F.I.R.E.: How Fast, Inexpensive, Restrained, and Elegant Methods Ignite Innovation

Lt. Col. Ward, an engineering officer in the U.S. air force and blogger, spins a full-length book out of an overly simple concept. His first process was “FIST” (Fast, Inexpensive, Simple, Tiny), created to develop military gear. “FIRE” (Fast, Inexpensive, Restrained, Elegant) was developed for civilian use. According to Ward, the most successful leaders from both the military and civilian worlds do best with the least: small teams, a tiny budget, and hell-bent-for-leather deadlines. Spending less time and money is the best way to ensure greatness and innovation, he suggests. Efficiency for its own sake is not the goal; instead, readers should design the best and most creative products possible. Ward offers examples from engineering, the military, and NASA, among others, to model necessary speed, handling, and risk assessment, avoiding unnecessary oversight and meetings, and creating better, simpler presentations and information dissemination. His suggestions on letting users be beta testers, allowing for a quick and short-cycle development process, and avoiding unnecessary features are solid, but ultimately Ward falls on the wrong side of the line between high-concept strategy and vague storytelling. Despite an admirable proposition and some lively writing, there’s not enough here to prop up an entire book. 7 b&w illus. Agent: Sandy Dijkstra, the Sandy Dijkstra Literary Agency. (May)