Improves with the story of the Renaissance Popes. Becomes superb with "How the British Lost America". Does an excellent portrayal of the political factors operating then & is yet very exciting and moving
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Summary: I disagree with the reader from Bakersfield...
Review: The author defines folly very clearly as self-defeating behavior, although I didn't expect maxims from an accompished historian.
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Summary: Democracy and Folly
Review: The basic point of "The March of Folly" is that nations can be as irrational and dysfunctional at a policy level as individuals are in managing their own affairs. To this end she cites the Trojans (in their war with Greece, and particularly in bringing the horse into their city against the dictates of caution and prophecy), the Renaissance popes, England's handling of her American colonies, and US involvement in Vietnam. The book was written in the context of the arms race with the Soviet Union just prior to Perestroika (I hope I spelled that correctly), with the hardly tacit implication that this was the Great Folly of that time. Tuchman's definition of Folly is very precise. It's much more specific than simply "a really stupid thing to do". "To qualify as folly for this inquiry, the policy adopted must meet three criteria: it must have been perceived as counter-productive in its own time, not merely by hindsight. ... Secondly a feasible alternative course of action must have been available. ... third ... the policy in question should be that of a group, not an individual leader." These are quite exacting criteria. The first means that there must have been a reasoned outcry against the policy at the time. The second that reasonable alternatives were put forward. And the last that the whims of individual fools are discounted. It's easy to look at government policies in today's world of which one might disapprove (let us suppose that, as for several other reviewers, the war in Iraq springs to mind here) and, on the assumption that they will fail, mark them as follies, but it seems to me that in any reasonably free or democratic society, there will always be arguments that a policy is "counter-productive", and many "feasible alternatives" (such as doing nothing) tabled. As such, almost any failed policy of a modern democracy will qualify as folly by Tuchman's definition. For democracies, it seems that to qualify as folly a policy should have nearly overwhelming public support (rather than merely being pursued by a group) at least at its inception. The war in Iraq is still a wildly popular one, and so it would qualify as folly even under this criterion. Of course, it still has to fail.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: The book is a penetrating analysis of the collective madness that overtakes governments, causing them to act consistently, wittingly and willingly in a manner inimical to their own interests. This process is illustrated by a collection of essays on the wooden horse, the Renaissance Popes, The British loss of America and the Vietnam War. An excellent read and a book that I, as a consultant, have given away a number of times to clients who were similarly hell-bent on self-destruction - with excellent results.
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Summary: A Poor and biased History Lesson
Review: The overall idea of the book is excellent; that is, decisions of the past must be judged in the light of the times. We cannot judge past civilizations and their decisions by our standards. While the idea of how we should view history is excellent the execution of the concept in this book is horribly flawed. The author allows her bias to overflow into every passage. Nowhere is this retelling of history accomplished from a neutral point of view. This destroys the good premise behind the book. Anyone reading this book and agreeing with it will simply be agreeing with the liberal point of view of the author who adopts modern liberal western thought in reviewing the decisions of the past and condemns those who did not think like modern western liberals. The author fails to follow the basic premise of the book and thus destroys her credibility.
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Summary: A history book, but one of the best business books I've read
Review: This is a fascinating, useful, insightful book. Tuchman shows us how political leaders over the millenia have consistenly made decisions that were not in their own interest, even though they had the option to do otherwise. I couldn't help but relate it to poor, self destructive decisions that organizations make, hurting themselves when they don't have to. Tuchman didn't write a business book - she wrote a fabulous history book - but it gave me more business insights than any business book I've read in a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: This is a wonderful book that brilliantly chronicles folly throughout history. It uses 4 examples, Troy, the Prostestant Secession, the American Revolution, and the Vietnam War and compares them. Not an easy read, but a rewarding one. Highly Recommended
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