Review by Choice Review
Most business books attempt to offer something new, something novel that executives can use to propel their firms to the top of the marketplace heap. Not so Simply Better, written by two European academics with extensive business experience. They put forth the idea that the key to success in the marketplace is to execute the basic ideas better than competitors. This is arguably a difficult thing to sell in today's market, where razzle-dazzle counts for a lot. The authors convincingly demonstrate, however, why companies go wrong when trying to be different from others. Oftentimes, this differentiation leads a company to be so cut off from customer needs that customers take their business elsewhere. It is like making a mousetrap that may be very different from other competitive offerings but, in the end, does not meet customers' needs. In seven succinctly written chapters the authors make a plausible case for simplicity and an intense focus on execution. Using examples from Europe (such as Orange and One2One in cell phones) and the US (Crest in personal care), the authors provide a practical roadmap for executives to keep a sharp focus on the basics. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Business collections supporting practitioners. R. Subramanian Grand Valley State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
