Robert L. Merz
Author of The Ump
About the Author
Works by Robert L. Merz
MERZ; 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Merz, Robert L
- Other names
- Merz, Bob
- Short biography
- Robert L. Merz is a writer and the principal of Values of America Publishing, a New Jersey based company. He is a native Philadelphian who grew up in the shadows of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, with an appreciation for American history. He is a sports enthusiast and avid home town fan. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Tulane University, and a Master's degree in Industrial Relations from The University of Oregon. He has worked for several Fortune 500 companies in the fields of retail sales, management, and marketing. He holds patents in the area of consumer electronics audio, designing innovative speaker products. He is also a music enthusiast having written articles about contemporary and roots music. In addition, he is a songwriter composing several Nashville produced tunes. His main subject matters of interest include; contemporary culture, humor, sports, history, business, and the arts.
- Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
New Jersey, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
Two big things stuck out about this book as I was reading it:
1: This is the kind of book that's going to be read by people who don't need to read it.
2: The most important bits of the book are at least a bit drowned by generic business talk.
I would rate this 3.5 if I could, but the stars don't account for that, so I'm rounding up to 4.
There are a lot of good things to be said about how "Great Men" really aren't, and instead mostly benefit from a whole lot of luck - rich supportive parents, show more some relevant skills, and the sheer good fortune to be in the right place at the right time to push their particular products, plus a general disregard for their employees' and friends' lives and contributions, as well as a willingness to rip them off, as Steve Jobs famously did to Steve Wozniak. However, this book doesn't spend a ton of time on that and instead focuses on contributions that can be made by women and non-white employees.
That highlights the part of the book that I find most contradictory or self-defeating or something or other - the kind of people who need to understand that "Great Men" are not self-contained autonomous units of perfect capitalism are also the least likely kind of person to read books like this. I also don't entirely agree with the author's solution of how to counter the Great Man perception, but I'm not sure I can explain how without completely derailing my own review. Suffice it to say that I find the solution imperfect, although I'm not a business book writer or owner of a publishing company, so what do I know. show less
1: This is the kind of book that's going to be read by people who don't need to read it.
2: The most important bits of the book are at least a bit drowned by generic business talk.
I would rate this 3.5 if I could, but the stars don't account for that, so I'm rounding up to 4.
There are a lot of good things to be said about how "Great Men" really aren't, and instead mostly benefit from a whole lot of luck - rich supportive parents, show more some relevant skills, and the sheer good fortune to be in the right place at the right time to push their particular products, plus a general disregard for their employees' and friends' lives and contributions, as well as a willingness to rip them off, as Steve Jobs famously did to Steve Wozniak. However, this book doesn't spend a ton of time on that and instead focuses on contributions that can be made by women and non-white employees.
That highlights the part of the book that I find most contradictory or self-defeating or something or other - the kind of people who need to understand that "Great Men" are not self-contained autonomous units of perfect capitalism are also the least likely kind of person to read books like this. I also don't entirely agree with the author's solution of how to counter the Great Man perception, but I'm not sure I can explain how without completely derailing my own review. Suffice it to say that I find the solution imperfect, although I'm not a business book writer or owner of a publishing company, so what do I know. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this book, but once I picked it up, I rarely put it down.
So I've been taught lies my whole life about leadership. This book is through a different lens.
Most of history we've been taught about the one great leader IS BS. Collaborative leadership actually results in more success
So I've been taught lies my whole life about leadership. This book is through a different lens.
Most of history we've been taught about the one great leader IS BS. Collaborative leadership actually results in more success
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This novella tells the story of James, a mild-mannered attorney who also serves as a volunteer umpire for a girls' softball league. It's an immersive character study as we watch normally easy-going, even-tempered James become another person in him umpire uniform. The disparity intensifies the longer he serves as an ump, leading his family to question how deep this "second personality" goes. The reader is left pondering questions of identity: Who are we? What makes us who we are? Can we be show more two different people at the same time?
I enjoyed the story, and appreciated the thought-provoking nature of the central theme. show less
I enjoyed the story, and appreciated the thought-provoking nature of the central theme. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.The Great Man Theory Is Bull by Robert Merz is basically one long reality check wrapped in plain English. It’s blunt and honest, and it calls out the nonsense we’ve all been fed about ‘genius leaders’. Merz breaks it down with straight talk that makes sense. A very refreshing read!
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Statistics
- Works
- 5
- Members
- 56
- Popularity
- #291,556
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 44
- ISBNs
- 6
