The Change Function

July 1, 2006
Whether you are a consumer of technology, an investor in technology companies, or a developer of new technology products and services, Coburn's book will challenge your beliefs about success and failure in today's technology landscape. Drawing on his experience as a Wall Street technology analyst, the author shares his system for predicting whether or not a new technology will be a commercial success. The book explores the -build it and they will come - technology business model through numerous case studies: picture phones, interactive TVs, satellite mobile phones, tablet PCs, Webvan, the Alpha computer chip, fast but high-temperature laptop PCs, and smart mobile phones. As the commercial failure rate of great new technologies is very high, understanding why and what can be done to address the problem is the book' s true value to readers. As is true for most business books today, this text feelse like a conference talk put to paper. It generally works, though certain sections lack enough detail for readers to appreciate the ideas being discussed. Given the current plethora of books on innovation and creativity, this title is a timely counterbalance to the rhetoric about the changing nature of our economy. Strongly recommended for all library collections." -James A. Buczynski, Seneca Coll. of Applied Arts & Tech., Toronto"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2006
(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)