Innovation Masters: History's Best Examples of Business Transformation

Gr 9 Up—Innovation successes featured in this high-interest, accessible reference are comprised of new technologies and inventions of the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as novel ideas and concepts that have impacted society. Coverage in the approximately 100 essays ranges from the iconic Ford Motor Company's assembly line and Eli Whitney's cotton gin to products such as Band-Aid Bandages and 3M Post-it Notes, and advertising campaigns such as "Got Milk?" and one promoting NASCAR. The digital explosion makes this a highly relevant, current source for factual information about innovators behind Facebook, Wikipedia, Netflix, Apple, Wi-fi, Google, eBay, and more. An essay on Pandora Radio/Music Genome Project, for example, begins with its inception by Tim Westergren and his vision of producing software that would make thoughtful music recommendations based on previous selections. Each entry is typically four pages in length and includes a description of a business plan, the extent of financial success, product details, marketing, improvements, and consumer response to the innovation, followed by a list of recommended books, journals, and websites. The publisher's companion volume, Corporate Disasters: What Went Wrong and Why (2012), looks at innovator failures, rather than successes, offering teachers critical thinking and inquiry opportunities for their students.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY