January 1, 2008

Highly recommended: The Ten Faces of Innovation by Tom Kelly... a perfect book to start 2008

One of the good things about the Holiday Season is that you have time to do the things you really want to do... like reading. I just finished one of the best books on innovation I have ever read. It's called 'The Ten Faces of Innovation' by IDEO co-founder Tom Kelly written with Johnathan Littman. The book describes the unique characteristics of special types of individuals who fuel new ideas and transform them into innovative business concepts. A wonderful read that is a reminder of how powerful organizations can become by putting together a more diverse, intellectually-curious team of talents and give them the permission and corporate culture to challenge conventional wisdom, to experiment, to break down internal paradigms, to create remarkable experiences for customers. A perfect book to start a new year, making me realize that there are so many things I want to do differently in 2008. As a Brazilian, I was happy to see the author (Chapter 6 page 159/160) praising the Brazilian Government's initiative of becoming a leading center of genome research, supporting the efforts of cracking the DNA sequence of important crops like sugarcane and coffee. It was also a fascinating peak into some of the case studies of one of the World's coolest innovation and design firms: IDEO. A must read for anyone who loves innovation.

The book was a gift from my good friend Flavio Maria, president of São Paulo-based brand activation agency Future Group. A book is a such a wonderful gift...

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