Books - Start-Ups And Small Business
Book reviews on Start-ups and Small business
| Books | Short Reviews |
|---|---|
| All in the Family Business George G. Raymond, Jr. Posterity Press, Inc. 2001 |
There are many "heritage" books written by founders of family businesses. This tells it like it is and is recommended for owners of mid-size heartland engineering companies. |
| Engines of Innovation Richard S. Rosenbloom & William J. Spencer Harvard Business School Press 1996 |
This is a set of essays from a handful of key technology leaders who have created major advances in the U.S. economic development over the last 50 years. It contains lots of insights and questions for the future. CTOs pay attention! |
| Entrepreneurs in High Technology Edward B. Roberts Oxford University Press, Inc. 1991 |
The material and style of this book are now rather dated and unlikely to appeal to students now accustomed to multi-media teaching materials. Roberts is clearly solidly versed in the field. Perhaps we might see a modernized version. |
| Entrepreneurship, a Contemporary Approach Donald F. Kuratko & Richard M. Hodgetts Harcourt College Publishers 2001 |
Another excellent textbook for MBA courses on entrepreneurship. The presentation is particularly attractive and leads students through the stages of the creation and development of a new company. Entrepreneurship in extended organizations is unfortunately largely ignored. |
| Getting Started in Entrepreneurship Jack M. Kaplan John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2001 |
This is strictly for budding start-up entrepreneurs—practical tips and more. |
| If Only We Knew What We Know Carla O'Dell & C. Jackson Grayson, Jr. The Free Press 1998 |
An introduction to the subject of knowledge management, the book stresses a holistic approach and provides sound, practical ways for companies to get started. |
| Innovation And Entrepreneurship Peter F. Drucker Harper & Row, Publishers 1985 |
Peter Drucker is always worth reading on any management topic. This is no exception. |
| Mastering Entrepreneurship Sue Birley & Daniel F. Muzyka Pearson Education Limited 2000 |
This is a collection of articles by international experts in the field of entrepreneurship. The value of this book results from its diversity of viewpoints on a complex field, rather than any really new material. It is a companion reader for students rather than a course book. |
| New Business Ventures and the Entrepreneur Howard H. Sevenson, Michael J. Roberts, H. Irving Grousbeck, Amar V. Bhide Irwin/McGraw-Hill 1999 |
This is a textbook for introductory courses on entrepreneurship. The treatment on the stages of starting a new venture is covered more attractively elsewhere. The text is heavily supported with case histories, which, although interesting, date rapidly and have the usual sanitization shortcomings. However, teachers may find one or two of the cases useful as support material. |
| New Venture Creation Jeffry A. Timmons Irwin/McGraw-Hill 1999 |
This excellent textbook for MBA courses on entrepreneurship is well presented; of particular value to students are the check-list pages for practical exercises. |
| Profits of Science Robert Teitelman BasicBooks 1994 |
This is a history of the key figures in the twentieth century U.S. technology industry. It is a fascinating story, and puts today's entrepreneurs into context. |
| Pushing the Digital Frontier Nirmal Pal and Judith M. Ray American Management Association 2001 |
This contains insights into the changing landscape of e-business. |
| Real Business John A. Arnold Petroleum Products Corp. 2001 |
This is a personal memory from the son of the company founder. This company has successfully navigated the generational handover, often a problem for family owned-businesses. The personal insights in this book may give some pointers. |
| Skunk Works Tom Clancy Back Bay Books 1994 |
Have you ever wondered where the term "skunk works" came from? Learn this and more from the inside story of arguably the first, biggest and best of them all -- the infamous Lockheed labs in Los Angeles. A personal and insightful description of how the careful balance between corporate, customers' and entrepreneurs' needs were balanced successfully over a long period. Some of the classical traits of entrepreneurism shine through -- the ability to do much with little, finding a new use for others' ideas, taking risks but stopping bad projects early -- are examples. |
| Start Up Jerry Kaplan Houghton Mifflin Company 1994 |
When all else fails, write a book. Kaplan tells the inside story of one of the most spectacular VC-funded failures in Silicon Valley's short history. From initial excitement, through a Microsoft mauling, to corporate incompetence to desperation, it's all here. Probably the most interesting aspect of this book is how the VC firms managed to keep their reputation intact. |
| The Circle of Innovation Tom Peters Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1997 |
This is a pop-art offering from Peters. Flick through this in 20 minutes and you might find a couple of good ideas for off-site workshops. |
| The Lever of Riches Joel Mokyr Oxford University Press, Inc. 1990 |
When the world seems too challenging, it is helpful to read some history. This book follows the path of technology driven change from antiquity to modern times. It appears that major disruptions are hardly new. |
| The New New Thing Michael Lewis W.W. Norton & Company 2000 |
This book provides entertaining insight into Jim Clark and Silicon Valley. It is strictly an entertainment ride, with little substance. |
| The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship William D. Bygrave John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1997 |
This is an excellent textbook for MBA courses on entrepreneurship with chapters from a range of recognized experts. The case histories add flavor to the solid academic posture. However, written from a start-up bias, the book omits any substantial content covering organizational and networked entrepreneurship. |
| The Soul of a New Machine Tracy Kidder Avon Books 1981 |
If you are thinking of starting a high-tech company, read this. This is the norm, not the exception. Things have gotten even worse, as product life cycles have shrunk. |
| Winning at New Products Robert G. Cooper Perseus Books Publishing L.L.C. 1993 |
This is a must read for all managers responsible for new product development. Cooper's work is all the more important as product life cycles compress, and companies are driven to 24/7 development programs managed around the world. |