Reviews (2)

Incomplete
Book itself is very informative, however there is a problem with representation of it being passed off as "new". First copy came without a dust jacket, hard cover had corner bumps and scuffs. Replacement copy came the exact same way, in the same condition and without the DJ. Cost of book is $50.00 NEW, had we wanted the book in used condition without the original DJ, we would have ordered it as such. The minimal refund Amazon offered was not to our satisfaction and the reps and/or management are too busy to make personal contact with their business customers. There appears to be an internal problem with receiving/quality inspection of their supplier's goods.

Well written, interesting book
Yes, I have also read Diesel's Engine by Lyle Cummins, the youngest son of Clessie Cummins, the co-founder of Cummins Engine.If, in reading DE, I am a proven crazy person, then I am, so discount what I say next.If one is fascinated by diesel engines, then this is a "must read."I have not completed the book yet, but having read 300 or so pages and I must say there is much beyond the engines.If you are a Harvard Business Review type, this will have much for you about entrepreneurism, the family business, enterprise capitalization, growth, corporate strategy, the inventor and his role in a technology driven business, timliness, single business small town employers, transportation trends, product quality, employee relations and more. I like reading about successes, but feel like this book portrays an almost charmed life of something impossible to duplicate.If every corporation were as successful as Cummins is portrayed, then we would reach corporate nirvana.Can what has been written here be true?Buy the book, write your own review, and we'll see what you think. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Automobile Industries (Economic Aspects)    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporate & Business History - General    6. Cummins Engine Company    7. Diesel motor industry    8. Entrepreneurship    9. History    10. History Of Specific Companies    11. Industries - General    12. Infrastructure    13. Internal combustion engine ind    14. Internal combustion engine industry    15. United States    16. Construction & heavy industry    17. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    18. Management & management techniques    19. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    20. Road vehicle manufacturing industry    21. Second World War, 1939-1945    22. Social history    23. USA   

Reviews (13)

very good book
I am reading 'Juice - The creative fuel that drives world class inventors' by Evan Schwartz. The book gives insights into how creative people come up with inventions by creating possibilities, pinpointing problems, detecting barriers, applying analogies and embracing failures. The stories about how some of the inventions came about are really interesting. Schwartz goes inside the minds of some of the greatest inventors, delves into their stories and explores how they thought up their inventions

Page turner!
This book was a sheer delight to read.I am very interested in the process of inventing.I have read a lot about innovation strategies and the creative process so I thought this book would bore me.Anything but.I found it enlightening, exciting, fun, .... I loved it.

Inspirational and instructional
A great read. I found myself constantly jotting notes in the margins as I read it because it caused me to think of new ideas in my business.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Creative ability in business    5. Creative ability in technology    6. General    7. Inventions    8. Marketing - Product Management    9. New products    10. Technological innovations    11. Inventions & inventors    12. Research & development management   

Reviews (22)

Why you need a value proposition
While this book is very thorough, with some work it's possible to glean some very important approaches to how to manage work. I have used it to develop value propositions in teams and help shape the focus of an organization. It's worth spending time with if you struggle with priorities and focus.

Very Helpful
Very helpful in clarifying concept and application by dmonstrating many different prctical cases covering all industries.
Practical Strategy Implementation Book by Jameson Thottam
An excellent book for those who wish to develop roadmaps on Strategy and filled with insider trading tips on how to implement strategy throughout the life cycle of an organization.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance    5. Forecasting    6. Human capital    7. Intangible property    8. Investments & Securities - General    9. Management    10. Strategic planning    11. Business strategy   

Reviews (8)

A New Strategic Dynamic
The authors highlight the importance of these networks in the strategy creation process.Their discussion provides organizations with a roadmap that points out the importance and pitfalls of networks the tactics they will need to successfully navigate their futures.
A good book -- but could go further
The Keystone Advantage is a good book. It uses a biological metaphor to discuss and explain the success of various companies within a larger business 'ecosystem'. Describing a Trend in Modern Business
As no man is an island, businesses do not operate in a vacuum. There are suppliers, customers, employees and of course the government. More and more, these outside influences are banning together in a perhaps unofficial but no less real ecosystem.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business enterprises    4. Business/Economics    5. Decision Making & Problem Solving    6. Leadership    7. Organizational effectiveness    8. Strategic planning    9. Technological innovations    10. Management & management techniques    11. Innovation   

Reviews (5)

Why so few reviews???
This is one in a series of several dozen volumes which comprise the "Harvard Business Review Paperback Series." Each offers direct, convenient, and inexpensive access to the best thinking on the given subject in articles originally published by the Harvard Business Review. I strongly recommend all of the volumes in the series. The individual titles are listed at this Web site: www.hbsp.harvard.edu. The authors of various articles are among the world's most highly regarded experts on the given subject. All of the volumes have been carefully edited. An Executive Summary introduces each selection. Supplementary commentaries are also provided in most of the volumes, as is an "About the Contributors" section which usually includes suggestions of other sources which some readers may wish to explore.
Good compilation of articles - but repeat information
If you have read The Essential Drucker, Balanced scorecard etc. , the book essentially has the same information repeated under a different title. Recommend Essential Drucker, Balanced Score card which is more comprehensive than this title.

