An often engaging argument for taking a more holistic approach to office work.
An enthusiastic endorsement of a new approach to organizational design in business settings.
In this debut book, Creel passionately advocates for a system that he calls “Adaptive”—a technology-enabled, collaborative corporate structure that minimizes hierarchy, values workers’ skills more highly than office politics, and coaches employees toward continual improvement. Creel explains the philosophy behind his program, places it in the context of two centuries of organizational design, and lays out, in broad terms, how to develop an Adaptive workplace using communication tools, such as Slack and automated chatbots, or bots, which can offer advice and help with repetitive tasks, and are designed to meet a company or team’s specific needs. Numerous examples from Creel’s experiences developing Adaptive teams at multiple companies provide detailed illustrations of the process, and of the opportunities it presents for businesses. The book concludes with an assessment of potential challenges to implementing an Adaptive structure in the workplace, but its overall message is one of strong support for the concept. Creel is a dynamic writer (“There is something inherently less agitating about a bot suggesting you should do something good for you than a human telling you the same thing”), and it’s not hard to get swept up in his enthusiasm for the topic. That said, his description of tools that are “designed to gamify work discipline” does seem excessively utopian. The explanations of how to implement various techniques are generally clear and actionable, although many readers will need to look elsewhere for specifics regarding the aforementioned bots, which are a crucial element of the Adaptive system. The book is also hampered by the author’s tendency to vaguely attribute conclusions to “studies” and “research” without providing specifics. On the whole, however, Creel provides a thought-provoking, enjoyable text that provides some solid insights about making meaningful changes in the workplace.
An often engaging argument for taking a more holistic approach to office work.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5445-0268-7
Page Count: 274
Publisher: Lioncrest Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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