The spirit of evidentiary criticism conveyed in these pages has been influenced by hundreds of authors and their works. A handful of contemporary books stand out, including Phil Rosenzweig’s Halo Effect and Eight Other Business Delusions that Deceive Managers; Jeffrey Pfeffer’s and Robert Sutton’s Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-truths and Total Nonsense; Pfeffer’s Leadership BS; Thomas Sowell’s Economic Facts and Fallacies; Scott Shane’s Illusions of Entrepreneurship; and Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Needless to say I highly recommend these authors and books, for each in their own way dares to call out commonly accepted yet flawed thinking.
I have used empirical evidence, original scholarship, findings from other scholars, the occasional anecdote, and thoughtful opinions of numerous experts to help communicate my positions. My charge has been to provide a critical examination of common maxims that are improperly viewed as universal truths. I encourage critical thinking and welcome a spirited dialogue related to the content in these pages. Furthermore, my criticism is mindful of how difficult it is to execute in many management situations.
I am thankful to several people for their candid reviews and critiques of early concepts and draft chapters. These thoughtful colleagues and friends include Len Deneault, David Castle, Ray McArdle, Thomas Grover, Curtis Lintvedt, Karen Spohn, and Bob Vartabedian. All of these readers are busy professionals, yet they took time to help me work through and refine the manuscript. I will always remember their generosity.
I have benefited from the assistance of several colleagues in the Division of Business at Rivier University, including Amir Toosi, Susan Farina, Chari Henry-Wilson, and James Hussey. As a lifelong fan of libraries and their staff, I would be remiss not to mention the assistance I received from these remarkable institutions and the professionals that serve them. I am thankful to the staff at Rivier’s Regina Library, especially Holly Klump for her diligent efforts with interlibrary loans and Alan Witt for his work in acquisitions related to my needs. The staff of the Pollard Memorial Library, the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium, and Harvard University’s Widener Library have also been helpful and responsive. It should be noted that any errors in this book—be they with regard to grammar, syntax, data, or attributions—are mine and mine alone. My personal opinions expressed in this book do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of any of the fine people or organizations that have assisted me.
I subjected many of my former students to draft chapters, and I am grateful for the feedback in their reflective essays and in-class discussions. Additionally, since many of my positions in this work have been ruminating for several years, I am grateful to past coworkers and superiors that I have learned from—of which there are far too many to name.
It has been a pleasure working with everyone at Business Expert Press and S4Carlisle. From editing to production, the entire team helped make the final stages of the project a smooth and rewarding experience.
Lastly, there are many ups, downs, and late nights involved in this type of project. I have been fortunate to count on my wife, Leanne, for her support and encouragement throughout this long process. For all that and more, I am most grateful.