I was looking for information on Thomas Edison, in particular how he built teams and what his leadership style was. While there are some useful nuggets of information in this book, I was very disappointed at how little about Edison there was to find and how much about what McCormick calls post-corporate America (i.e. the old "new economy") and other rather banal ideas. Moreover, absolutely nothing that the author says is footnoted or documented in any way, so the reader never knows what he is basing his conclusions or assertions on. That is not second rate - it is third rate scholarship and unacceptable from any academic yardstick. Finally, the farther you get into the book, the less there is about Edison and the more off-hand advice and even simple (very conservative) economic ideology there is. I have seen similar ideas many times before and was not interested in hearing them reiterated in what I consider a less clearly written style and a less cogent manner. FInally, the examples that he trots out are already badly dated: Enron, for example, is touted as a superior post-corporate company because of the way it manages "creative" employees (I don't think he meant accounting); so is Sun Microsystems and many other info-econ companies that have seen near-catastrophic declines since the publication date of 2001 - it is so superficial that you have to wonder if there was any real thought behind any of it beyond the usual business-school shlock! As such, this is conventional wisdom from BEFORE the stock market bubble burst.
Not recommended if you are a serious reader of biz lit or economics. There are far, far better sources on Edison that are more clearly written and whose scholarship is impeccable, such as Israel's masterful book (Edison A Life of Invention). The material on the new economy is so outdated - hense so appallingly misguided - that it is almost embarassing, and this is only two years after publication.
As the book quickly points out Edison was one of the first practitioners in the war for talent. Edison's lab was the first innovation factory and in many ways a precursor to Silicon Valley. The lab had no rules (pet bear, pipe organ, and pranks) and was a true meritocracy. Edison's lab had a basic apprenticeship program and Edition worked with many, many people on the innovation teams that worked on projects. The electric light bulb team was over 75 people.
The book also cast a complementary light on Edison as a businessman. The innovations of the labs lead to the founding of over 100 companies. The labs innovations lead to a virtuous cycle of products, systems, and industries. This led to more innovation and more businesses. Edison was not Rockefeller nor did he want to be he wanted his business to continue to provide funding for invention. Edison was adept at capturing and using venture capital.
Edison was also quite adept at marketing. At a time before self-promotion was recognized or well understood Edison was adept at it. Edison's ability to market himself and his ideas lead to better funding, recognition, and a reputation, which allowed him to invent even more.
This is a great book. Edison was one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived.
