THE TEMPORARY SOCIETY

Change is not new; what is new is the acceleration of change in contemporary society. Authors Bennis (formerly professor of organizational management and psychology at M.I.T., currently Provost of the State University at Buffalo) and Slater (teaching sociology at Brandeis) apply a systems approach to American society, postulate a temporary society in which persons would be interchangeable (with the provision that they must also become more fully, not less, human). An extension of the common interest principle would provide a cohesive force; the question of the temporary family system remains open. Leadership would move beyond the ""great man"" theory; managerial skill would be as important as substantive competence. The authors feel that democracy is the only system that can successfully cope with the changing demands of society. They systematically douse the tradition-oriented reader with a cold shower of fresh ideas and insights to startle, stimulate.