In Praise of Nepotism: A Natural History

by Adam Bellow

Book Overview

Nepotism is one of those social habits we all claim to deplore in America; it offends our sense of fair play and our pride in living in a meritocracy. But somehow nepotism prevails; we all want to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385493886
• ISBN13: 9780385493888
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 576 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.3" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Not Just Business, It's Personal

OK, Godfather jokes are cliches but seem apt here. For some reason when people think of "family business" they think of that particular family. Be that as it may This is a book that tells of Nepotism in history and it's effects. It must be understood that the author has a pretty wide definition of Nepotism. What most people think of, is the misuse of an office to gain privileges for family and friends by corrupt means. The author extends that to any kind of family traditionalism. And says there are good effects as well as bad effects. I can see his point. I have never quite felt the contempt for or indignation at "rich kids" that some have felt for it always seemed a little like blaming people for their ancestry. And I have never felt particularly horrified by the occasional dynastic politician. It seemed to me to kind of humanize politics, and as the alternative would be to have politicians who wanted power or thought they were "what the country needed" perhaps a politician who is running because daddy wants him to isn't so bad as long as he has no institutionalized advantage from it. As the author points out, a strict meritocracy, should such an impossibility exist, has the danger of creating a ruling class that feels over independent and has little sense of responsibility(this can be corrected, by the way, by instilling esprit de corps in a given meritocracy but perhaps that cannot be institutionalized until it reaches into the family structure in a manner similar to Roman families or Jane Austen style naval families). The book doesn't just cover government families which is what we would think of, but a wide range of traditional family occupations including, perhaps inevitably, the Mafia. It shows how "Nepotism" rightly understood can produce a drive to succeed just as wrongly understood it can produce corruption. As is common in such books I liked the historical interest more then "the message" It's basic point of course is that "nepotism"(as the author defines it) is part of human nature, and it might be better for a society to take advantage of it then to try to destroy it. He does have a point. Maybe it is not just business but it really is personal.

Quite Brilliant with small flaws

This very original piece of work describes the history and biological basis of nepotism. This book has been described as a `polemic' which it surely is not, instead it is an interesting, very calmly argued accounting of nepotism through the ages. The riveting begins with a description of the Godfather and nepotism in America, especially the widely held view that George Bush and Al Gore are examples of the `new' American nepotism. The argument proceeds to describe nepotism in non-western societies, such as China, Africa and of course the caste system of India, including biological descriptions of nepotism among animals and nepotism at the tribal and clan level. Then we are given an introduction to western nepotism, the Romans, the Greeks, the Jews, the rise of the Church and Charlemagne's family. The second section of the book describes nepotism in America from the 1700s to the present. The waves of American immigration are discussed, the separate cultures of North and South, the rise of the Boston Brahmins, the Roosevelt's and the Kennedy's. Given the claim that nepotism has deep roots in America the book desires to discover how it is that America, alone among the nation of the book made the condemnation of nepotism a prime value, a value that has led to success and strength, including the meritocracy. A very interesting book, part history, part sociology. The only flaw here is that it concentrates on a few examples and individuals, describing these peoples rise without giving context of the grander scheme of nepotism. Seth J. Frantzman

An outstanding study

This is an outstanding study of a highly interesting subject. Before reading this I had a sense of nepotism playing a part in the world, but now I have a far stronger sense of how real this phenomenom is even today. One only has to take a look at present day popular culture to see the scions of the famous becoming all out of proportion to the average, famous themselves. Bellow provides an excellent historical analysis of nepotism in different periods and among different kinds of population. There is a strong suggestion that nepotism is a universal of human life and culture, given the fact that parents often care more about their children than they do about anything else in the world. However one important point Bellow repeatedly makes is that ' being a close relative is not alone enough'. If one lacks the talent and ability then in time one loses the power and place. I myself take a special interest in the passing of spiritual legacies generation to generation, and dynasties of great 'minds'. One interesting point which does not particularly relate to this book. None of the great philosopher as far as I know has a child who is a great philosophers. But in the world of Jewish spiritual life, and Torah learning, there are great dynasties like for instance the Soloveitchik family. Here the heritage and the education within the family are crucial. A parallel might be made in the world of music with the Bach family, with their one overwhelming genius, their two top flight composers and their hundreds of musicians through many generations. This book should be of interest to everyone who cares about people, and about the way the world works. It is an outstanding study.

Praise for `Nepotism'

This is a highly original and interesting book that capturedmy attention from beginning to end. Bellow's points are well made and caused me to rethink my standard assumptions.His writing would make his father proud!I highly recommend this book.

America's love/hate relationship with nepotism

The historical sections which make up the bulk of the book are very good. The author does a fine job of describing the biological imperatives of nepotism, classical nepotism, colonial nepotism, etc. Those chapters detailing the successes and failures of different practitioners of nepotism through the ages are fascinating to read.The specifically American version of modern nepotism is described by Bellow as being forgiving toward nepotism for providing entrée into social, employment and power positions so long as the beneficiary subsequently proves themselves by merit. Family fumblers are appropriately punished in the author's view and family dynasties which fail the individual/generational meritocracy test do indeed go "from shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations".The conclusion seemed like a cheap eraser jammed onto the end of an expensive mechanical pencil. It appears to have been cobbled together in a hurry and does not read like carefully reasoned inferences drawn from the historical sections of the book. The conclusion provides prescriptive attitudes regarding nepotism in modern society and this is by far the weakest part of the book.The irony of writing about nepotism as the son of a famous author is not lost on Bellow. This book will be a boon to nephew-hiring dynasts everywhere.