cover image Second Curve

Second Curve

Ian Morrison, G. Schmid, J. Ian Morrison. Ballantine Books, $25 (272pp) ISBN 978-0-345-40541-8

Upgrades in technology, changing demographics and newly emerging markets all threaten to make successful companies also-rans, according to Morrison, president of the Menlo Park, Calif.-based Institute for the Future. In this knowledgeable study, he argues that corporations can avoid that fate by identifying and embracing the changes that are occurring not only in their particular markets but in the world economy. Morrison provides numerous useful examples of companies that, while profitable, were able to shift their corporate cultures to deal with new, global realities and thereby find new business. Among the companies cited, in fact, is Ballantine, for its use of technology to improve its efficiency. Morrison's prescription for dealing with change is not to downsize, but rather to look for ways to exploit new opportunities. His work is geared for CEOs and others who take management and strategic planning seriously. Author tour. (May) FYI: Morrison includes a chapter on retail and distribution that publishers, booksellers and wholesalers may find helpful.