I simply love it. This book is great and I’ve been waiting for such a book for so long. As a matter of fact, my wait was so long that I was starting thinking “I should write it”. I’m happy to see that Grant McCracken has done it, because this is a much better book than the one I could have been writing

This book is about business, but more than simply business, is about the role culture is playing in the way we do business.

I’ve been working for  20 years for some of the most successful corporations (Microsoft and Cisco, just to name two) and I’ve experienced the CEO role and the owner role in some much smaller (and less successful) companies. Despite the differences in the roles I’ve covered during my recent life, I’ve always thought that there was a fundamental gap between the culture (*), as Grant McCracken defines it in his book, and the corporate culture as I’ve seen it defined, and sometime enforced, by many enterprises.

If, like me, you have ever got the feeling that there is something fake or missing in the corporate culture message of the company you work for, than this book is a must have. You will see how culture is the place you go for innovation and for granting your business a competitive advantage.

If, like me, you’ve seen some of your best work poisoned by “death by committee” than you’ll enjoy reading this book. You’ll learn how some CEOs have managed to liberate good ideas from bureaucracy.

If, like me, you think you have to do something in your company to grant there is a methodical approach in culture understanding and leveraging , than this book is going to be a great companion for your journey. You’ll learn how your company can minimize risks by embracing culture as a vital piece of a business model design.

To Grant McCracken I can simply say: Thank You!

(*) In the Introduction to his book, this is the definition Grant McCracken gives of culture as he uses it: “By culture, I mean the world outside the corporation, the body of ideas, emotions and activities that make up the life of the consumer”.