More than a decade of reading histories of business, histories of capitalism, and histories of the business school has led me to a reluctant yet inescapable conclusion: business history is too important to be left to the historians. This is illustrated nowhere better than in Professor Steven Conn’s recent entry in the field, Nothing Succeeds like Failure: The Sad History of American Business Schools.
Generally, when I wade through these anti-business school books, all of which thump the tub against greed—usually obscene greed—my thoughts immediately go to those compelled to write this type of book and to those who read and enjoy this niche genre. It’s not difficult to visualize them. They share a common disposition that is usually more evident than not, and this is captured by the dark joke told of Russians, by Russians, that reveals a certain
Get access to this article, plus the entire archive, by subscribing.