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This Land of Strangers: The Relationship Crisis That Imperils Home, Work, Politics, and Faith
Relationships are collapsing. It is the crisis that everyone feels but that has gone unnamed. We see the families disintegrating; communities in chaos; businesses losing the trust of customers and employees; political and religious discourse that sows dysfunction and divide. Yet until now, the dots have not been connected that reveal the larger narrative. Cumulatively, our broken relationships have a death grip on economic, political, and social advancements that capitalism, democracy, and social initiatives have been unable to break. This crisis feeds an emerging caste Individuals and organizations that possess superior relationships thrive , while those with deteriorating relationships are destined to decline . In This Land of Strangers , Robert Hall lays the crisis bare, and you will be shocked at the magnitude of destruction he reveals.
Hall's best-selling business book, The Streetcorner Strategy for Winning Local Markets , helped spawn the customer relationship management movement. Now, with deep passion and insight borne from three decades of study, he widens the lens to look at the breadth of our relational decline and the societal trends that got us here. Focusing on four key domains - home, work, politics, and faith - he presents wide-ranging research that explores the unraveling of our life-giving relationships and the attendant costs. He debunks the assumption that we can build better lives and a stronger society on crumbling relationships.
With engaging narrative style and stories, Hall looks at modern life through the prism of relationships. He challenges readers to embrace three aims that will reverse the forces that gave birth to today's land of strangers to usher in a new era - the Age of Relationship.
Hall's best-selling business book, The Streetcorner Strategy for Winning Local Markets , helped spawn the customer relationship management movement. Now, with deep passion and insight borne from three decades of study, he widens the lens to look at the breadth of our relational decline and the societal trends that got us here. Focusing on four key domains - home, work, politics, and faith - he presents wide-ranging research that explores the unraveling of our life-giving relationships and the attendant costs. He debunks the assumption that we can build better lives and a stronger society on crumbling relationships.
With engaging narrative style and stories, Hall looks at modern life through the prism of relationships. He challenges readers to embrace three aims that will reverse the forces that gave birth to today's land of strangers to usher in a new era - the Age of Relationship.
340 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2012
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About the author
Robert E. Hall
91 books2 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Robert Ernest "Bob" Hall is an American economist and a Robert and Carole McNeil Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_...
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Robert Ernest "Bob" Hall is an American economist and a Robert and Carole McNeil Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 21, 2012
THIS LAND OF STRANGERS by Robert E. Hall is a nonfiction commentary on how Americans have devalued relationships in all aspects of life -- family, friends, work, politics, religion, etc. This devaluing is the single most destructive trend that threatens our society emotionally, socially, politically and economically. Hall drives home the simple truth: relationships are our single most valuable and value-creating possession. And who better to write a book like this than Hall?
Hall is the co-founder and CEO of a 200 person relationship management firm with offices in the United States, Canada, Latin America, United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. He has worked with major corporations on customer-employee relations.
Only two words can be used to describe this book: THOUGHT PROVOKING. I myself have often wondered why it is so hard to make and keep new friends, how to relate to co-workers. For years, I thought that the problem was me -- I was just a person no one really wanted to talk to, that I was boring. Turns out, it is more than just me. It is widespread.
We live in a society where asking for help is frowned upon and the more independent you can be, the better. People who admit that they need friends and family are slightly looked down on. It is a sign of weakness and once a person shows weakness, the others in the pack pounce on that person and devour him. It's really sad.
Hall tells a story that really helps drive the point home in how much relationships have been devalued. Back in his grandfather's time, a farmer was on the verge of losing his land. No one in his family could help him. The bank would not help him. Only one miserly man, who he had managed to form a relationship with, saved the farmer from the situation. Such a story now is one of the past.
And where does it all start? Family. One of the biggest factors -- the divorce rate. People no longer value marriage the way they did before. People enter a marriage thinking that if they do not get along, they can always get divorced. Very few people want to fix what is broken. They would rather just throw it away. Another big factor is single parenthood. A majority of the children in the United States are being raised in a home without both biological parents. This instills in the child that marriage is not something that is valued.
After reading this book, I am determined to make a better effort to creating and keeping relationships in every aspect of my life. Even though the people around me are not accustomed to relationships, I am still going to try. Because, let's face it -- life is getting rather lonely -- for everyone. Maybe we can change it.
I highly recommend this book. All in all, 5 out of 5 stars.
Hall is the co-founder and CEO of a 200 person relationship management firm with offices in the United States, Canada, Latin America, United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. He has worked with major corporations on customer-employee relations.
Only two words can be used to describe this book: THOUGHT PROVOKING. I myself have often wondered why it is so hard to make and keep new friends, how to relate to co-workers. For years, I thought that the problem was me -- I was just a person no one really wanted to talk to, that I was boring. Turns out, it is more than just me. It is widespread.
