What does it mean to carry out "good work"? What strategies allow people to maintain moral and ethical standards at a time when market forces wield unprecedented power and work life is being radically altered by technological innovation? These are the questions at the heart of this important collaboration by three leaders in psychology. Enlivened with stories of real people facing hard decisions, Good Work offers powerful insight into one of the most important issues of our time and, indeed, into the future course of science, technology, and communication.

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The three contributing authors have impressive academic credentials and I suppose this work will be used in university classrooms throughout the country, but I think the people who really need to hear the message that technology, economics and ethics can (and should) co-exist will not be attracted to this format.

The authors define people who do good work as: "People who do good work, in our sense of the term, are clearly skilled in one or more professional realms. At the same time, rather than merely following money or fame alone, or choosing the path of least resistance when in conflict, they are thoughtful about their responsibilities and the implications of their work."

The authors spend a lot of time discussing Journalism and Genetics and how ethics and good work in these two arenas are under seige from a market-driven economy. They offer up solutions on how to restore good work to the world and they share their methods of studying good work and their interviewing protocols, but the subject matter is just too academic for the average worker who struggles with ethics v. economics.

Maybe the book will reach university professors...and they'll share it with their students...and they'll go out into the world and strive to do 'good work.'

Let's hope so.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

The potential to change our attitudes about work foreverAug 12, 2005
By Daniel J. Klotz
Howard Gardner has forever altered the landscape of American education through his development of the notion of "muliple intelligences," which says that people (including children and adolescents) can be "smart" in various ways. If reading, writing, and 'rithmatic aren't a person's strong spots, he may still be very bright in other areas. When Gardner first began studying and writing about multiple intelligences, it seemed revolutionary. Now it defines the accepted mainstream in how adept teachers conduct their classrooms.

When such a great mind decides that he wants to turn away from multiple intelligences theory and put his energies elsewhere (for the rest of his life if he can find the funding), it is worth noting what that area is. Gardner has explicitly said the subject of "Good Work" (both what it is and how we can foster and encourage it) so interests and engages him that he could study it for decades to come. It seems to me that suggests it's not a bad idea to inquire what "Good Work" is all about.

Gardner and his colleagues wonder what work that is both excellent (of the highest quality, no cut corners) and ethical (of the sort that makes you proud to look yourself in the mirror and announce what you do for a living) looks like and where it thrives. Their approach is simultaneously scientifically rigourous and achievably applicable.

We live in a time when the corporate model of profit through any means (or any means that won't turn away most consumers) dominates the business mindframe. We need a new paradigm and vocabulary for discussing what success is all about and how it can be reached. Gardner and his partners have begun that great work.

4 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Good Learning for Career & HR Professionals!Jul 26, 2003
By Kamal Kant
An excellent read for career and human resource professionals. Written by three very eminently qualified professionals, it provides an in-depth study about professionals and the choices they make. Using illustrations from the medical and journalistic professions, it gives a reader a focused and clear understanding of what good work is all about.

An important book with a critical message...Nov 28, 2006
By Marion E. Gold "Book Author & Editorial Writer"
While heavy in theory this is a very important book that is worth the time and effort required to read it. It is a book that belongs on the reading list of every high school and trade school teacher, college instructors and career counselors, and on the desks of all mentors and CEOs - and politicians. That's right - ALL educators, ALL CEOs and ALL politicians. It is a concept that needs to reach students, protégés, parents and all segments of the workforce. In today's educational, business and political environments, the concept of true excellence has disappeared - and I can't help but believe it is because of a total ethics breakdown beginning with educators, business and political leaders, and sifting down to their students, managers, and employees. It all boils down to this: "You only get one chance to make a first impression," so why not do it the right way?

Yes, it is hard to fight the system, to do things the right way instead of bowing to pressure, greed, political compromise -- and a fear to be different. The critical decisions we need in order to meet today's challenges are made with an understanding that to do what's right often takes "guts" - in politics, in business, and in the workforce. (The review is author of "Top Cops: Profiles of Women in Command" and "Personal Publicity Planner: A Guide to Marketing YOU")

0 of 2 found the following review helpful:

spreading the word for good work.Oct 11, 2009
By C. Rigby "looking for a better world"
I purchased this as a gift for my niece. My own well-worn copy was staying with me. The book arrived promptly and in great condition, and was summarily forwarded to the budding family reformer.

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