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Reviewer: C.S. Arora

Did you know that just about four percent of innovation initiatives actually succeed__?__ Furthermore, the majority of inventions cause no innovation, and numerous innovations depend on no prior invention. The much-revered belief that inventions are the main cause of innovations is actually a myth. In this book, the authors maintain that innovation is not simply an invention. In their practical, research-backed book, they illustrate that one can significantly increase the odds of success of innovation initiatives through personal skills "that can be learned, developed through practice, and extended into organizations." They identify and illustrate, with examples, the "eight personal practices that all successful innovators perform: sensing, envisioning, offering, adopting, sustaining, executing, leading, and embodying." Essentially, these eight practices are sets of skills that can be learned and perfected, and thus form the guidelines on what to practice and how to cope with common breakdowns. The book's three parts advocate the premise that innovation is a personal and organizational skill, rather than a procedure or a prescription. The book provides four useful appendices relating to the eight practices, including a tabular summary and an assessment tool for the eight practices, and some somatic exercises for individuals and groups. A good index is given at the end of the book. The book unfolds generative practices that can be implemented practically in business organizations. It demystifies innovation from a high-risk mysterious process to a skill set of eight universal practices that can be learned and taught at both the individual and organizational levels. This book will directly appeal to all those involved with inventions, innovations, and research and development-including those in computer and information science areas, as well as business leaders responsible for organizational renewal through innovations. The book is not targeted exclusively at computer scientists; it will also help lay readers in all business domains develop a sensibility about how innovation skills can be developed and practiced. Innovation is no longer just a creative art; it can also be developed as a business practice. That's the take-away message of this book. Online Computing Reviews Service