Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62199
IS ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION DESTROYING DIVERSITY IN CULTURAL PRODUCTS, SUCH AS MUSIC, LITERATURE, CINEMA, CUISINE, AND VISUAL ARTS? exchange may reduce cultural diver- sity across societies, Cowen reminds us that it increases diversity within societies by expanding the menu of choice. Trade, through a dynamic process that resembles Schumpeter's original creative destruction, increas- es diversity over time by accelerating innovation and change. It also increases operative diversity, which Cowen defines as how effectively we can enjoy the diversity of the world. Cowen is most effective when he Globalization and Diversity Is economic globaliza- tion destroying diversity in cultural products, such as music, literature, cinema, cuisine, and visual arts? Tyler Cowen offers a structured, optimistic response to this difficult question under the clever title of Creative Destruction. While admitting that global the business of exporting cultural brands—which by most accounts still requires a strategic, financially sound, research-based approach and is more likely to be unsuccessful than successful. Overall, however, the book is an engrossing read. (Princeton Univer sity Press, $27.95) —reviewed by Dan LeClair AACSB International is given to the role of international institutions in preserving traditional art forms or intersection of social norms and cultural arts. Cowen also doesn't deal with views globalization from an econom- ic viewpoint, as when he carefully describes the gains from trade in cul- tural goods and isolates industry drivers to explain the evolution of geographic clustering in the film industry. He's also intriguing when he attaches a technical definition to a society's ethos; he argues that socie- ty relies on trade for innovation and growth and cannot survive without critical mass. He differentiates inten- sive consumers ("hobbyists") from extensive ones ("channel surfers") and questions who has an incentive to monitor quality when a culture is "dumbed down." This slim volume may seem incomplete to some readers. Funda - mental questions about property rights, which have become especially important in a digital environment, are left unexplored. Little attention Quick Looks In 1998, Nancy L. Zimpher came to the University of Wisconsin Milwau - kee as its chancellor and immediately began the process of transforming the university. Her vision was of an engaged urban institution that was a resource for the community as well as the academic and student popula- tions. A Time for Boldness, written by Zimpher, Stephen L. Percy, and Mary Jane Brukardt, tells the story of UMW's slow, messy, glorious evo- lution. It is a detailed examination of the committees formed, the promis- es made, the people involved, the mistakes endured, and the triumphs achieved. It's a highly interesting chronicle for any public university seeking a greater connection to its city or its state. (Anker Publishing Company, $39.95) You may have come up with a num- ber of creative comparisons between your workplace and some other insti- tution, but you've probably never considered how your office resembles a monastery. Anna Fargo, writing in The Patron Saint of Business Manage - ment, has done it for you. Breaking down the Rule of St. Benedict into small chapters, she first presents the saint's guidelines for living the monas tic life and then interprets how they apply to today's corporate setting. St. Benedict decrees that "When ever weighty matters are to be transacted in the monastery, let the Abbot call together the whole com- munity, and make known the matter which is to be considered." Fargo explains, "Com munication is the cornerstone of a healthy company." Excom mun i ca tion at the monastery is likened to firing from a company. Here and there, a comparison is rather too much of a stretch, but the parallels between fifth-century monastic life and 21st-century corpo- rate life are intriguing enough to consider on your own. (Insomniac Press, $15.95) good, and find your true calling so that you never simply "work" again. Travis L. Sample's inspirational book Humanizing Change lays out his eight principles for achieving what he calls "personal and professional alignment." He draws examples from thinkers as diverse as Jack Welch and Mahatma Gandhi while providing a road map for those who want to examine and truly change their careers—and their lives. (Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, $37) ■ z BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2003 59 Learning and applying the tools of self- discovery can change your life, enabling you to set pri- orities, commit yourself to the common