Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Peter Drucker has conducted an extraordinary thought experiment and corroborated his hypothesis with retrospective data. I really believe both the logic and the implications of his book. This is because I have been an innovator (scientist and manager) in Fortune 500 companies as well as tiny Startups and no matter what the environment, Druckers definition of the "seven sources of innovative opportunity" are exactly true in reality. Especially the two most prevalent sources: solving a consumer need or desire and the extreme opposite of that, finding an application of a newly available technology. This book spells out the "what" of innovation. It does not talk about the "how" of innovation since that is a different technical subject altogether.

Peter Drucker, in his sandwich shop example, defined the difference between entrepreneurship and just starting a new business and yet, so few people seem to understand this after so many years. The rest of the book is somewhat interesting but the 5 star rating is because of this single point.

This is a must read for anyone in business or engineering school. This may be simgle most significant distinction made in all of his works and it absolutely ranks up there with Schumpeter's "destructive creation" insight. Too bad management theory died in the early 1990's.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a good resource for categorizing and identifying sources of innovation. Drucker does an excellent job of organizing the key elements involved in innovation and there is a fair amount of real world examples that help the reader understand the concepts. However, most books on this topic usually leave me asking for more concrete examples of the execution of the topics laid out here, and this book is no exception. Innovation and Entrepreneurship is more about creating a framework for innovation that can be used to compartmentalize current practices and shed light on their origins. Drucker accurately points out that the least likely sources of innovation are from new knowledge and bright ideas. The insight into this alone, makes the book well worth reading. If you are looking for a way to categorize and identify the most effective sources of innovation in an effort to budget the research efforts in you corporation, I highly recommend this book. If you are an entrepreneur looking for new sources, you might me better off looking elsewhere, such as Clayton Christensen's The Innovator's Dilemma.

Out of the many books I have read on Entrepreneurship, this book is the best. It is a single source of all the relevant information for the entrepreneur. The pioneering book which has differentiated between the small business owner and the entrepreneur, will go a long way before it can be surpassed. An absolute 'must-read' for anyone in business

Peter Drucker -the godfather of management science - has done a good job of creating a handbook that contains an excellent set of tools for any aspiring (or current) entrepreneur. This book contains tips for the existing business, start-ups, and non-profits; so there's something in it for everyone. The first part of the book describes Drucker's Seven Steps for Innovation - which provide a great template to use to analyze the environment in search of new business opportunities. Anyone who wants to strike out on their own (like myself) can definitely utilize these steps to help gain direction in their journey.

Admittedly, not a page turner but a good read for any business person who wants to advance their business or selves through innovation and entrepreneurship.

The writing style is fluid and many industry examples are given to illustrate the author's point. There is a lot of meat in this book which provides a framework for the thought process. I don't necessarily agree with all his concepts. He considers entrepreneurship to be an organized process and not a by-product of talent. I personally think it is a combination. You need resources but you also need to know how to use it. In some segments of the book, he offers no explanation for certain successes and treats entrepreneurship as something that happens despite planning to the contrary. There are some minor contradictions. Still, some of his thoughts are timeless, thought provoking and valuable. The purpose therefore is to continue to explore new ideas and try it on for size.

this book is just great. i find it a straightforward and no frills book. yet reading it makes business interesting and encouraging. a truly indispensable reference and guide to management, better than any textbook i have come across in terms of giving clarity to the big picture. for that i have huge respect and admiration for peter drucker.

peter drucker is just "the man" in management in my book.

A great read...though very lengthy! Only buy this if you are serious about becoming a great manager and only if you are willing to read it a minimum of 3 times -- it will take that many reads to begin to absorb the more significant material. There is no management training better than Drucker!

I enjoyed reading this book, especially because it focuses so much on anecdotes. I definitely understood Drucker's point that innovation and entrepreneurship come out of changes in the environment.
However, I believe Drucker missed the most important point, which is: What makes someone more able to exploit an opportunity than someone else? For example, he tells a story about how Ray Krok found out about McDonalds, bought it, and made it great. However, I thought he should have focused on why it was Ray Krok, and no one else, who saw the opportunity, rather than how he bought and made McDonalds. It is an entertaining read, but do not expect any lessons on how to be an entrepreneur.

This is still one of the best books about innovation to read and it's classic Drucker. A newer one about innovation and ideas also is great by Mitch Ditkoff - "Awake at the Wheel". Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an Uphill World)

Drucker discusses sources (e.g., unexpected results, demographics, process need, changes in perception, new knowledge) that can be systematically harnesses for innovation. He discusses strengths and weaknesses of various enterpreneurial strategies (e.g, aiming for dominance, finding an unserved niche)

This book even though it was published 30 years ago, the basic concept of innovation and entrepreneurship still holds still today. I would even say Drucker's thesis on the subject states what management and business should apply in today's ambivalent economy.

Peter Drucker wrote an excellent book on innovation and management. One of the reasons I really enjoyed the book is that it gave numerous examples of well known companies throughout the world. In addition, he gave historical information which was enlightening and educational. By giving concrete evidence of his theories, the reader is convinced of the evidence and able to absorb the material. I gained a lot of insight from his work and will be reading more of his books.

The implication of Peter Drucker's thesis is that innovation, in the context of entrepreneurship, can be viewed as a practice or discipline that is accessible to virtually anyone who is willing to apply the knowledge. I was personally struck by the realization that here was a formula for accomplishing what for most people would seem to be achievements associated with moments of exceptional personal creativity...or just plain luck.

A very encouraging book. A long read, however extremely straight forward. Great from a job and organizational design standpoint. Great insight into "non-domain-specific know-how for management." Learn how to ask the right questions about your company. A must read for business.

This book is filled with insights about management. Peter Drucker considers innovation and entrepreneurship to be part of the executive's job. Drucker's premise is that the attitudes and skills of a successful entrepreneur can be cultivated and that the search for innovation can be systematized and managed.

If you want something practical because you are trying to bootstrap a young or new business, steer clear of this book. There is very little on offer with this book in terms of useful strategies or tools for managing a startup or small business. The author says that successful large companies must be entrepreneurial because they have survived. The author does not offer mechanisms these successful companies have worked out through trial and error to foster innovation internally. He merely states that they have done so, in fifty different ways so as to fill pages. If you are looking for pontification then this is your book, plenty of that here.

The book is full of shallow historical, or political view regarding innovation and enterprenueship. Nothing new and examples are organized amess. Too many words for too few knowledge. A wast of time in reading.