ABSTRACT
When asked about his major work, Eric L. Trist would insist that, unlike a typical academic, he worked with others collaboratively—not competitively. Trist’s level of energy seemed unusually high for a man of his age. His colleagues enjoyed his productiveness, and admired him for bearing up so well after a long plane flight or extended working days in the field. In April 1992, colleagues noted that although Trist was concerned with the evil and the dark side of life, he maintained the courage to put aside colleagues’ flattery that his work would carry on after his death. In America, Trist worked often in Search Conferences at which clients and social scientists collaborated to explore complex issues. He summarized the work he had done since 1960 on refining them, making them a technique of action research, and developing them into an action/learning method. When working for alternative lifestyles, it is not possible to dismantle quickly the established urban industrial world.
