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I'll Be Short: Essentials for a Decent Working Society
'I don't like the basic philosophy that everyone is on their own, out for themselves, a kind of social Darwinism. It's bad for society, especially now. . . . Call me crotchety, but I can't help asking, whatever happened to the social contract?'
The get-rich-quick exuberance of the late nineties may have temporarily blinded us to how dependent we are on one another. Subsequent events serve as reminders that the strength of our economy and the security of our society rest on the bonds that connect us. But what, specifically, are these bonds? What do we owe one another as members of the same society?
With his characteristic humor, humanity, and candor, one of the nation's most distinguished public leaders and thinkers delivers a fresh vision of politics by returning to basic American workers should share in the success of their companies; those who work should not have to live in poverty; and everyone should have access to an education that will better their chances in life.
An insider who knows how the economy and government really work, Reich combines realistic solutions with democratic ideals. Businesses do have civic responsibilities, and government must stem a widening income gap that threatens to stratify our nation. And everyone must get involved to help return us to a society that works for everyone.
The get-rich-quick exuberance of the late nineties may have temporarily blinded us to how dependent we are on one another. Subsequent events serve as reminders that the strength of our economy and the security of our society rest on the bonds that connect us. But what, specifically, are these bonds? What do we owe one another as members of the same society?
With his characteristic humor, humanity, and candor, one of the nation's most distinguished public leaders and thinkers delivers a fresh vision of politics by returning to basic American workers should share in the success of their companies; those who work should not have to live in poverty; and everyone should have access to an education that will better their chances in life.
An insider who knows how the economy and government really work, Reich combines realistic solutions with democratic ideals. Businesses do have civic responsibilities, and government must stem a widening income gap that threatens to stratify our nation. And everyone must get involved to help return us to a society that works for everyone.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
1 person is currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Robert B. Reich
54Ìýbooks1,128ÌýfollowersRobert Bernard Reich is an American politician, academic, and political commentator. He served as Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997. Reich is a former Harvard University professor and the former Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. He is currently a professor at the University of California, Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. Mr. Reich is also on the board of directors of Tutor.com. He is a trustee of the Economists for Peace and Security. He is an occasional political commentator, notably on Hardball with Chris Matthews, This Week with George Stephanopoulos and CNBC's Kudlow & Company.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 26, 2008
Reich has knowledge and experience far out of proportion to his diminutive stature. Reich sees the growing economic distance between the uppers and the rest of us. He offers wisdom, solutions and a decent measure of humor. This is a guy who is worth hearing.
January 25, 2008
I had to return it to the library before i finished it but it was going great
it is short and very layman
i recommend it
i need to get back and check it out again
it is short and very layman
i recommend it
i need to get back and check it out again
August 27, 2019
Where have all the jobs gone?/Gone to India, everyone
This is a liberal politician's book aimed at convincing everyone that the minimum wage, for example, ought to be raised, and that health care, day care, and other benefits for the "working poor" are not just good morality but good business. Reich's bottom line argument is that happy and healthy workers are more productive. And you can out-source THAT to India.
The problem is that happy and healthy, or unhappy and not so healthy, foreign workers are still cheaper, and that is where the jobs have gone and are going. No argument from morality is going to stop that. His argument, sliced a little finer, is that American companies need to make American workers happier and healthier at home so that don't have to out source; that is, make them happier than their cheaper cousins in Bangladesh and they will produce more goods and services (albeit at a living wage) and everybody in America will profit both economically and morally.
If only. I think Reich is right that making workers happier and healthier will make them more productive. But I don't think that will solve the problem of jobs going overseas. US companies will simply use the same happier, healthier techniques (at a cheaper cost) overseas and they'll still send the jobs away.
Reich's argument that spending more money on education and job training, on the other hand, is the right way to go. If America's work force is the best educated and most skilled it will out-compete foreign labor for the work and the work will stay right here. Indeed foreign companies will move their plants to the United States to get the best employees.
Reich's indictment of the Bush administration for its "semireligious faith" in "trickle-down" economics is based on the observation that "corporations and rich individuals," blessed with even more riches, will simply invest the money overseas because "investment dollars" in today's economy "travel the world in search of the highest return." (p. 116) I believe Reich is right about this and that the Bush administration is living in the fantasy land of a long-dead Keynesian past. At any rate, we'll see in a few years.