We live in a society where asking for help is frowned upon and the more independent you can be, the better. People who admit that they need friends and family are slightly looked down on. It is a sign of weakness and once a person shows weakness, the others in the pack pounce on that person and devour him. It's really sad.
Hall tells a story that really helps drive the point home in how much relationships have been devalued. Back in his grandfather's time, a farmer was on the verge of losing his land. No one in his family could help him. The bank would not help him. Only one miserly man, who he had managed to form a relationship with, saved the farmer from the situation. Such a story now is one of the past.
And where does it all start? Family. One of the biggest factors -- the divorce rate. People no longer value marriage the way they did before. People enter a marriage thinking that if they do not get along, they can always get divorced. Very few people want to fix what is broken. They would rather just throw it away. Another big factor is single parenthood. A majority of the children in the United States are being raised in a home without both biological parents. This instills in the child that marriage is not something that is valued.
After reading this book, I am determined to make a better effort to creating and keeping relationships in every aspect of my life. Even though the people around me are not accustomed to relationships, I am still going to try. Because, let's face it -- life is getting rather lonely -- for everyone. Maybe we can change it.
I highly recommend this book. All in all, 5 out of 5 stars.
February 14, 2016
If you ever catch a rerun of a 50’s sitcom, you will notice how the neighbors are not strangers, kids do not argue at their parents, and the families sit around the dinner table talking about their day. Today’s kids would just laugh at the old sitcoms, probably referring to them as ‘unrealistic.’ When the truth is that today’s families have lost touch with what real relationships are.
Author Robert Hall has written a clever, funny, and realistic book titled “This Land of Strangers” that touches on the subject about the relationships in our lives. From our families, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, fellow church members, to the stranger sitting next to you on the subway, Robert writes about how our relationships is threatening our society.
The author introduces the ‘crises” within the first few pages, which is a little haunting as I realized how families are falling apart; customers and employees are looking their trusts in business; and how political and religious views are distancing us more apart. The author uses interesting stories, an entertaining narrative and ‘real’ facts to address the overlooked issue in your society. This Land of Strangers is a necessary read!
Author Robert Hall has written a clever, funny, and realistic book titled “This Land of Strangers” that touches on the subject about the relationships in our lives. From our families, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, fellow church members, to the stranger sitting next to you on the subway, Robert writes about how our relationships is threatening our society.
The author introduces the ‘crises” within the first few pages, which is a little haunting as I realized how families are falling apart; customers and employees are looking their trusts in business; and how political and religious views are distancing us more apart. The author uses interesting stories, an entertaining narrative and ‘real’ facts to address the overlooked issue in your society. This Land of Strangers is a necessary read!
May 3, 2015
He tried.
Hall tries very hard to be objective, so I give him credit, but he's clearly a liberal and so each thought he has is filtered through that lens. Sometimes things just aren't what we want them to be, and heaven knows we can't always have what we want. Nor can things be two ways at the same time. Given the currents state of affairs something has to change; a quote from Ezra Taft Benson reads "“You are free to choose, but you are not free to alter the consequences of your decisions.” As a society we have pushed for things that are not helpful in the long run. We can have our decision and the consequences that come with that, but we cannot continue to operate thinking that we are free to think and act and say and do as we want and that everything will work out just fine– the data just doesn't back that up.
Hall makes important points and his thoughts aren't to be dismissed; there's no need to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Couples need to seek reconciliation, parents need to be involved deeply in the lives of their children, teachers, neighbors, and everyone in a neighborhood and community need to seek the needs of others and to work together. A rising tide may indeed float all boats.
Hall tries very hard to be objective, so I give him credit, but he's clearly a liberal and so each thought he has is filtered through that lens. Sometimes things just aren't what we want them to be, and heaven knows we can't always have what we want. Nor can things be two ways at the same time. Given the currents state of affairs something has to change; a quote from Ezra Taft Benson reads "“You are free to choose, but you are not free to alter the consequences of your decisions.” As a society we have pushed for things that are not helpful in the long run. We can have our decision and the consequences that come with that, but we cannot continue to operate thinking that we are free to think and act and say and do as we want and that everything will work out just fine– the data just doesn't back that up.
Hall makes important points and his thoughts aren't to be dismissed; there's no need to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Couples need to seek reconciliation, parents need to be involved deeply in the lives of their children, teachers, neighbors, and everyone in a neighborhood and community need to seek the needs of others and to work together. A rising tide may indeed float all boats.
June 20, 2012
This Land of Strangers really focuses on the problems that many people experience in relationships. It also seems to tie in other things such as technology and society.
June 15, 2014
Not helpful
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews