Soundview Executive Book Summaries, October 2004

Does IT Matter? by Nicholas G. Carr
In a May 2003 article in the Harvard Business Review entitled "IT Doesn't Matter", Nicholas G. Carr introduced the idea that information technology (IT) does not provide a competitive advantage to companies in a strategic manner. In Does IT Matter?, Carr argues that IT has become a commodity, and because the very nature of strategy requires differentiation, IT cannot possibly qualify. IT can be used to supplement and improve strategy implementation, but it is not the foundation of a competitive advantage. To handle this new approach to IT, executives will have to prevent the commoditization of IT architecture and applications from destroying their companies' barriers to competitive advantages.

The Power of Impossible Thinking by Yoram (Jerry) Wind and Colin Crook with Robert Gunther
The ability to see the world differently can create significant opportunities, as companies such as Southwest Airlines, FedEx, Charles Schwab, and others have demonstrated. But even successful models can ultimately become a prison if they limit your ability to make sense of a changing world. The Power of Impossible Thinking provides a systematic process to help you understand the importance of mental models, assess whether your models are relevant, what kinds of models are needed, and how to act upon these models more effectively.

Also, bonus book reviews of The (Mis)Behavior of Markets by Benoit Mandelbrot and Richard L. Hudson; What's This India Business by Paul Davies; Women Don't Ask by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever; and Trump: How to Get Rich by Donald Trump with Meredith McIver.

Then, hear the full version of Trump: How to Get Rich.

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