Innovation: Breakthrough Ideas at 3m, DuPont, GE, Pfizer, and Rubbermaid

It is only natural that a book about innovation take an innovative approach. Instead of distilling the creative wisdom of the five companies featured here, Kanter (World Class), Kao (Jamming) and Wiersema (The Discipline of Market Leaders) let the firms present the material themselves. The results are primarily worthwhile. There is a tendency for the executives to generalize--such as noting the importance of teamwork. And their material often seems self-serving. However, what comes through in each of the five case studies is a commitment to take chances in order to remain market leaders. ""Our primary responsibility is to challenge the status quo,"" stresses the DuPont scientist who wrote his company's profile; ""We live by our wits,"" notes the author of the 3M chapter. The book opens with the transcript of a freewheeling discussion among the editors about innovation. They do a good job of underscoring the idea that innovation is more than creating new projects and products: it includes finding every possible combination of new ways to work. (July) FYI: The book launches the HarperBusiness Business Masters series.