Whether you are socialist or capitalist, you should learn a lot from this book. The book was written a long time ago and it describes a situation of a long time ago. However, I wonder how much of this is history and how much is still appropriate today.

There is much in this book for me to recommend it as a set text for Business Schools: it should be the basis of a case study of what to do, what not to do, what's useful and what isn't.

This is a long read and it contains all sorts of cameos that everyone should appreciate at least a few of. I imagine sociologists and political scientists have taken this book apart for decades now. Let the ordinary man and woman read it now, though.

Since I wrote this tiny review, I have been in correspondence with Reg Johnson. Reg's wife was the grand daughter of Robert Tressell and he is the custodian of the Robert Tressell Family Papers. Take a look at our correspondence and some of the history of this fascinating book.

I have also put together a page that takes us through the life and times of Robert Tressell himself.

25 August + 22 - 23 November 2001