The failure of success : Americans' ambiguous history of ambition / Lawrence R. Samuel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Samuel, Lawrence R., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

National characteristics, American.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (156 pages)

Place of Publication:

Newcastle upon Tyne, England : Cambridge Scholars Publishing, [2020]

Summary:

"This history of success in the United States illustrates the degree to which personal and professional accomplishments have determined overall life satisfaction. Beyond serving as a guide to the past, present, and future of success in America, especially that found in the business world, this book poses a provocative argument: the standard practice of employing outer-directed measures of success, notably wealth, power, and fame, has worked to the psychological disadvantage of many Americans. More specifically, it shows that a comparative and competitive view of success has made a significant number of individuals feel less successful than if more inner-directed measures were used. Ironically then, the traditional model of success in the United States has been largely a failure. This work offers historians, practitioners, and general readers of non-fiction a blueprint for how to adopt a more meaningful and positive model of success in their everyday lives." --From publisher's description.

Contents:

Striving for utopia

The ABC's of getting ahead

A dreadful delusion

That dirty little word

The case is back

Looking out for number 1

The false promise

The wisdom of failure.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-5275-5417-1

OCLC:

1158452367