Start-Up Nation Audiobook By Dan Senor, Saul Singer cover art

Start-Up Nation

The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle

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Start-Up Nation

By: Dan Senor, Saul Singer
Narrated by: Sean Pratt
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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 Business Development & Entrepreneurship Economic Conditions Economics International Israel & Palestine Middle East Small Business Iran War Business Government Russia China Inspiring Imperial Japan Africa

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)
Insightful Analysis • Compelling Entrepreneurship Stories • Excellent Pacing • Comprehensive Cultural Context

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

Great book

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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

Very Inspirational

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

A must read to anybody

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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.

Shows how Israel stimulates entrepreneurship

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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.

An interesting 360 degree vision of Israel

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