John

This book is a surprisingly good read. It lays out a solid methodology for identifying new business opportunities, which others have missed. It is simple and straight forward, but profound in its approach and clarity. While the author suffers from being somewhat of a "hype machine" in his other writings and website, this does not detract from the core of this book.

Is it a timeless classic? No. The examples used in the book will become dated quickly over the next few years. However, it is definitely worth a read for anyone seeking to find new and innovative opportunities. I would have expected this book to become popular with the start up gurus of Silicon Valley, but it appears to have found very limited traction there.

A well written book on the niche subject of making stuff using digital and 3D printing technologies. A likely read for hackers, people who like to tear things apart to find out how it works inside, people who want to make things with their computer, and aspirating product designers doing really cool stuff. Also, the author provides a good view into the manufacturing ways of the future (and its not just in China).

A good listen, but unfortunately this book does not deliver a compelling overarching theory of technology development for the future. This is primarily due to Dr. Wu's limited analysis of global economic trends beyond the shores of America. The USA represents about 25% of the global GDP at present. However, the book fails to robustly analyze and account for the impact of the 'rest of the world' (i.e. the remaining 75% of global GDP) in his prescription for the future. This is a significant weakness in his analysis.

The core message and rare nuggets of compelling data of this book are lost by the author's need to justify his own social standing and habit of descending into the 'weeds' on semi-relevant tangents. If the length of the book were shortened by half, it could be a more interesting read.

This is a compelling literary effort written long before Obama’s current run to become President of the United States. It is an impressive work having a surprising candor. Well worth a listen.

This book covers a firm grasp of the obvious. The last few chapters improve. But, if you have read Thomas Friedman's book, don't bother with this one.