Innovation Nation: How America Is Losing Its Innovation Edge, Why It Matters, and How We Can Get It Back

Alarmed by the lack of innovation in the United States today, former Harvard Business School professor and current consultant Kao diagnoses the situation, describes best practices, explains how innovation works and puts forth a strategy proposal, all in an “attempt to squirt ice water in America's ear.” Kao—who has been an entrepreneur, a psychiatrist, an educator and a pianist for Frank Zappa—is clearly passionate about his premise. Aimed primarily at policy makers and legislators, his three-pronged agenda is designed to help the government create a culture “committed to constantly reinventing the nature of its innovation capabilities.” However, his authoritative and history-rich book is not necessarily useful to the everyday reader, as Kao includes few small-scale strategies. His one effort to bring this down to the citizen's level—in fictional short stories about the future—is a little contrived, jamming in statistics and leaning on flashbacks. But overall, the book does its job. The question is, will lawmakers look at it and follow its lead? (Oct. 2)