All and all this is a good book of its kind except I wish that Reich had not brought his wife's failure to get tenure at an unnamed university into the mix. He points to that day as the day he became a feminist. I don't think arguments about gender politics help his economic agenda. The fact that he called up one of those who voted against his wife and called him an SOB may understandably make Reich feel better, but I wonder how I would feel if I had lost a tenure vote and my wife called up one of the voters and called her a name.
Reich's rationale for injecting gender into the discussion is in answer to the constant harping by social conservatives on what they call "family values." Reich makes the point that it's fine to talk about vague "family values" when you are financially secure and have someone at home to take care of the kids. It's a different story when the sole support (the mother) has to work and commute to work fifty or sixty hours a week and can't afford a nanny or day care. Family values must be centered on home economics is Reich's argument (p. 106), and it is a good one. Also good is Reich's answer to the "blame-mongers" who peddle "simplistic explanations" for the decline of "family values": "They demonize people on welfare while doing nothing to end corporate welfare." (p. 101)
A question worth asking (and one I wish Reich had devoted some serious ink to) is, If no solution is found to the growing chasm between the haves and the have nots in this country, what will be the social consequences? Will we see terrorism adopted by the poor people in our cities and on our rust belt factories and farms as a means of acting out their frustrations? Or will they be docile sheep? As the entire world becomes more and more polarized between the first and third worlds, will terrorism become an instrument of the deprived as it is now of religious fundamentalists?
Perhaps a powerful argument for sharing the wealth (Reich calls it "redistributing capital" rather than the old-fashioned redistribution of wealth--but it amounts to the same thing) can be found in these dire thoughts. I don't believe that poverty is the root cause of terrorism in the world today. Osama Bin Laden is not a poor man. But it may become a cause in the future if the present tend continues.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is�
This is a liberal politician's book aimed at convincing everyone that the minimum wage, for example, ought to be raised, and that health care, day care, and other benefits for the "working poor" are not just good morality but good business. Reich's bottom line argument is that happy and healthy workers are more productive. And you can out-source THAT to India.
The problem is that happy and healthy, or unhappy and not so healthy, foreign workers are still cheaper, and that is where the jobs have gone and are going. No argument from morality is going to stop that. His argument, sliced a little finer, is that American companies need to make American workers happier and healthier at home so that don't have to out source; that is, make them happier than their cheaper cousins in Bangladesh and they will produce more goods and services (albeit at a living wage) and everybody in America will profit both economically and morally.
If only. I think Reich is right that making workers happier and healthier will make them more productive. But I don't think that will solve the problem of jobs going overseas. US companies will simply use the same happier, healthier techniques (at a cheaper cost) overseas and they'll still send the jobs away.
Reich's argument that spending more money on education and job training, on the other hand, is the right way to go. If America's work force is the best educated and most skilled it will out-compete foreign labor for the work and the work will stay right here. Indeed foreign companies will move their plants to the United States to get the best employees.
Reich's indictment of the Bush administration for its "semireligious faith" in "trickle-down" economics is based on the observation that "corporations and rich individuals," blessed with even more riches, will simply invest the money overseas because "investment dollars" in today's economy "travel the world in search of the highest return." (p. 116) I believe Reich is right about this and that the Bush administration is living in the fantasy land of a long-dead Keynesian past. At any rate, we'll see in a few years.
All and all this is a good book of its kind except I wish that Reich had not brought his wife's failure to get tenure at an unnamed university into the mix. He points to that day as the day he became a feminist. I don't think arguments about gender politics help his economic agenda. The fact that he called up one of those who voted against his wife and called him an SOB may understandably make Reich feel better, but I wonder how I would feel if I had lost a tenure vote and my wife called up one of the voters and called her a name.
