Firm Commitment

A constructive critique of the commercial corporation and ultimately an ambiguous agenda for change. Worthy of wide readership because it is also a carefully weighed historical reflection, and thus unlike the majority of books published in this genre. * Oxford Today Vol. 25 No. 2 *
A provocative book ... Mayer's critique of the modern corporation will resonate with millions who sense that something serious has gone amiss. * Bloomberg News *
There is no shortage of reflections on the market failure in the West. [But this is] not just another fashionable tome on the topic. Rather, it is a solemn contemplation of the roots of corporations' defects. You can sense the seriousness of his thoughts in every line. * China Daily *
A smart new book. * The Atlantic *
An important book. It provides an impressive explanation of the state of things and a blueprint for converting the corporation into a 21st century organisation that could perhaps be trusted to promote the interests of economies and societies everywhere. * New Zealand Management *
Mayer makes his case clearly and passionately. * Financial Times Summer Books Guide *
An outspoken book ... This is not a theoretical debate but one of urgent importance for economies around the world. * GRC-Daily (Governance, Risk Management and Compliance) *
The combination of theory and its commercial application comes through in this thoughtful study of the corporation. The analysis is quality. * Neil Hedges, Management Today *
Blunt ... thoughtful ... thought-provoking. * Eric Krell, Business Finance Magazine *
Lays out a plan for a radical rethink of the purpose of the corporation. * CSRwire.com *
Lucid analysis * John Lloyd, Financial Times *
Corporate governance is manifestly in crisis: in this lucid and truly important book Colin Mayer explains why. Not only should you read this book, so should governments. * Paul Collier, author of 'The Bottom Billion' *
An impassioned and important plea for a reorientation of values in the modern corporation, offered by one of the world's leading scholars of corporate finance, ownership, and control. * Henry Hansmann, Oscar M. Ruebhausen Professor of Law, Yale Law School *
Companies and wealth generation, as Professor Colin Mayer argues in his important book, are about co-creation, sharing risk and long-term trust relationships. * Will Hutton, The Observer *
One lesson of the financial crisis is that the corporation which is a purely financial entity is a financial failure. Colin Mayer makes an important contribution to the rethinking of the nature of modern capitalism. * John Kay, Chairman, Kay Review of Equity Markets and Long Term Decision Making *
Modern theory on incentives, ownership and control of large publicly-traded corporations is broken. In Firm Commitment, Colin Mayer makes a huge and thoughtful contribution to fixing the broken theory. I heartily endorse his prescriptions -- values, trustees and time-based shares -- which are at the same time practical and break-through. Anyone interested in the future of democratic capitalism should read this book. * Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto *
Original and provocative, Colin Mayer's ideas on reforming the corporation deserve very serious attention. * John Roberts, Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of 'The Modern Firm' *