Perils of Prosperity

About the Book

The most profound social and economic transformation over the last quarter century has been how knowledge and intellectual assets have supplanted physical labor in rearranging work and organizations.  Competition for high-paying, knowledge-intensive jobs has become fierce, as corporations seek out the best talent for the cheapest price. Knowledge-intensive work is the key to long term success.

How will people and organizations succeed? A new nationalism seems counterproductive considering that America’s well being is inextricably linked to the rest of the world.  A purpose-driven life seems unattainable given lifestyles that are  built on brand loyalty and consumption.  Innovation seems an illusion given massive job de-skilling and outsourcing.  Such are the perils of prosperity. Nevertheless, people and organizations must strive to work collaboratively and in innovative ways.

About the Author

John Sarno is president of the Employers Association of New Jersey (www.eanj.org), which advises employers on fair employment practices.  His early career was spent advocating for equal rights and access for people with disabilities.  He later earned a law degree.  A judicial clerkship launched a practice in complex litigation in federal and state courts. He also teaches law and ethics. 

His insight is formed by decades of hard practice and his critique is based on time spent “actually in the arena,” as Theodore Roosevelt might have said.  He lives with his wife Diane and daughters Elizabeth and Carolyn in Warren, New Jersey.