The ABC's of Balancing Your Scorecard...
This collection of eight articles from the HBR is a must IF AND ONLY IF you want the only highlights of some of the new management tools and theories out there.If you've ever wondered what Activity-Based Costing (ABC) is or what Kaplan's "Balanced Scorecard" is all about, this may be just the introductory text for you.I mention these two tools first since 2 out of 8 articles deal with ABC, either in whole or in part, while another 3 deal specifically with the balanced scorecard.So, if you've got ABC and the balanced scorecard already firmly laid out in your head, this may be a bit redundant.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business enterprises    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporate Planning    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Industrial efficiency    8. Industrial productivity    9. Management - General    10. Measurement    11. Operations Management    12. Organizational effectiveness    13. Reference - General    14. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (1)

AN OUTSTANDING COLLECTION OF THOUGHT! RECOMMENDED.
Looking for some informative, original and clear thinking about strategies for growth? This book is a great choice! This is a collection of eight outstanding articles selected from past editions of the HBR. The articlescover: value innovation; growth through acquisitions; growth throughdiversification; capturing the value of supplementary services; andexploiting the virtual value change. Each article begins with an executivesummary which, for the fast-forward crowd, is a big plus.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Consolidation and merger of co    5. Consolidation and merger of corporations    6. Diversification in industry    7. Entrepreneurship    8. Executive Management    9. Industrial management    10. Management - General    11. Strategic Planning    12. Success    13. Business strategy    14. Management & management techniques   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business Ethics    3. Business/Economics    4. Leadership    5. Management - General    6. Social ethics   

Reviews (5)

The message is reasonable but overhyped.
This book exemplifies the business of the Harvard Business School.It draws snippets from many case studies (available for purchase separately), it ties into seminars and tailored sessions sold at fancy prices to industry, and it presents one of several competing but overlapping theories of what divides successful and unsuccessful companies.It is often compared with Clayton Christensen's book "The Innovator's Dilemma" (obliquely referenced in the preface, but not appearing in the index or bibliography), and indeed both deal with the question of how established companies deal with technologies (in the loosest sense) that change markets.Of the two, I vastly prefer Christensen's book because he tells coherent stories that reach conclusions.This book introduces situations without enough detail to get a true feel for what is going on.In one extreme case ("... John Torrance at Medtek ...", p. 61), a reference is introduced that has no antecedent.The authors of books in this genre like to name drop to show you how broad and deep is their knowledge; therefore you should regard their version of gospel as more credible than their rivals.(How about a case sometime on business school professors?)There are "figures" and "tables" which I suspect are PowerPoint pastes from their lectures.Some of them are referenced (weakly) in the text -- most of them have no direct connection to the exposition.In short, the book gives the impression of being slapped together in haste.For the most part, it is well edited -- a few punctuation lapses notwithstanding.But it needed more editing for content.The table on page 13 says that the "Winchester" company fell victim to its success in disk drives, but the term "Winchester disk" refers not to a company but the code name of a very succesful product prior to its announcement.(Cf. http://www.....htm among other similar web references.)On page 163 they say that IBM lost key control to Intel and Microsoft by betting on the wrong PC design.The conclusion is true, but has nothing whatever to do with the false premise.Now these are all throwaway lines in the book, but they undermine the credibility of the main argument.As an earlier reviewer here put it, the book is about five chapters too long, again, I suspect, because it was produced in haste in order to sell to HBS program participants and in order to get on to the next piece of work.For those who haven't been exposed to the basic ideas (e.g., culture matters), it may well be invaluable, but it ain't the one, true gospel.

5 Chapters Too Many
Captivating stories.Could have reduced the length of the book by 5 or so chapters to avoid repeating the same concepts.

The greatest business book I have ever read
I read many business books - from Drucker to Peters, etc., but this one is very insightful, practical, and easy to follow! One day I will own my own business and this book will be by my side! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Development - Business Development    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Leadership    7. Management    8. Organizational change    9. Structural Adjustment    10. Business strategy    11. Management & management techniques   

Editorial Review

Winning in business today is not about being number one--it's about who "gets to the future first," write management consultants Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad. In Read more

Reviews (32)