Reich's rationale for injecting gender into the discussion is in answer to the constant harping by social conservatives on what they call "family values." Reich makes the point that it's fine to talk about vague "family values" when you are financially secure and have someone at home to take care of the kids. It's a different story when the sole support (the mother) has to work and commute to work fifty or sixty hours a week and can't afford a nanny or day care. Family values must be centered on home economics is Reich's argument (p. 106), and it is a good one. Also good is Reich's answer to the "blame-mongers" who peddle "simplistic explanations" for the decline of "family values": "They demonize people on welfare while doing nothing to end corporate welfare." (p. 101)
A question worth asking (and one I wish Reich had devoted some serious ink to) is, If no solution is found to the growing chasm between the haves and the have nots in this country, what will be the social consequences? Will we see terrorism adopted by the poor people in our cities and on our rust belt factories and farms as a means of acting out their frustrations? Or will they be docile sheep? As the entire world becomes more and more polarized between the first and third worlds, will terrorism become an instrument of the deprived as it is now of religious fundamentalists?
Perhaps a powerful argument for sharing the wealth (Reich calls it "redistributing capital" rather than the old-fashioned redistribution of wealth--but it amounts to the same thing) can be found in these dire thoughts. I don't believe that poverty is the root cause of terrorism in the world today. Osama Bin Laden is not a poor man. But it may become a cause in the future if the present tend continues.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is�
January 9, 2024
"I'll be Short: Essentials for a Decent Working Society" by Robert B. Reich argues for a shift in American priorities to help create a more equitable and prosperous society for all. Notably, this book was written following the dot-com bubble and 9/11 attacks, although it's arguments and call-to-action remain relevant two decades later.
Reich identifies several social and economic problems effecting America, namely:
� Growing income inequality, stagnant wage growth, and declining job security continue to weaken the lower and middle classes creating two trenches in American society with disparate experiences
� Corporations are deeply embedded into political processes, leading to policies that favor the wealthy and large businesses over ordinary citizens
� Due to factors like unequal access to capital, education, and healthcare, opportunities for upward mobility are increasingly tilted towards the middle-upper class and fading for those in lower-income segments
Reich pitches several principles to build a "decent working society", including:
� Profit sharing with company employees, opportunities for employee ownership, and higher minimum wages
� Access to quality education and healthcare irrespective of household income
� Progressive taxation to generate revenue for social programs and infrastructure that benefit all of society
Reich offers a compelling thesis and digs into specific solutions in his vision for building a "decent working society". I found this book to be thought-provoking, and although, roughly two decades old, still relevant to issues we face in American society today. Admittedly, this book is heavily biased towards readers who lean liberal, reflecting the author's own views, but still offers a compelling message in bettering American society for all Americans.
Reich identifies several social and economic problems effecting America, namely:
� Growing income inequality, stagnant wage growth, and declining job security continue to weaken the lower and middle classes creating two trenches in American society with disparate experiences
� Corporations are deeply embedded into political processes, leading to policies that favor the wealthy and large businesses over ordinary citizens
� Due to factors like unequal access to capital, education, and healthcare, opportunities for upward mobility are increasingly tilted towards the middle-upper class and fading for those in lower-income segments
Reich pitches several principles to build a "decent working society", including:
� Profit sharing with company employees, opportunities for employee ownership, and higher minimum wages
� Access to quality education and healthcare irrespective of household income
� Progressive taxation to generate revenue for social programs and infrastructure that benefit all of society
Reich offers a compelling thesis and digs into specific solutions in his vision for building a "decent working society". I found this book to be thought-provoking, and although, roughly two decades old, still relevant to issues we face in American society today. Admittedly, this book is heavily biased towards readers who lean liberal, reflecting the author's own views, but still offers a compelling message in bettering American society for all Americans.
September 26, 2017
The double entendre on Robert Reich's height adds nice humor to the content of the book. Though from 2002, this book is remarkable in how little the basic arguments and situations have changed from the original date. Fortunately, it not a lot worse. Unfortunately, it is not a lot better in terms of the problems Reich discusses. Then it was Bush, now it is Trump. What is also remarkable is the degree to which his suggestions on how to combat the problems and issues are being implemented and grassroots organizations in resistance to the moves to deconstruct democracy are developing. My concern was this little book would be dated. It is, still, contemporary with the issues facing the reader 15 years later. Well done, Robert! It is a fairly quick read and worth looking for even now.
