Stabbed in the Back

Some regard this language as flippant. But these are not my words, these are the words of Jerry Harvey in his book How Come Every Time I Get Stabbed in the Back, My Fingerprints Are On the Knife? Jerry Harvey and Elliott Jaques were both professors at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. When Jerry first heard of Elliott’s work, he was very eager to read more about his research and its findings. Elliott’s then current book was recommended, A General Theory of Bureaucracy (fascinating title, I am sure you will run to find it in your local bookstore). To Jerry’s surprise, he was only one of two people who had ever checked the book out of the GWU library. The other person was the colleague who had recommended the book in the first place.

Over time, Professor Harvey and Professor Jaques (Jerry and Elliott) became close friends. And so, in Jerry’s book about Backstabbing is this curious chapter titled Musing About the Elephant in the Parlor or Who the Hell is Elliott Jaques.