Don't Ignore the Lessons in this Book...
"Gary Hamel is one of the brightest corporate strategist on the planet. And C.K. Prahalad is a brilliant business mind from the University of Michigan. Together, they have produced a profound book that will revitalize many companies. Those firms and organizations that ignore the new strategic architecture will be like `the deer caught in the headlights'... they will be doomed like many of the companies that have already disappeared from the ranks of the Fortune 1000."
Don't be a bug on the windshield!
"On the road to the future, who will be the windshield, and who will be the bug?" - Gary Hamel
A perennial favorite that still packs a punch
This perennial favorite is now ten years old.While some of its specific examples have aged and its basic message around core competencies and numerator growth rather than denominator reduction have passed into common business parlance, it is still a solid read that has much to offer.Every businessperson has to decide what his or her company is going to do, how it is going to do it, and what its future course will be.This is a surprisingly complex task and it is all too easy to make the wrong steps simply because they seem safe, pragmatic, and obvious.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate & Business History - Strategies    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Strategic Planning    7. Business competition    8. Business strategy   

Reviews (14)

Innovative Idea: Innovators are merely competent
As an experienced engineer/researcher, I agree with Hargadon's basic thesis that great innovators in history have not been leagues above everyone else.More commonly they have simply had the proper education and are in a position to use analogies from other fields to solve a problem in a unique way.Indeed, I would go further and say they are usually merely competent, which does not mean average.
Is innovation key to your business? This is the book for you!!
History of innovation process from Thomas Edison on. Focuses on examples of "brokering" processes by which existing ideas from multiple communities (isolated networks) are recombined to improve a new product/process/industry. Example Henry Ford's production line used the processes and ideas that were refined in Brewing, Sewing Machine Factories and Granaries.

Rip, Mix and Burn
School have thought you wrong. Great innovations are not different from the rest of us. On the contrary - they are engaged in the same activities as we are. When we Rip.Mix and Burn we are in fact innovating. This book teaches us that using the past as building blocks in creating the future has always been the most successful way to create new innovative products. As such the book is not only very helpful for corporate managers it also captures a central part of the present culture we live in.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Case studies    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Management    7. Management - General    8. New products    9. Structural Adjustment    10. Technological innovations    11. Business strategy    12. Inventions & inventors    13. Research & development management   

Reviews (15)

Brilliant, Bold and [Mostly] Useful
Harvard University's Kellerman presents an amazing, research-focused vivisection of the many faces and roles of bad leadership, offers reasons for their occurrence, and exerts a clarion call for identification and eradication of same.
The Dark Side
The book stands out because it forces you to take a look at the dark side of leadership. It is about leadership in and of itself. The book has an entirely unique perspective on leadership. She looks at all leaders and how they measure up as leaders. Even if society views them as a bad leader she takes that and builds on some of their strengths as a leader, their weaknesses and not necessarily their intent. The actual process of leading is the focus. She also looks at the followers and their role in leadership. This I think is also unique to leadership. It is important to analyze the followers and how they can affect the leader. In looking at the dark side of leadership we are able to become better leaders and/or followers.

Excellent alternative perspective
This was very interesting and a fairly easy read.Looks at leadership away from the stereotypical definition of good.Adds to a big picture I had not seen anywhere before.Should be required reading for all management to help them see the bad guys they often miss or intentionally overlook in their organizations. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Decision making    5. Leadership    6. Management Science    7. Personality and occupation    8. Business & Management   

Reviews (5)

Be cautious of the hype...
There are some valuable lessons in this book, but combing through the wordiness and fluff is very time consuming. Of course one could argue that you need all of the anecdotal evidence to prove what he is saying and make his observations relevant. But with most of his observations being common sense to a natural leader, you wouldn't need all of the evidence.
A "MUST READ" book for everyone!
This was my first book on the "science" of teams.I had originally asked a friend who is a professor of Strategy for a book on "leadership" and he suggested this instead.Reading it was a very enjoyable experience.Relating it to teams that I have worked in, had to build relationships with, get work out of, and build myself, was an amazing exercise.In the end I realised that the best "self-managing team" I have is at home!I would strongly recommend this book to everyone, whether you work in a large organization or are a housewife!It's got beautiful insights for everyone.

Identifies common mistakes in teams and leaders
Even generally productive teams need to improve their productivity. I'm quite impressed by the framework provided in this book for diagnosing the quality of the direction you're providing, the way you structure your teams, and the way that people are identified with the teams and how all of these impact the team. It's interesting how much is delivered in this book without prescribing precisely how leaders should behave. As a person with a productive team whose concerns are primarily around keeping the team focused and getting more and more effective, this book was great.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Leadership    6. Management - General    7. Management - Teams    8. Performance    9. Teams in the workplace    10. Management & management techniques   

Editorial Review

If you think patents are just about protecting inventions such as the film projector, you're missing the big picture. Now that Read more

Reviews (9)

Must Reading for Entrepreneurs, Inventors, and Managers
Spellbinding. I laughed. I wept. How could Xerox PARC miss a $500,000,000 patent opportunity in the graphical user interface? Easy, they didn't recognize that someone else might have a use for something they had no use for. Yes, I laughed and I cried.

