Good Business by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

In between scientific testing of the various qualities of margarita to be found at drinking and dining establishments in the lovely colonial city of Morelia and making an absolutely breathtaking trip to see the Monarchs gathered in their winter home, I managed to do some reading. One book was yet another "flow" book by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.



This differs however in that it is less about flow and more philosophical in nature. Basically Csikszentmihalyi argues that businesses (and more importantly their leaders) now have an obligation to do more than deliver a great bottom line. That they are now responsible for creating an environment where each employee can grow, thereby increasing the overall 'good' in society. A thoughtful topic and some very interesting ideas, but I would think quite likely to meet with skepticism in the very places he seeks to change. It is not a long book, and just as an introduction to his ideas on the "flow state" it is a good read and recommended.



If you want to check out how some other people viewed it here are some reviews: Kathleen Caldwell in Hope Magazine; The Corporate Asylum, Satire and Commentary for Discerning Employees; Cathy Alper at 800-CEO-READ Blog; Bruce Rosenstein in USA Today, who also provides a great function by providing a phonetic pronunciation of the author, Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced chick-sent-me-high); and of course the Amazon commentary.