Michael Young

"Michael Young has often been described as a key figure in twentieth-century British history. He has also established an international reputation in the United States as well as in the Third World. Two of his books, Family and Kinship in the East End and The Rise of the Meritocracy, have been best-sellers. He gave new significance to family studies and coined the word 'meritocracy'. While his effervescent writings burst with ideas, he has played a critical part in the creation of some of our best-known organisations, including the Consumers' Association, the Open University, the National and International Extension Colleges and the University of the Third Age. In 1945 as head of the Labour Party's Research Department he was one of the draftsmen of the Labour Party's successful election manifesto Let Us Face the Future; and in 1965 he was appointed the first Chairman of the new Social Science Research Council. His latest creation, the School of Social Entrepreneurs, provides a starting point and a conclusion for this new and carefully researched study of his life and work. This is the first detailed book to examine Young's life and work in perspective. It is based on private and public records and is fascinating in the broad range of subjects that it covers. In itself it is a significant contribution to twentieth-century political and social history."--BOOK JACKET.