November 14, 2023
When I checked this book out from the library randomly, I didn't realize it was published in 2002. In some ways, this book felt like a time capsule, in other ways all the points still feel so valid 20+ years later. The arguments are well-crafted, so I give it 4/5 stars, but Reich has newer, more relevant books, so I'd recommend reading the newer books instead of this one!
November 9, 2018
I’ll be Short, Essentials for a Decent Working Society by Robert Reich (pp 121). In this surprisingly easy to read book(let), Reich tackles what he describes as the “Social Contract� (an invisible but very real commitment we all have to each others� welfare), Corporate Citizenship (a responsibility beyond maximizing profit), adequate compensation for labor, access to good education, and pervasive sexism. In effect, Reich has written the framework for countless readers� personal memoirs: just add your own name, personal details, and life outcomes. By interweaving your own stories into the societal sketch he provides, you can see how your own fortunes have benefitted or been thwarted by forces outside your own control. Most of my friends will see how they flourished, in part because of systems stacked in their favor, but should also see how others have not been so lucky. Whether a reader accepts or disbelieves Reich’s worldview may indicate whether they see the righteousness of unfettered competition (at the expense of the unworthy poor) or the need for society to ensure the welfare of all its citizens.
In short, I loved this book.
In short, I loved this book.
February 24, 2008
I have always admired and enjoyed listening to Robert Reich. He is a thinker and is thoughtful in his opinions. Unfortunately his opinions are that of a liberal minded person that view humans behavior under the lens of how they should act, not how they naturally act.
Public policy should bot be based on theories and ideals, but in my view on cause and effect. This is where Mr. Reich and I part company. So why do I read such books? As they say keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Public policy should bot be based on theories and ideals, but in my view on cause and effect. This is where Mr. Reich and I part company. So why do I read such books? As they say keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
January 16, 2010
Written in 2002 at the start of the Bush years and before the economic meltdown, it's now easy to see his warnings were spot on. But rather than set aside this book as 'old news', it's worth a read -- his message is even more relevant today. Businesses have civic responsibility, widening income gap is corrosive, and our involvement, rather than resignaton, is key.
Plus, any guy under 5 ft. tall with the guts/humor to call his book "I'll Be Short" deserves a bit of attention.
Plus, any guy under 5 ft. tall with the guts/humor to call his book "I'll Be Short" deserves a bit of attention.
July 10, 2021
I'm only giving it 2 stars because I don't think it's particularly useful to read now. I'm sure back in 2002 this was an important set of considerations...but the world has changed a lot in two decades and I know Robert has too.
There were some good tidbits on a Corporations responsibility...but the more "Culture-War" topics were outdated and as I said, not useful.
No suited for modern-day reading.
There were some good tidbits on a Corporations responsibility...but the more "Culture-War" topics were outdated and as I said, not useful.
No suited for modern-day reading.
July 28, 2008
You know a book has a sense of humor when the 4'10" author titles it "i'll be short". savvy thoughtful and quick... it is a good place to start a broader look at modern working class structures. he might not advocate revolution but he definitely would revolutionize modern working conditions and general labor policy.
November 17, 2008
This was short, so not a lot of details or tough arguments, but basically says we should be working together and it would better us all. I like Reich's liberal ideas and vision but it's easy to agree what is wrong and what could be better, today I want ideas and answers for how to get there. Maybe his other (thicker) book, Supercapitalism, should be my next read.
August 5, 2014
Robert Reich for President. Or, better yet, for Congress, a Congress of one. Then maybe all the things wrong with our country would get fixed. Mr. Reich describes some of the solutions to the problems George Packer identifies in "The Unwinding." The work is very prescient. Read it in conjunction with Mr. Reich's movie "Inequality for All."
March 4, 2008
Quick read. Reich in a nutshell. Innovative ideas on rebuilding the work force and how American can succeed again. A little dated as written pre- or immediately post 9/11 during the darkest depths the Bush presidency when it looked like hope had died forever.
October 15, 2007
I'm currently in love with Robert Reich, so I'm just gobbling up all he has to say. While I don't agree with all of it, I find him a very engaging speaker and writer.
February 17, 2011
A bit dated, but good, solid Robert Reich as always-
January 23, 2016
I have a huge WONK crush on Reich!
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