Start-Up Nation

The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle

By: Dan Senor, Saul Singer

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel - a country of 7.1 million, only 60 years old, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources - produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK?

With the savvy of foreign policy insiders, Senor and Singer examine the lessons of the country's adversity-driven culture, which flattens hierarchy and elevates informality - all backed up by government policies focused on innovation. In a world where economies as diverse as Ireland, Singapore, and Dubai have tried to re-create the "Israel effect", there are entrepreneurial lessons well worth noting. As America reboots its own economy and can-do spirit, there's never been a better time to look at this remarkable and resilient nation for some impressive, surprising clues.

©2009 Dan Senor and Saul Singer (P)2009 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

"There is a great deal for America to learn from the very impressive Israeli Entrepreneurial model - beginning with a culture of leadership and risk management. Start-Up Nation is a playbook for every CEO who wants to develop the next generation of corporate leaders." (Tom Brokaw)
"No one else, in my judgment, has written regularly about Israel in recent years with more clarity than Singer." (William Kristol, Editor, The Weekly Standard)

Great book

amazing book, i loved the content and the performance of sean pratt. really recomend it

Very Inspirational

Very good book. You get to see why Israel is so tenacious financially and what we as Americans can learn from Israel. It however seem to leave out the indispensable help and support that Israel gets from America, without which success would not be so impressive

A must read to anybody

This book is a must read to anybody who is looking for a glimpse of success.

Shows how Israel stimulates entrepreneurship

The authors (Senor and Singer) use stories on Israeli startups to develop hypotheses on why Israel has many more startups than countries much larger in size and population, even with their constant challenges of war, location and terrain. They argue that military service before college helps young Israelis develop skills, become more resilient and learn to focus on their missions, all of which are useful traits in entrepreneurs. The educational system has a strong emphasis on science and technology, led by Technion, producing many engineers, scientists and inventors. Many of the diaspora return to Israel after gaining experience in the US and other countries. The large number of immigrants also leads to more entrepreneurs. Immigrants are inherently risk takers and are not afraid to fail. Government policies act as facilitators, with specific examples from Shimon Peres and Netanyahu. The evolution of several Israeli startups is covered, including Shai Agassi of electric car company Better Place, Gavriel Iddan of endoscopy camera maker Given Imaging, ICQ instant messenger and others. Large global companies have also established key R&D operations in Israel, including Intel, Google, Cisco, Microsoft and eBay. This audiobook is highly recommended to listeners interested in entrepreneurship and Israeli business history. After listening, you'll better understand why the number of startups per capita in Israel is very high compared to other countries. Narrator performance was very good.

An interesting 360 degree vision of Israel

I'm studying a master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and one of my professors recommended this book and after reading it, as if by serendipity, we were told that my class would be doing a study trip to Tel Aviv University. During our trip, ALL of the guest speakers mentioned the book either directly, or indirectly through cultural references, and I could see that everything that was mentioned in the book had a basis.

I have to say that it really opened my eyes and gave me a greater understanding of Israel as an innovation powerhouse. Very inspirational, and a must read for anyone that is interested in how innovation ecosystems are born.

Fascinating

A must read for all business leaders, education management professionals, entrepreneurs and anyone interested in growing their environment. I learned a great deal.

Very insightful

A fascinating book providing insight into yet another aspect of this remarkable nation. "Ye are my witnesses"

Great book

inspiring hearing Israel's story. This also reveals how getting a startup culture can transform a nation

Fantastic read! Great lessons for entrepreneurs!

A fantastic read and definitely thought provoking. A bit different than the recent entrepreneurial books I've read recently which focus on individuals. Start-up Nation is all about the nation of Israel and how they have managed to become the go-to country for start-ups and entrepreneurs. Probably the biggest take-a-way for me was that the culture of the Israelis is such that they don't ever sit comfortable in the status-quo, they are constantly asking questions like “how can this be improved?” or “why not do it differently?”. I also couldn't help but read the book and come away with a huge appreciation for what the Israelis have accomplished in the last 50 years...truly remarkable. For would-be entrepreneurs this book will give you a good idea of the fertile soil for successful start-ups and new business ideas. If you are timid, think it's all been done before, sit comfortably under hierarchical leadership structures, and lack a competitive spirit, this book suggests that you will struggle to compete in business with the leaders coming out of Israel.

Easier to consume via audible

This was my first audiobook completed. I physically read the book first and then listened to it via audible in its entirety. I enjoyed the audible experience confirming that my learning preference is auditory over visual. Surprisingly, I found myself listening to the book during lapses in sleep at night. In fact, most of the audiobook was consumed that way. Looking forward to expanding this experience and exploring to see if the auditory can, somehow, effectively be combined with the visual for greater impact and absorption of information. Loved the experience overall.