A book on why you should have an IP strategy
This well written book will convince you that an IP strategy is important. If you have some "entry-level" understanding of the strategic concepts related to IP, this book will be of little help. The concepts presented are of interest but they are presented from a superficial perspective. For instance, the concept of IP map is interesting and is accessible from one of the author's consulting firm...

Rembrandts and Understanding the New Economy
I would like to put Rembrandts into the context in which it was created.Rembrandts was conceived and co-authored by my friend and business partner of the past 15 years, Kevin Rivette.We co-founded Aurigin Systems,Inc., formerly SmartPatents, Inc., in 1992 to make it easier for people working with patents to do their work.From this beginning Aurigin and, particularly, Rembrandts, have helped transform the way intellectual property(IP) is viewed in the business community. Historically, IP was viewed strictly as a legal right, but Rembrandts shows why, in a knowledge-based economy, IP rights are one of the most fundamental business assets, that often determines the success or failure of an enterprise.Understanding the fundamental importance of IP and why it needs to be strategically managed are the underpinnings of Rembrandts.Using the book as a guide post and Aurigin's innovation asset management solutions, allows companies to: 1) understand the IP rights they own; 2) visualize how those rights fit into the competitive landscape with others' IP; 3) help determine where to place their future R&D efforts; and 4)help decide how to strategically leverage their IP rights to help determine their new business directions, increase return on investment and, ultimately, increase shareholder value.The purpose of Rembrandts was not to set forth a cookbook of how to manage IP.Rather, the book was intended to help CEOs and other business, accounting and legal professionals understand the fundamental function and purpose of IP as a highly protectable and leverageable business asset in today's economy, whether in an old-economy or a new-economy company.I believe the book very successfully achieves that purpose in a highly engaging and easy-to-read style, with many real world examples and interviews.Read more

Subjects:  1. Corporate Finance    2. Intellectual Property - Patent    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Patents    6. Business strategy    7. Intellectual property, copyright & patents    8. Management of specific areas   

Editorial Review

Philip Evans and Thomas S. Wurster think that the Internet can blow away practically any business, and in Read more

Reviews (65)

A knowledge economy classic
Traditionally, companies have had to focus their information strategy on either richness or reach.
Learn from the past & avoid being swept-away by E-commerce 2
Although tempered by the DotCom bust, information technology is still very real and continues to shake up industry after industry, and an untold number of companies are being swept-away by the resulting riptides. Clearly written and tough-minded, Blown to Bits is required reading for entrepreneurs, and others wanting to transform their companies before it's too late.
A valuable e-business classic - but lacks an epilogue
This book is an important e-business classic. But despite the authors' clever recommendations, an epilogue is missing, as the Internet revolution they announced did not materialise. The Internet EVOLUTION, however, lives on.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Decision Making    4. Business/Economics    5. Economics - Theory    6. Information Management    7. Information technology    8. Knowledge management    9. Leadership    10. Strategic planning    11. Business strategy   

Editorial Review

From the time our ancestors lived in caves to that day in the late '80s when Chrysler sanctioned unofficial "tech clubs" to promote the flow of information between teams working on different vehicle platforms, bands of like-minded individuals had been gathering in a wide variety of settings to recount their experiences and share their expertise. Few paid much attention until a number of possible benefits to business were identified, but many are watching more closely now that definitive links have been established. In Read more

Reviews (21)

Excellent seminal material
It is an esential book for organization leaders, since it points out the main issues that impact on performace, based on the true social knitting of communities.
Making it happen
I have a great interest in how organizations, particularly those with Christian leadership, work and how they respond to change. This book is rich with the stuff that will help organizations develop in a globalized society. I asked many questions as I read the book. For example, "How does YWAM's Student Mobilization Centre, as a growing network of ministries internationally, develop community and create truly life changing learning spaces for students and leaders who participate in our ministries?"
A good book but not for everyone
The authors have done an impressive work collecting best practices from industries.The book is a good textbook for all KM and OD practitioners to consider in learning about CoP.However, as one of the reviewers have noted, it does not tell you the steps in nurturing a CoP since human behaviours differ among (as well as WITHIN) organisations.The book does however provide a clear definition of how a working CoP would look like.
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Corporate & Business History - Strategies    3. Information Management    4. Knowledge management    5. Organizational learning    6. Philosophy    7. Reference    8. Strategic Planning    9. Management decision making   

Reviews (5)

Good information, but beyond what most entrepreneurs will need
While the Harvard Business Review on Entrepreneurship contains a number of tips that any entrepreneur is likely to find useful, much of the book deals with topics that only a handful of the largest and most ambitious start-ups will encounter. The book was written by multiple authors, so it offers a variety of viewpoints but also occasionally contradicts itself.