Table of Contents

Note to the Reader

Chapter 1: A DISORDER WITHOUT A NAME
The Personal is Political
Rankism — Mother of "Isms"
Equal in Dignity
The Myth of Meritocracy
Democracy's Next Step

Chapter 2: USES AND ABUSES OF RANK
Why Rank Matters
Legitimate Uses of Rank
Pulling Rank
Three Vignettes
Kicking the Dog
Is Pulling Rank Human Nature?

Chapter 3: THE TOLL OF RANK ABUSE
On Personal Relationships
On Productivity
      The Intel Example
On Learning
On Leadership
On Spirit

Chapter 4: THE HUNGER FOR RECOGNITION
"And you are...?"
Recognition as Identity Food
Recognition Disorders
Somebodies and Nobodies — A Closer Look
Up and Down the Status Ladder
The Ins and Outs of Nobodyland
The Parade of Invisibles

Chapter 5: THE SOMEBODY MYSTIQUE
The Bricks and Mortar of Consensus
Why We Put Up With Abuses of Power
Nobody, Too
The Genesis of the Somebody Mystique

Chapter 6: DECONSTRUCTING THE SOMEBODY MYSTIQUE
The Function of Heroes
The Inside Story
      About Genius
      About Celebrity
      About Fame
      About Success
The Young Are Disenthralled

Chapter 7: THE QUEST FOR DIGNITY
The DNA of Democracy
Race, Gender, Age, ... Rank
On Naming Rank-Based Discrimination
Beyond Political Correctness
A Dignitarian Movement
King for a Day

Chapter 8: THE ANATOMY OF DISRESPECT
The Democratization of Authority
Family: Kid to Person
Health: Patient to Client
Work: Employee to Partner
      The Enron Example
Learning: Student to Learner
A Better Game than War: Ciphers to Citizens
National Security in the Twenty-First Century
How to Win Respect and Safeguard Dignity

Chapter 9: THE NOBODY REVOLUTION: OVERCOMING RANKISM
Nobodies' Liberation: A Joke or a Movement?
The Nobody Manifesto
The Invisibles Become Visible
Humor, Etiquette, and Golden Rules
Political Realignment
Liberté, Dignité, Égalité, Fraternité

Epilogue
Elegy for Nobodies
Epitaph for Nobodies
Related Readings
Acknowledgements
Index
About the Author

Promotional Information

What corporate corruption, sexual abuse by clergy, and schoolyard bullying all have in common

About the Author

Robert Fuller taught physics at Columbia University in New York, where he co-authored the classic text Mathematics for Classical and Quantum Physics. He then served as president of Oberlin College and, subsequently, worked internationally as a 'citizen diplomat' to promote democracy in developing nations. He has four children, and lives in Berkeley, California.

Reviews

Fuller, former president of Oberlin College, believes there is an insidious force in America that has heretofore gone unrecognized. This "disorder without a name," which he terms "rankism," is discrimination beyond race, gender or educational background. While Fuller observed rankism in action both at Oberlin and as a physics professor at Columbia University, he was only able to fully identify it when he was no longer affiliated with a university. "Lacking the protection of title and status in the years after Oberlin, I experienced what it's like to be taken for a nobody." Fuller goes on to describe the various forms of rankism: scientists taking credit for the work of assistants, nursing home staff treating elderly patients poorly, priests sexually abusing churchgoers, etc. Rankism is an assault on personal dignity and should not be tolerated, says Fuller. According to the author, the condition exists because "rank is linked to power and power protects those who hold it" and "high rank inhibits protests and shields perpetrators." Fuller provides numerous examples, from family dynamics to corporate settings. Although some may argue rankism is just another form of racism, Fuller makes a persuasive case for recognizing this behavior as an abuse of power that transcends race-or gender. But the book falls short of providing enough concrete steps on how to fight this abuse, including only two brief chapters. (Apr.) Forecast: A 10-city author tour, advertising campaign and blurbs from Studs Terkel and Betty Friedan should garner some attention and promote discussion of this "new" concept. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.