Peter Drucker certainly deserves to be remembered on the centenary of his birth (“Remembering Drucker,” November 21, 2009). Hailed somewhat lavishly as “the father of modern management,” he was undoubtedly one of the few true gurus of the discipline. Your eulogy points out, correctly, that he was a “genuine intellectual” who, in his early years, rubbed shoulders with the likes of Joseph Schumpeter and Ludwig Wittgenstein. You also mention that he was born in Vienna, which helps explain the above contacts, but you leave it at that. The fuller story is worth telling, though. As the son of a high-ranking civil servant, he grew up in a home where intellectuals regularly met to discuss new ideas. At the time, Vienna was one of the world capitals, where science, philosophy, and art had blossomed for many a year. All this explains why his legacy will not be easy to match. Vienna is but a provincial capital now, and intellectuals are few and far between anywhere else around the globe. Not surprisingly, management gurus have in the meanwhile turned into one-trick ponies.