Richard K. Lester is Director of the Industrial Performance Center and Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Michael J. Piore is David W. Skinner Professor of Political Economy, Emeritus, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Introduction 1. Integration in Cell Phones, Blue Jeans, and Medical Devices 2. Where Do Problems Come From? 3. Conversation, Interpretation, and Ambiguity 4. The Missed Connections of Modern Management 5. Combining Analysis and Interpretation 6. Public Space 7. Universities as Public Spaces 8. Learning the Right Lessons about Competitiveness Notes Acknowledgments Index

Lester and Piore tell us that a corporate focus on core competencies will not suffice to make a brand irreplaceable and thus earn a ticket to prolonged life. Indeed great brands don't just fall from the sky, they have to be built through the carefully assembled blocks of innovation. The authors lead us to the conclusion that you have to go beyond just listening to the customer, you have to observe them and anticipate what they themselves never imagined they would want.

Richard K. Lester is Director of the Industrial Performance Center and Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Michael J. Piore is David W. Skinner Professor of Political Economy, Emeritus, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Introduction 1. Integration in Cell Phones, Blue Jeans, and Medical Devices 2. Where Do Problems Come From? 3. Conversation, Interpretation, and Ambiguity 4. The Missed Connections of Modern Management 5. Combining Analysis and Interpretation 6. Public Space 7. Universities as Public Spaces 8. Learning the Right Lessons about Competitiveness Notes Acknowledgments Index

Lester and Piore tell us that a corporate focus on core competencies will not suffice to make a brand irreplaceable and thus earn a ticket to prolonged life. Indeed great brands don't just fall from the sky, they have to be built through the carefully assembled blocks of innovation. The authors lead us to the conclusion that you have to go beyond just listening to the customer, you have to observe them and anticipate what they themselves never imagined they would want.

Richard K. Lester is Director of the Industrial Performance Center and Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Michael J. Piore is David W. Skinner Professor of Political Economy, Emeritus, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Introduction 1. Integration in Cell Phones, Blue Jeans, and Medical Devices 2. Where Do Problems Come From? 3. Conversation, Interpretation, and Ambiguity 4. The Missed Connections of Modern Management 5. Combining Analysis and Interpretation 6. Public Space 7. Universities as Public Spaces 8. Learning the Right Lessons about Competitiveness Notes Acknowledgments Index

Lester and Piore tell us that a corporate focus on core competencies will not suffice to make a brand irreplaceable and thus earn a ticket to prolonged life. Indeed great brands don't just fall from the sky, they have to be built through the carefully assembled blocks of innovation. The authors lead us to the conclusion that you have to go beyond just listening to the customer, you have to observe them and anticipate what they themselves never imagined they would want.