From Library Journal Imparato and Harari (both business， Univ. of San Francisco) view the transitional period in society today as the fourth major epochal change， after the Classical period， the Middle Ages， and the Modern period. They argue that to stay competitive and profitable during this transition， business must jump the curve， that is， leave "one pattern of behavior for another." Imparato and Harari's theory consists of four major principles， all of which focus on the customer as the guiding force for company practices. The authors devote two chapters to each principle and one to specific steps for implementing changes successfully. While the principles themselves are not particularly innovative， this book does the best job yet of providing a historical framework when explaining the societal changes affecting businesses today. Recommended for all businesses collections.Gary W. White， Pennsylvania State Univ.， HarrisburgCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Booklist A symptom of our ever-changing workplace is the large number of consultants writing manuals on how to reconfigure a business; however， Imparato and Harari do more than simply outline the steps necessary to leave one stage of development for another. They argue convincingly that we're now entering the fourth epoch--the first three being the classical， middle， and modern ages--which will mandate the adoption of four principles: out-of-the-box thinking， intelligence or a smart organization， the linking of success to values and ideals， and a 100 percent customer guarantee. Their ideas are backed by both corporate examples and copious research; in fact， much of their work distills that of other gurus in the managerial and human-resource fields. Nonetheless， their total output reveals wise strategies to pursue for future growth. Barbara Jacobs See all Editorial Reviews