The Anatomy of Power

by John Kenneth Galbraith

Book Overview

The Anatomy of Power is a 1983 book by Harvard economist John Kenneth Galbraith. It sought to classify three types of power: compensatory power in which submission is bought, condign power in which... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 039534400X
• ISBN13: 9780395344002
• Release Date: January 1983
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The love of power is the love of ourselves

For prof. Galbraith there are three sorts of power (condign, compensating and conditioned) and three sources of power (personality, property and organization).With these elements he sketches a historical evolution of the West from feudalism to capitalism, integrating as diverse aspects as politics, economics, religion, the family, the military, advertising, media and education.This book was written in 1983, in a sometimes cynical tone, especially in the comments on politicians, businessmen and the military. It contains positive and negative elements.The author predicted the omnipotence of the military and the intelligence organizations, as well as their obsessive need for a specific enemy.He saw the rise of the organizational power, but not the fact that the influence of the transnational corporations would dwarf state and trade union power (see N. Hertz - The silent take-over).A mistake is his underestimation of the power of the media and their message controlled by the powerful.Also, the Darwinian aspect of power is not commented on.But, this small book is still a very worth-while read.