Building Bridges: Essays on Business, Technology and Innovation by Nicholas Carr

Engaging, surprising and filled with practical and often counterintuitive advice, these ten essays will change the way you think about technological progress and business innovation. Nicholas Carr, the former executive editor of the Harvard Business Review and the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of THE SHALLOWS and THE BIG SWITCH, examines recent business and social phenomena, from the success of Apple to the rise of crowdsourcing, from the innovation strategy of Google to the disruptions of digital media, and ties them to illuminating historical precedents and economic laws. Not only will you enjoy the witty, lucid writing of this collection, but you'll come away from it with a fresh new perspective on innovation in the information age. The essays include "Let a Half-Dozen Flowers Bloom" (on the essential but underrated role that discipline plays in innovation), "Launchings and Landings" (on the dangers of out-innovating your customers), "Building Bridges" (on the most powerful way to take advantage of disruptive technologies), "The Dreams of Suits" (on the important role that bean-counters can play in creativity), "Disruption from Above" (on a new twist in the Clayton Christensen model of disruptive innovation), "With Complements" (on the essential role played by complements strategy in business success), "The Weakest Link" (on the best place to focus innovation efforts), "The Google Enigma" (on the dangers of using the search giant as an innovation model), "The Wizard and the Crowd" (on the limitations of crowdsourcing and the continued importance of talented individuals), and "The Sixth Force" (on how to think strategically about corporate responsibility).

Praise for Nicholas Carr:

"[Carr] is one of the most insightful thinkers about technology's impact on the world." -Chris Anderson, Wired

"Carr's provocations are destined to influence CEOs and the boards and investors that support them as companies grapple with the constant change of the digital age." -L. Gordon Crovitz, Wall Street Journal

"Mr. Carr is always interesting." -James V. Delong, Washington Times

(Cover photo of bridge by mnsc: www.flickr.com/photos/mnsc/. Used under Creative Commons license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/.)