What Management Is

Book excerpt: A book about management, described by guru Peter Drucker as 'a first rate as an introduction for the non-manager and especially for the beginner, but equally excellent as a rounded, complete, and comprehensive `refresher course' for the most experienced executive.' Both a beginner's guide and a bible for one of the greatest social innovations of modern times: the discipline of management. Leading business editor Joan Magretta distils the wisdom of a bewildering sea of books and articles into one simple, clear volume, explaining both the logic of successful organisations and how that logic is embodied in practice by management. Newcomers will find the basics demystified. More experienced managers will recognise a store of useful wisdom and a framework for improving their own performance. In general, the book defines a common standard of managerial literacy that will help all of us to lead more effectively.